The Great Temples of Bangkok
Before our recent trip to Bangkok, I asked my sister and cousin Kevin about all the must-visit spots for our short stay in that Thai capital. Christine used to visit Bangkok frequently for work, and Kevin had lived there with his family for the past decade. I was stunned when they both told me the best way to experience the city was to spend a day in one of the mega malls. Shopping malls are my least favorite place in the world, and I have always avoided them like the plague. That said, I knew I had to be open-minded. Perhaps these malls are as magnificent and fun as everyone claims to be?
A royal portrait outside of Samyan Mitrtown Shopping Center.
After conducting extensive research, we decided to spend an afternoon at ICONSIAM, the second-largest shopping mall in Bangkok. It is supposed to be one of the best, offering everything one would want under the sun. After two and three hours, we had had enough of it. Yes, this is a large mall with plenty of shops and eateries, but I couldn't fathom that it is a major tourist destination. Having worked in Manhattan for over fourteen years, I was neither impressed nor interested in the hundreds of high-end shops there. How are modern shopping malls more appealing than traditional Thai temples?
In the end, I am glad that I enjoyed the cultural sites of Bangkok a whole lot more than the malls. Bangkok is a city of eighteen million with more than four hundred Buddhist temples. Picking out a few temples among them on a short visit was not an easy task. After extensive research, we picked out Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew, two of the three most iconic temples in Bangkok. It also just happened that they are a stone’s throw away from one another. Together, the pagodas of these three temples create Bangkok’s iconic skyline.
Wat Pho
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Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan
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The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
For anyone with limited time in Bangkok, an obvious sightseeing choice would likely be the Grand Palace, the official seat and residence of the Thai monarchy. The enormous complex is heavily fortified due to its significant religious and political importance. Many streets surrounding the palace were cordoned off. As we were dropped off at the entrance by Sanam Luang, a man standing by the guarded entrance greeted us and instructed us that only those with an advanced reservation could be allowed in. Those of us without reservation would have to come back at 3 pm. He then proceeded to introduce other attractions we could visit nearby.
I had done enough traveling to be suspicious. It seemed like he was trying to funnel unsuspecting tourists to nearby attractions and earn a commission from the nearby cab drivers. I hesitated to call his bluff only because a uniformed police officer was standing next to him. Of course, the first thing I did was visit the official website to book tickets. However, the payment could not be processed because of foreign credit cards. After spending fifteen minutes struggling to make online reservations by the side of the road, the same police officer walked by and told us to go inside and get the ticket there. I am not sure I was more surprised by how brazen the illegal tout was or how the police were able to overlook it for so long.
Admission to the palace costs 500 baht for foreigners and is free for Thai nationals. The palace was jammed with visitors, including numerous tour groups. The overall atmosphere of the place was hectic and not particularly dignified. While this is the official residence of the royal families, it is widely known that the king rarely spends time here or even in Bangkok. The current king is said to spend the majority of his time at an alpine resort in Germany, much to the consternation of many Thais. But the country’s lèse-majesté certainly kept any public grumbling at bay.
The first section of the palace is anchored by Wat Phra Kaew, better known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is often regarded as the most important Buddhist shrine in the country and is closely associated with the Thai monarchy. Made out of semi-precious stone and measuring just 26 inches by 19 inches, the Emerald Buddha is believed to be Sinhalese in origin and has had a tumultuous history of moving from temple to temple through Southeast Asia. When “rediscovered” by a monastery abbot in 1434, the Emerald became an object of desire for the local monarch. Within Thailand, it continued to move around, including Chiang Mai’s famous Wat Chedi Luang.
As a flashback, we visited Wat Chedi Luang five years ago in Chiang Mai.
For various reasons, the Emerald Buddha is regarded as the palladium of Thailand. It would be paraded through the streets to cleanse the city of the plague. Only the reigning Thai monarch, or a senior member of the royal family designated by the king, is permitted to touch the statue. The statue is adorned with one of the three golden costumes, one for each season of Thailand. The seasonal ceremony centered around the Emerald Buddha’s changing costumes marks the beginning of the seasons. Given the national significance of the Emerald Buddha, we were all disappointed by how small and far the statue is from visitors. It was not too different from seeing Mona Lisa at the Louvre. The grand hall also functions as a ceremonial throne hall, decorated with elaborate murals, chandeliers, and statues.
Since its founding more than two centuries ago, the temple has gone through continuous addition and renewal. The array of religious monuments and statues around here is dizzying. Without a professional tour guide, it was somewhat challenging to focus and prioritize. Naturally, our attentions were drawn to the massive gilded structures at the center of the complex. The most splendid among them is Phra Si Rattana Chedi, a giant stupa housing the Buddha’s holy relic. Built in the Shinghalese style, the stupa is clad in the shining gold tiles imported from Italy. Unfortunately, the central chamber containing the reliquary was not open to the public.
Immediately east of the stupa is another impressive golden structure: Phra Mondop, a depository of the royal Buddhist manuscripts. Supported by a series of elaborate columns is a distinctive, mondop-style pyramid roof that resembles a ceremonial crown. The walls and columns are covered extensively with inlaid precious gems, mother-of-pearl, and colorful glass. It may very well be the gaudiest building I have ever come across. The workmanship was undoubtedly impressive, but the visual complexity is disorienting. I would not be surprised if President Donald Trump might take inspiration from here for his grand plan for the new White House ballroom.
Curiously, the only structure not covered in gold is a miniature replica of Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world and the national icon of Cambodia. The story behind this model was incredible and is quite pertinent to the current event. The relationship between Cambodia and Thailand was long and complicated. When the Kashmir Empire went into decline in the late 15th century, a significant portion of its territories were absorbed into the territories of Vietnam and Thailand. The Thai royal families were eager to claim the past glory of Kamir as their own.
In 1860, King Mongkut of Siam (Rama IV) ordered the entire Angkor Wat to be dismantled, transported, and reconstructed in Bangkok. After two expedition trips to evaluate the logistics, the court engineers had the unfortunate task of breaking the news to the king: the project can’t be done without bankrupting Siam. Instead, the king ordered a model of Angkor Wat built in the vicinity of Wat Phra Kaew. It is a manifestation of Thai cultural aggression toward Cambodia. Given the border conflict between the two countries a few months ago, I can’t help but wonder if the relocation of this model from the palace grounds could be a gracious gesture of reconciliation.
Personally, my favorite part of the entire temple complex is the impressive collection of murals around the temple’s loggia. Known as Ramakien Gallery, the murals cover the whole perimeter of the cloisters. They depict the story of the Ramakien, the national epic of Thailand of Indian origin. The story was translated into Thai under the patronage of King Rama I in 1797. The main narratives of the epic are those of righteous kingship sanctioned by divinity and good triumphing over evil. It is not difficult to see why the royal families would sponsor the painting of these murals.
Composed of 178 scenes, Ramakien Gallery is among the most splendid examples of Thai murals. The figures are vividly painted with graceful curves and a dynamic silhouette. The compressed perspective is reminiscent of the artworks in Gothic and Byzantine traditions. For American audiences, the painting style here is eerily familiar because of the theme song of Season 3 of the popular HBO anthology The White Lotus.
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