Wonder of Wonders in Bangkok: Impressive Wat Pho
#bangkoktrip
After years of trips and life in South Eastern Asia, we seem to have stopped being surprised by the beautiful temples. But still there is a place that struck not only with its beauty, but also with its scale – Wat Pho in Bangkok. A place that I recommend to visit to anyone who finds himself in this big city.
Wat Pho Temple complex is located in one of the districts of Bangkok, Phra Nankon, next to a Large Palace. It is one of the top six temples in Thailand. Wat Pho, whose construction is associated with the name of King Rama I, reconstruction and expansion with King Rama III, houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand, as well as a 46-meter reclining Buddha statue, which is even impossible to capture in whole size on a camera!
The temple was an early center of public education in the country, it is known as the birthplace of massage and traditional Thai medicine, which are still taught and practiced here. Throughout its existence, the name of the spiritual monastery has often been changed. Wat Pho was built before Bangkok, at first it was called Wat Photaram. During the reign of King Rama I, a Large Palace was erected adjacent to Wat Pho, and the reconstruction of the building began, which took seven years. After some time, Wat Pho became the main temple of Rama I.
Over the next 260 years, the temple complex underwent significant changes. In 1832, King Rama III began the reconstruction and enlargement of Wat Pho, a process that took almost 17 years. The complex was expanded to 22 acres, most structures were built and rebuilt, and the development of a community learning center began. Before the advent of modern medicine, the temple was a center for teaching this science, and in 1957 a private school of Thai medicine was founded there.
Address: 2 Sanamchai Road, Grand Palace Subdistrict, Pranakorn District, Bangkok, 10200 Thailand.