Wat Phra That Cho Hae, the Royal Temple, is a sacred ancient temple in Phrae and a temple of people who have the year of birth in year of the Tiger. Chronicles of His Majesty on the Sukhothai period in the National Library said to Wat Phra That Cho Hae, the Royal Temple that year of built between 1879-1881 B.E. during the reign of King Maha Dhamaracha (Lithai). He like to build the place of Buddhist religion as it appears in history and select Doi Go Sataya Chucka Banpot (Go Sataya Chucka Banpot Hill) to build a pagoda, Phra That Cho Hae.
According to legend, His Majesty Maharaja Lithai gave the Lord Buddha relics (the hair elements) to Khun Lua Ai Kom (Phra That Cho Hae builder) to be contained in the pagoda base. When Khun Lua Ai Kom arrived to Doi Go Sataya Chucka Banpot, he found that it has a good location to build the pagoda. He put the casket containing the relics in the Golden Lion statue, and built a podium of the casket by silver and gold. After set up the Golden Lion statue, he used the cement waved over for another layer. After that, he set a celebration event 7 days and 7 nights. Later Phrae was assembled into the Kingdom of Lanna Thai, Lanna King has renovated Phra That Cho Hae continuously. Until the fall of dynasty, Phra That Cho Hae was so delipliated respectively. In 2467 B.E., Kruba Srivijaya (Saint of Lanna) restored Phra That Cho Hae with Phrae Province Minstry, which had Phra Maha Methang Gon (Prom Prom Dhe Vo), a former dean of Phrae Province Monk as a president of restoration. Phra That Cho Hae returned to grace as a pride of Phrae city.
Another legend of Phra That Cho Hae say that the Lord Buddha came to Phrae, sat at Doi Go Sataya Chucka Banpot (Go Sataya Chucka Banpot Hill). Khun Lua Ai Kom (Phra That Cho Hae builder) has come to worship the Lord Buddha on this hill. Lord Buddha has shown him the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path, and then given him the relics (the hair elements) as a gift. Lord Buddha ordered Khun Lua Ai Kom to put the relics in a cave nearby, and said that after his nirvana, do remove the relics of left elbow to put in this place as well. After Lord Buddha’s nirvana 218 years, the Great King Asoka and all saint of Lord Buddha join prayer, and summon the urn, which contain the relics, and then provided that to places where the Lord Buddha was predestined. At the end of prayers went out, all relics from the urn came out into the air and went to the defined places. For the remaining relics, the saint brought to 84,000 pagodas, announced to the angels to defend all forever until the end of the Buddhist 5,000 years.
Everyone who visit Phrae province must not miss to worship Phra That Cho Hae for auspiciousness themselves. A statement that “If you come to Phrae, but do not worship Phra That Cho Hae, you do not yet reach to Phrae.