Renowned as a unique cultural attraction in the heart of Thailand’s touristic landscape, the Wat Suthat Temple is perhaps best known as the Bangkok Giant Swing Temple among seasoned visitors. Ideally located adjacent to Bangkok City Hall, the Giant Swing for which the temple is known for stands between the temple and the City Hall. Revered as a Thai landmark that is instantly recognised around the globe the Giant Swing towers above the bustling city of Bangkok at a staggering height of 21.15 meters and is considered as one of the tallest structures in the area.
Dating far back in to the annals of Thailand’s rich history the Giant Swing is believed to have been constructed in as early as 1784. The original Giant Swing however is no more and what visitors see today is the replacement which was constructed in 2004. Made almost entirely of golden teak the new Giant Swing is no less spectacular as it’s held up by the iconic red pillars with ornate cross beams that are synonymous with the structure and visible for miles around. Completed with great care and attention to detail the reconstruction of the Giant Swing was a mammoth undertaking as it called for ornate hand carvings as well as painting techniques that could only be executed by masters in traditional decorative art forms. Civil Engineers, The Forestry Department and Brahmin Monks were also involved in the project.
The temple of Wat Suthat on the other hand remains as it was in centuries past when it was commissioned to be built by King Rama 1. Revered as one of the country’s best preserved temples, the venue is well known for its hand carved door panels made in teak as well as its charming chapel adorned with murals. The Giant Swing it seems was no coincidental structure placed at the entrance of Wat Suthat as it played a pivotal role in cultural ceremonies and harvest festivals.
Legend and folklore states that the swing was in fact employed for a ritual in the Brahmin thanksgiving ceremony which took place in the harvest season in the middle of December decades ago. Young men supposedly used the swing to propel themselves a whopping 24m in the air to catch a suspended bag of silver with their teeth. The practice continued till the early 1930’s till it was banned for safety reasons.
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Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry. Google+
