The most beautiful religious buildings Bangkok

Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahavihara, or Wat Arun more simply, is named after the goddess Aruna, goddess of the Dawn in the Hindu pantheon. Built during the Ayutthaya period, King Tasksin enlarged a small Buddhist temple that occupied the site, and Kings Rama II and Rama III expanded it. The main prang, which is an imposing 82 m high, is decorated with fragments of porcelain and a hundred statues of demons that protect it, and the seven-pointed trident of Shiva can be seen at its top. Around the main prang, four smaller ones house deities on horseback, the Nayu. Further down, statues of lions and Chinese soldiers stand guard. The roofs of the Wat are decorated with kinaries, the bird-women, with their hands joined in a position of meditation. On the banks of the river are 6 small Chinese pavilions, housing representations of Buddha during different episodes of his life. But more than the visit itself, which is quite quick, it is the sunset on this temple that is worth seeing. For that you can sit at the end of the day on the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya, and wait for the prang to be illuminated. Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, after three long years of restoration entrusted to the direction of the Thai Department of Fine Arts, was restored to its full glory in 2018. One of the most emblematic monuments of Thailand.

The temple where the golden Buddha (Phra Maha Mondop)is the most imposing Buddha in the world with its 5 tons. This Buddha was discovered by chance in 1953, when he was being lifted by a crane to be transferred from a storage room to the chapel. The Buddha slipped, the stucco that covered him cracked, and a magnificent golden statue from the time of Sukhothai was discovered, which the kings of Ayutthaya had thus hidden so that it would escape the lust of the Myanmars. An exhibition on the ^3rd floor of the palace retraces and explains this history and the origin of the Golden Buddha.

During the construction of the Hotel Erawan (adjoining the sanctuary and now the Grand Hyatt Erawan) in the early 1950s, there were a series of accidents on the construction site. Even the ship bringing the marble from Italy sank. The case was getting serious. Astrologers were consulted, without success. It was then that a Brahmin declared that the spirits of the place were unhappy with the disturbance and that an altar had to be built to Brahma (Thao Maha Phrom, in Thai), the Hindu god of creation. As soon as said, as soon as done. And construction could resume in serenity. Legend also has it that in the 1960s, the wife of a poor police general promised Thao Maha Phrom to dance naked in front of him if she won the lottery. She won. White cloths were put up around the altar, and the lady performed her vows. Every day the faithful lay garlands of flowers and incense sticks, and asked for their vows to be performed. Due to the success of this sanctuary, many large hotels and office buildings have built Brahmanic altars. In 2006, a ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Taksin took place to have the statue of Thao Maha Phrom returned to the centre of the shrine. 1,000 people had gathered for the occasion. On August 17, 2015, this place was the target of a terrorist, and 20 people died, including many Chinese tourists. This date has become an anniversary date and many people from all over Asia come to visit.

This beautiful royal temple is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the country. It consists of two important buildings. The viharn, surprisingly graceful in its proportions, is a very good example of the architecture of Rattanakosin's style. The Buddha statue, which comes from Wat Mahathat of Sukhothai and was brought back by Rama I, dates from the 13th century. The bot is especially interesting for its mural frescoes and especially those between the windows that represent the episodes of Buddha's life. In front of the temple is the large swing.

The marble temple was built by order of King Rama V and completed in 1899. It is very famous because its chapel (bot), its pillars and its statues of lion keepers, are entirely made of white marble from Carrara (Italy). The bot's entrance is guarded by two Khmer style lions. Inside is a bronze replica (2.5 tons) of the Phutta Chinarat Buddha of Wat Phra Sri Ratana Mahatat of Phitsanulok. In its base are preserved the ashes of Rama V.

This Buddhist temple on the banks of the Mae Klong was built during the period of the Ayutthaya kingdom. The site was the site of fierce battles between the Siamese army and the Burmese in the 17th century, but it attracts visitors above all for its magnificent small temple entirely engulfed in a huge banyan over the centuries, thus evoking the famous temples of Angkor. It can be reached directly by boat, with several operators in Amphawa offering cruises dedicated to visiting temples along the river.

Previously called Wat Bang, Wat Amphawan is a temple dating from the end of the Ayutthaya period. Much of its architecture and decoration is made of finely carved wood, including beautiful examples of birds and flowers above the doors, especially on the front door. The most original feature is the all-wooden Scripture room, which stands in the middle of a pond. The temple can be reached by longtail boat from the Bang Yai District Office on Kanchanaphisek Road (about 5 minutes drive).

Very popular in Thailand, it is the second most visited temple after Wat Phra Kaew - Emerald Buddha Temple in Bangkok. Its construction of the temple, on the banks of the Bang Pakong River, dates from the end of the Ayutthaya period (18th century). Originally named Wat Hong, it contains a 1.48 m sacred statue of Buddha, called Luangpho Phuttha Sothon, one of the most revered in the country. It is supposed to bring health and well-being to the faithful.

It could be a theme park attraction, but it's not! This imposing 17-story pink tower, with a huge green and red dragon twisted around it, is a contemporary building that is part of a Buddhist temple. The dragon's entrails serve as a tunnel leading to the top. Nearby, beautiful gardens and giant sculptures of animals, rabbits, elephants and a large smiling turtle that you can visit by entering through the mouth...