Just behind the opulent extravagance of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha stands Wat Phra Chetuphon, which is more commonly known by its old name of Wat Po. Most western tourists don't get past the temple's huge reclining Buddha, but there is actually much more to see than the one colossal statue.
The temple is actually much older than the city of Bangkok itself. It was founded in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest temple in Bangkok. The name Wat Po comes from its original name of Wat Potaram. King Rama I, the founder of Bangkok, enlarged the temple, installed many statues and other artifacts recovered from Ayutthaya, and renamed the temple Wat Phra Chetuphon in 1801.
Rama III enlarged the temple in 1832 and turned the temple into a center of learning, making it in essence Thailand's first university. Rama III is also responsible for the construction of the reclining Buddha. The Wiharn housing the reclining Buddha is just barely big enough to hold the statue, which is why you never seen any wide shots of the whole thing.
In addition to the fine features of the Buddha's face, also of note are the soles of the Buddha's feet, 45 meters (150 feet) away from the head, which have been inlaid with mother-of-pearl to display the 108 auspicious signs which distinguish a true Buddha.
Just behind the opulent extravagance of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha stands Wat Phra Chetuphon, which is more commonly known by its old name of Wat Po. Most western tourists don't get past the temple's huge reclining Buddha, but there is actually much more to see than the one colossal statue.The temple is actually much older than the city of Bangkok itself. It was founded in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest temple in Bangkok. The name Wat Po comes from its original name of Wat Potaram. King Rama I, the founder of Bangkok, enlarged the temple, installed many statues and other artifacts recovered from Ayutthaya, and renamed the temple Wat Phra Chetuphon in 1801.Rama III enlarged the temple in 1832 and turned the temple into a center of learning, making it in essence Thailand's first university. Rama III is also responsible for the construction of the reclining Buddha. The Wiharn housing the reclining Buddha is just barely big enough to hold the statue, which is why you never seen any wide shots of the whole thing.In addition to the fine features of the Buddha's face, also of note are the soles of the Buddha's feet, 45 meters (150 feet) away from the head, which have been inlaid with mother-of-pearl to display the 108 auspicious signs which distinguish a true Buddha.
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