Bangkok

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

(Wat Phra Kaeo)

     It is the most famous temple in Thailand and has the beautiful Emerald Buddha turn the most revered in the country. The statue, discovered in 1464, comes from Chiang Rai in the north of the kingdom but was taken to Bangkok by King Rama I and since then the temple is located inside the Grand Palace. The Wat Phra Kaeo, the temple is the name in Thai, was planned according to the example of the sacred temples of the ancient capital, Ayutthaya. It consists of a series of galleries adorned with pictorial illustrations Ramakien an Indian epic.

 

 

Golden Buddha Temple

(Wat Traimit)

     This temple is worth a visit to admire the magnificent statue of solid gold Buddha who came here after a series of complicated adventures. Researchers trace their origin to 700 years ago, the Sukhothai period, when it became the capital Ayutthaya.

 

     During the Burmese invasion, the statue was saved thanks to a coating of stucco that covered all the gold thus preventing looting. In the period in which it became the capital Bangkok, the statue was taken to a remote temple on the banks of the river and there was forgotten for years.

 

     Twenty years later, the abbot of the temple decided to look for an appropriate place and made to move, during it, the statue fell and opened a crack in the stucco head. In a strange dream, the abbot saw brilliant rays of light from the stucco. In the morning he remembered the statue and through the crack in the stucco of the head could admire the splendor of the Golden Buddha.

 

 

Reclining Buddha Temple

(Wat Po)

     The Temple of the Reclining Buddha sixteenth century, but was rebuilt by Rama I in 1789. The Reclining Buddha of brick and mortar covered by gold leaf, impresses with its 46 meters long and 15 meters high with inlaid mother of pearl. In the Wat Po is also the traditional medical school.

 

 

Temple of the Dawn

(Wat Arun)

     Located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, Wat Arun was built in the seventeenth century, has a tower decorated with multicolored ceramic tiles. With its 79 meters high is one of the most recognizable of the riverbank. The temple was the first home of the Emerald Buddha before his transfer to Wat Phra Kaeo in 1785.

 

 

North Temples

 

 

     To appreciate and understand the culture and lifestyle of the North is essential visit their temples. The graceful shapes and proportions instantly communicate a sense of total harmony characteristic of the temples in this part of the country. The incisions magnificent doors, exquisite decorations and devotion of Buddhist monks to preserve this heritage, I conquer.

 

 

Chiang Mai

 

 

Wat Changman

     It is the oldest monastery in the city. During the construction of the same, its founders slept here. Later, there was an inscription on the stone with the description of the founding of Chiang Mai to be kept in the temple. The interior of the sanctuary is truly unique, supported by the heads of four elephants in stucco.

 

 

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

     Near the top of the mountain with the same name makes this temple, one of the most revered of all Thailand.

 

 

Chiang Rai

 

 

Wat Phra That Doi Tung

     The temple is located on the top of Mount Doi Tung which with its 2000 meters is the highest in the province. Here is guarded a sacred relic of Buddha and, for this reason, the place is a yearly pilgrimage destination of Buddhist devotees arriving even from neighboring Laos.

 

 

Mae Hong Son

 

 

Wat Wat Chong Kham and Chong Klang

     These are two old monasteries found in the center of the city whose foundations are sinking in a vast lake. Looking at them, the feeling experienced is so mystical that if Shangri-La had to take a picture, it surely would.

 

 

Sukhothai

 

 

Wat Mahathat

     It is the main monastery of Sukhothai. Although homeless and reduced almost to a ruin, still manifests the splendor of the architecture of the ancient city.

 

 

     Inside, a large statue of a seated Buddha surrounded by a porch whose roof has disintegrated. A nearby lake temple architecture reflects giving the place a surreal atmosphere. Sukhothai architecture is a set of different styles: Khmer influences and Sri Lanka.

 

 

The Northeast

 

 

The Khmer Sanctuaries in Nakhon Ratchasima

 

     In Phimai district 60 kilometers from Nakorn Ratchasima is the restored Khmer temple complex largest in Thailand, built during the Reign of King Suriyavoraman (AD 1002-1049).

 

 

     The city turns into ruin during the early years of the twelfth century, a period of decline of the ancient Khmer empire.