| Wat
Pho Temple (1793 onward)
other
sites in Bangkok |
Bangkok, Thailand |
Click on an image to enlarge, or click on
an arrow below
image adapted
from Architecture of Siam by Clarence Aasen. Copyright 1998
Wat Pho is a large Buddhist temple south of the royal palace. Although its history extends back at least to the 16th century, the current structures all date from 1793 or later. When the future King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty, unseated his rival Tak Sin in a bloody war, he transferred the capital across the river from Tonburi to what is today downtown Bangkok. As part of his grand development scheme, he renovated a dilapidated monastery called Wat Potaram. He renamed it Wat Pho Chetuphon, or the Bo-Tree monastery, and funded a construction effort that lasted seven years. The centerpiece of the temple was an enormous statue of the reclining Buddha, over 46 meters long and 15 meters high. Covered in gold leaf, it is housed in a special building built for its protection.
Rama III, the third king of the Chakri dynasty, enlarged the temple over a 17-year period beginning in 1839. He envisioned the temple as not just a monastery, but as a university that would house all forms of knowledge. He endowed the university with gifts and funding, creating Thailand's first public education center. He also spent lavishly to upgrade the gilding, icons, and decorations on the temple grounds.
Wat Pho is divided by a narrow road. Only the north half (shown above) is of interest to tourists.
The temple has an excellent website of its own at www.watpho.com
Bibliography:
Aasen, Clarence. Architecture of Siam: A Cultural History and Interpretation
Oxford University Press. Oxford. 1998
Cummings, Joe. Thailand
Lonely Planet Publications. Singapore. 1990
Suksri, Naengnoi. Palaces of Bangkok: Royal Residences of the
Chakri Dynasty
Thames and Hudson Ltd. London. 1996.
All images copyright 2000 by Professor Yunsheng Huang