Temple Wat Phra Kaew
Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Phra Keo
Thailand, Bangkok
Wat Phra Kaew or Temple of the Emerald Buddha is a Buddhist temple in the historical center of Bangkok, one of the most sacred places in Thailand. Inside the temple is kept the "Emerald Buddha" - a statue 66 cm high, carved from solid jadeite in the 15th century. According to one legend, it was covered with gold plates, according to another, it was inside another statue, but molded from clay. The image was found in 1431 in one of the temples of Chiang Rai, and later it was taken over by King Rama I. Several times a year, the servants of the temple, chaired by a monarch or prince, change the robes of the statue.
Outside the temple, at its entrance, there are two bronze lions, which were brought from Cambodia by King Rama I. The base of the building is decorated with gilded figures of mystical half-birds, half-humans (garuda), windows and doors are decorated with patterns. The interior decoration of Wat Phra Kaew stands out thanks to the wall paintings made during the reign of King Rama III. The Royal Pantheon is also located here, where life-size statues of eight previous kings of the Chakri dynasty were erected.