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 Phleng, also known as Wat Phleng Ruang or the abandoned Wat Thong Phleng, stands quietly beside Khlong Sak Yai in Bang Kruai District, Nonthaburi Province. This historic site forms the third jewel in the peaceful cluster of old temples near Wat Sak Yai and Wat Sak Noi, just a short drive from Bangkok across the Chao Phraya River.
The temple dates to the mid-Ayutthaya period, likely constructed during the reign of King Narai the Great in the 17th century. Its original name may have been Wat Thong Phleng or Wat Phreng.
It fell into ruin after the Burmese invasion and the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, when monks and villagers fled, leaving the structures to the elements for nearly two centuries.
The Fine Arts Department now protects it as a national archaeological monument, and in the 1980s the meditation master Luang Por Khruba Sri Nuan helped draw attention back to the site.
What remains today is a large open-air ubosot built in classic rectangular Ayutthaya style with European-influenced Wilanda ...
My Khe Beach, often spelled or pronounced as My Khwae by visitors, stands as one of the most celebrated stretches of coastline in Da Nang, Vietnam.
This iconic beach earned international acclaim when Forbes magazine named it among the six most attractive beaches on the planet, a recognition that highlights its silky sand, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and gentle waves that create an inviting environment for swimmers and sunbathers alike.
Spanning roughly nine to ten kilometers along the city’s eastern shore, it forms part of a much longer continuous coastline that runs from the base of the Son Tra Peninsula in the north toward the Marble Mountains in the south, offering a blend of natural beauty and convenient urban access.
The beach traces its modern fame in part to its history during the Vietnam War era, when American and Australian soldiers knew it as China Beach and used the area for rest and recreation.
What began as a quiet fishing village spot has since transformed into a vibrant yet welcoming...
The temples and shrines within the Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn) near Da Nang hold a layered history spanning over a thousand years. The ancient Cham people first revered these limestone and marble karsts as sacred, building early Hindu-influenced shrines and temples in the caves and leaving behind stone sculptures and reliefs tied to deities like Shiva.
As Cham influence waned, the site evolved into a Vietnamese Buddhist center. The most significant developments occurred during the Nguyen Dynasty in the early 19th century. Tam Thai Pagoda, originally constructed around 1630 under the Later Lê Dynasty as a modest shrine possibly honoring both Hindu and Buddhist figures, was destroyed during the Tây Sơn period. Emperor Minh Mạng ordered its reconstruction in brick and tile in 1825–1826, gifting bronze bells, statues, and a royal plaque that elevated it to national pagoda status; it is now dedicated to the bodhisattva Phat Di Lac (Maitreya).
Linh Ung Pagoda, the oldest of Da Nang’s ...
