The first Chedi's of its magnitude is about to arrive in the UK, at the Buddhist Temple's new Peace Garden in Runcorn, launching Halton as a must visit UK tourist destination.

An impressive six-metre tall, hollow, bronzed statue, donated by a benefactor at Wat Phra Singh UK's parent temple in North Thailand makes its intercontinental journey to form the centre piece of Reconnecting Runcorn's Peace Garden. 

A chedi or Buddhist stupa enshrines relics and keeps the memory of the Buddha and his teachings alive. Hand crafted by monks and taking eight months to build, the Chedi (or Buddhist stupa) design is a replica of one in Chiang Mai, and is based on the 'Lanna style'. Chiang Mai was the capital of the old Lanna Kingdom with Lanna meaning one million rice fields. Reaching six metres tall, the statue comprises of four main faces, all of which tell a story key to the teachings within Buddhism. The Chedi also features the 'naga', a mythical serpent that protected the Buddha whilst he was meditating to gain enlightenment.  

With works to level off the embankment in the Community Peace Garden commencing in February and scheduled for completion at the end of May.  

The Chedi was fully completed on 3rd April this year the impressive artefact will now embark on its 5,644 mile intercontinental journey from The Gulf of Siam via Felixstowe to Runcorn, where it will form the centrepiece of the Reconnecting Runcorn's High Street Connectivity Project – Community Peace Garden. 

Tony Collacott Trustee of the template says “When the idea of the Peace Garden was first conceptualised, there was never a thought that there would be such a spectacular statue coming to Runcorn from Thailand. Initially when the idea was born for a peace garden, adjacent to the temple it was just to make use of the piece of land for the community where people could gather, be together or just sit and think on their own. I couldn't quite believe that a benefactor at our parent temple in North Thailand was donating and designing the Chedi to be sent over to Runcorn and take centre stage in the Garden” 

To ensure the statue arrives in one piece it has been split into the five sections it was cast and built in before being carefully wrapped and placed in a crate inside the container. It will travel with a large Buddha, donated by the parent temple it will become the centrepiece to the new Ubosot hall when completed. This is expected to arrive in the UK in the next few months, with the 'Si Ra Reuk' ceremony taking place on Sunday 23rd June 2024 

The ceremony is open to the community and the public are welcome to participate, with a donation or offering which could be anything of meaning to them from a flower, lock of hair to a photograph, alternatively they can place a bag of gold and silver beads available from Wat Phra Singh.  

Each donation or offering will be placed into one of the nine chambers that form the plinth. Then they will blessed by the monks with a welcome chant in Thai. Inside the central (ninth) chamber the head monk will place a smaller Buddha image that he will bring over from Thailand. Once all of the offerings have been blessed over with a sprinkling of water by the head monk a light dusting of sand will fill the chambers, allowing the finishing touches to be made to the base (plinth) for the Chedi to be placed on top.  

Following the ceremony, it will take several weeks to finish the Chedi's positioning and placement with the hopes of having an unveiling ceremony in September 2024.

In the meantime, the Temple's Peace Garden and the Ubosot Hall (New Hall) which is also being developed as part of the project have also been chosen to take part in the Liverpool Architecture Festival from 1st June til 30th June 2024 where the public will have the opportunity to have a guided tour.  

PRESS CALL AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES 

Follow the Chedi's Journey interviews and content – individual requests considered. 

Attendance at 'Si Ra Reuk' ceremony on Sunday 23rd June 2024 

Tour of the Peace Garden 1st June til 30th June 2024 

For further information, images or to arrange an interview, please contact suzie@viv-id.co.uk  

In 2021 Runcorn secured £23.6m funding from the Local Government's Town Deal Fund, aiming to regenerate the town and has gained support from local residents  plus Susan Nickson. Who was brought up in Runcorn and wrote the acclaimed BBC sitcom 'Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps', which was also filmed in Runcorn.

Alongside the work starting on site at the Peace Garden several other Reconnecting Runcorn project strands hit key milestones in their timelines.  

• The Health and Education Hub project successfully received planning permission at the end of January so they can now begin looking at the next steps of the project.  
• As part of the Unlock Runcorn project, the civil landscaping strand submitted planning permission for the proposed new public realm infrastructure and layout for the new canal-based visitor attraction.  
• As part of the creative and digital skills hub the new Youth Centre at 57-59 High street is set to break ground in the coming months.  
•  The High Street new homes have broken ground with Halton Housing at the helm of development.  

About Recconecting Runcorn: 

Reconnecting Runcorn is an ambitious set of eight projects incorporating 15 strands, that collectively will improve the lives and livelihoods of local people and boost the local economy. This programme is funded through the Towns Fund which forms part of the UK Government's Levelling up agenda, with the purpose of driving sustainable long-term economic and productivity growth, through the regeneration of the town. The ambition is to invigorate and enhance the connections locally, through improved training and economic opportunities, enhanced transport links, housing and environmental improvements, and upgraded visitor attractions. 

The total funding awarded to Reconnecting Runcorn to deliver Runcorn's Town Investment Plan is £23.6m. Towns Fund is awarded to drive the sustainable economic regeneration of towns across the UK's long-term economic and productivity growth.