In 1436, King Sam Fang Kaen of Chiang Mai arranged for a procession of the Emerald Buddha image from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. The elephant carrying the image ran towards Lampang and on reaching Lampang refused to move. The king issued an order to place the image within Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao. 32 years later it was moved to Chiang Mai.

Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao (The Monastery of the Emerald Buddha on the Water Jar Knoll) is Lampang's most important temple having onced housed the Emerald Buddha (Phra Kaeo Morakot). The Emerald Buddha now resides in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaeo (part of the Grand Palace complex), the most important temple in Thailand.

Lampang was originally founded during the 7th century Dvaravati period. Nothing remains from these early times, but the city is rich in temples, many of which have a distinctly Burmese flavour as Lampang had a substantial Burmese population in the 19th century, most of whom were involved in the logging industry.