Khao Chi Chan, or as it is more commonly known, Buddha Mountain has become an iconic landmark in Pattaya and a popular tourist attraction. This giant golden Buddha carved into the face of a mountain cliff is set among a beautiful and tranquil park.
A short walk along paved paths will bring you right to the base of the mountain where you can see the full detail and really appreciate the gigantic scale of this impressive carving. There is a small lake at the foot of the mountain filled with lilies and lotus flowers.
There is no entrance fee at Khao Chi Chan, however, there are several donation boxes around where you can make a small offering to help with the upkeep of this lovely sight.
The mountain was originally mined for U.S. Army and Air Force projects at the local Utapao Airport during the Vietnam War. The mining continued on for several years after the Americans departed, eventually leaving the sheer face of the mountain we see today.
In 1995 the idea to carve a giant Buddha on the ...
Wat Ko Kaew Suthatham in Petchaburi is truly a hidden gem. Built during the reign of King Borommakot in 1734, the Wat Ko Kaew Suttharam temple, more commonly known as Wat Ko, has a relatively simple architecture. Its main attraction is the mural paintings in the historic ubosot. These murals date back around 300 years and are probably the best preserved murals remaining from the Ayutthaya period. If in Phetchaburi they should be on your list of things to see.
On the north wall are represented the "Seven Great Places" where the Buddha stayed for seven weeks after his enlightenment except for the scene "under the Bodhi tree," which is the first of the seven places.
On the south wall are represented the "Eight Great Events" of Buddha's life, beginning with his birth. There are also paintings of the first Westerners who came to the Kingdom of Siam.
Phetchaburi is an underrated destination in terms of temple architecture. Considering its proximity to Bangkok, you'd expect it to be crawling with...
Wat Chaiwatthanaram วัดไชยวัฒนาราม is a Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, outside Ayutthaya island.
It is one of Ayutthaya's best known temples and a major tourist attraction.
The temple was constructed in 1630 by the king, Prasat Thong, as the first temple of his reign, as a memorial of his mother's residence in that area.
The temple's name literally means the Temple of long reign and glorious era. It was designed in the Khmer style to gain Buddhist merit and as a memorial to his mother, however Prince Damrong believed it was built to celebrate Ayutthaya Kingdom's victory over Longvek (the capital of modern day Cambodia at the time).
It has a central 35 meter high (115 ft) prang พระปรางด์ประธาน with four smaller prangs. The whole construction stands on a rectangular platform. About halfway up there are hidden entrances, to which steep stairs lead.
The eight ...
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat วัดมังกรกมลาวาส, previously (and still commonly) known as Wat Leng Noei Yi วัดเล่งเน่ยยี่ 龙莲寺 is the largest and most important Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand.
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat was founded as a Mahayana Buddhist temple in 1871 or 1872, by Phra Archan Chin Wang Samathiwat (also known as Sok Heng), initially with the name Wat Leng Noei Yi. It was later given its current name, Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, meaning "Dragon Lotus Temple", by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
It is located in the district of Pom Prap Sattru Phai in the city's Chinatown, in a courtyard off Charoen Krung Road. It is served by Wat Mangkon MRT station which is located in front of the temple.
The temple is built in a classic Chinese architectural style, with typical sweeping tiled roofs decorated with animal and floral motifs, including the ubiquitous Chinese dragons. The ubosot (ordination hall) houses the temple's main, gold ...
