Wat Pho, Bangkok

Situated immediately south of the Grand Palace precinct, Wat Pho (or Wat Chetuphon), built by King Rama I, is the oldest and also the largest temple in Bangkok. In the 16th c. the site is said to have been occupied by a small residence belonging to a prince of Ayutthaya, with a wat called the "Temple of the Sacred Bhodi-Tree" (hence "pho", i.e. bhodi).

Wat Pho was renowned as a place of healing even in the olden days and famous for its pharmacy established at the time of Rama III. The same king turned the wat into Thailand's first "university", a seat of learning to which all had access.

Picture - Dragon at Wat Traimit, Bangkok.

Picture - The giant Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho.

View a slideshow of Wat Pho Pictures

Today Wat Pho boasts a widely respected school which teaches the art of foot reflex massage.

Among the 91 prangs and chedis adorning the courtyard around the bot, two of the larger ones deserve special mention. One is the green chedi, erected by Rama I over the remains of a statue of Buddha desecrated by the Burmese in Ayutthaya in 1767. The other is the blue-tiled chedi, finest of them all, built by Rama IV (Mongkut) in memory of Queen Suriyochai who, in order to save her husband's life, sacrificed her own.

The lions at the entrance to the bot are Burmese in design. Note too the marble bas-reliefs from Ayutthaya depicting scenes from the "Ramakien". The lofty, rectangular interior, divided into three by teak columns, is immensely impressive, with the red and gold of the ceiling reflected in the marble floor.

The main entrance to Wat Pho is on Chetuphon Road, on the opposite side of which are the monks' living quarters. Although open to the public, only those with a serious interest in Buddhism are likely to find the visit rewarding. Anyone who does venture in is assured of a willing audience and eager interlocutors - at any time of the day or night.

Opening hours: 8am-5pm

Useful tips: Admission charge.

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Temple of the Reclining Buddha

The Temple of the Reclining Buddha (as it is known in English) occupies the north-west corner of the compound. Inside the specially constructed wiharn lies an enormous reclining figure of the Buddha, 45 m (148 ft) long and 15 m (48 ft) high. Because the wiharn is narrow, it is quite impossible to take in the statue as a whole, attention having to be focused more on its detail, e.g. the finely curved lines of the face. The soles of the feet, inlaid with a myriad of precious stones, are particularly interesting, being decorated with the 108 signs of true faith. Also noteworthy are the long earlobes signifying noble birth and the lotus-bud configuration of the hand, a recurring symbol of purity and beauty.