Wat Pho
8 images 2 contributors Shoot with care
Sue Wolfe
Shoot with care
Respectful attire is required—it is a functioning Thai Buddhist temple. The dress code says knees and shoulders should be covered.
About this spot
Wat Pho is famous for its giant reclining Buddha. The construction date of the original temple is unknown, but King Rama I built the Grand Palace adjacent to Wat Pho and ordered the run-down temple be renovated in 1788. The temple was expanded and renovated again by Rama III.
The reclining Buddha represents the entry of Buddha into Nirvana. Its posture is that of a sleeping or reclining lion. The Buddha is 46 meters long and covered in gold leaf. Its feet are 3 meters high and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The soles are divided into 108 panels displaying auspicious symbols. There are also 108 bronze bowls in the corridor. 108 being an important number in Buddhism. You can buy coins at the entrance and drop them in the bowls as you move through the temple—the gesture is believed to bring good fortune.
Included in the 4 chapels are 394 gilded Buddha images from different parts of Thailand—the largest collection of Buddhas in the country. In the courtyards are Chinese statues and 91 stupas decorated in ceramic flowers and colorful tiles.
The temple is considered the earliest center for public education in Thailand and houses a school of Thai medicine and is known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage—still taught at the temple.
Wat Pho is first on the list of six temples in Thailand classified as the highest grade of the first-class royal temples.
The reclining Buddha represents the entry of Buddha into Nirvana. Its posture is that of a sleeping or reclining lion. The Buddha is 46 meters long and covered in gold leaf. Its feet are 3 meters high and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The soles are divided into 108 panels displaying auspicious symbols. There are also 108 bronze bowls in the corridor. 108 being an important number in Buddhism. You can buy coins at the entrance and drop them in the bowls as you move through the temple—the gesture is believed to bring good fortune.
Included in the 4 chapels are 394 gilded Buddha images from different parts of Thailand—the largest collection of Buddhas in the country. In the courtyards are Chinese statues and 91 stupas decorated in ceramic flowers and colorful tiles.
The temple is considered the earliest center for public education in Thailand and houses a school of Thai medicine and is known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage—still taught at the temple.
Wat Pho is first on the list of six temples in Thailand classified as the highest grade of the first-class royal temples.
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