Bangkok, the capital and most populous city of Thailand has an incredible amount of attractions to offer ranging from incredible theme parks to many a luxury hotel Bangkok contains for your indulgence such as the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel. Given the nation’s rich and prosperous historical heritage and devout practice of Buddhism, there is an immense range of spectacular Buddhist sites to see on a visit to this famed city.
One of the most iconic of Bangkok attractions, is Wat Traimit, more commonly referred to as ‘The Temple of the Golden Buddha’. The most notable aspect of the temple is the massive Golden Buddha statue contained within it. The origin of the statue is shrouded in mystery since some believe it was built during the days of the Sukhothai Dynasty during the 13th and 14th centuries while others insist it could have been built after that time. Either way, the statue is at least seven hundred years old. The statue was built out of more than five tons of gold, and the value of the statue is incalculable. The discovery of the statue was accidental since at some point in time it was covered in plaster to conceal the gold from Burmese invaders. The incident occurred in 1954 when the statue was being moved due to the construction of a new building. During this process the ropes lifting the statue broke loose, resulting in the statue falling on the ground, causing some plaster to chip away which revealed the gold underneath.
Recently the statue was moved to a new building called ‘Phra Maha Mondop’. The first floor of this building contains a heritage centre that allows visitors to discover the rich history surrounding the country’s earliest Chinese immigrants. The second floor showcases an exhibition which tells the origin of the iconic Golden Buddha statue. The third and top-most floor contains the statue itself. If you ever find yourself in Bangkok, a visit to this iconic temple is essential.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting.