Exploring Thailand: The People, History and Fashion
- By:David Tang
There is so much to see in Thailand. There is, literally, an endless amount of things to do and see while you’re visiting this beautiful Asian country. But we’ve narrowed it down to some of the best places to visit and things to do while in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital.
The Grand Palace: A very large complex of buildings where the royalty of Thailand used to reside. In the mid-1900s, the royal residency was moved to another palace, and the Grand Palace became a site of exploration for curious visitors. The palace sits on the east bank of the Chao Praya River and houses many different buildings, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
The Emerald Buddha: The Emerald Buddha is actually held within the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This temple’s name in Thai is Wat Phra Kaew. The temple is known as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. Although most temples are places of residence for monks, this is one of the few that does not house monks at all. This temple has only highly and ornately decorated statues, pagodas, and ornaments. The Emerald Buddha is actually made of jade and is quite small for being such a popular statue. There are many great stories surrounding this statue that was made in India in 43 B.C. Many years later the temple was constructed in 1785.
Wat Pho: This temple is also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Before the temple was built, the site where it stands now used to be where a traditional Thai medical education center stood. Many of the Buddha statues that are now seen in the temple were once in the medical center. These Buddhas were used to show different yoga positions. The temple, which was built in 1788, is now home to more than 1,000 Buddha images. The most famous one is the Reclining Buddha, which is over 150 feet long and 49 feet high. The statue’s body is covered with gold plating and its feet and eyes are made of mother of pearl.
Wat Arun: Known also as the Temple of the Dawn, the temple’s construction began in the early 1800s. The monastery that accompanies the temple has been there for many more years than the temple itself. The monastery has been there since Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand, when the temple was called the Olive Temple. The temple is built in a tower style, also known as prangs. The central and tallest prang is over 219 feet high. The prangs are decorated with various Buddhist and Hindu gods and stories and are adorned with ceramic, stucco, granite, porcelain, and seashells.
Pasteur’s Institute Snake Farm: Established and first opened in 1923, Pasteur’s Institute Snake Farm was the second snake farm to open in the world. Originally created to house venomous snakes as to use their venom to make anti-venom, the farm now houses non-venomous snakes as well. The farm attracts all kinds of visitors from all over the world. The farm’s name has recently been changed to the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute.
About the author:
Amber Singleton is a writer for ZhenUN.com. Zhen-U.N. was created by Jennifer Yuan. After years of traveling, Yuan decided to settle down to create her own jewelry line. Zhen-U.N. is a collection unique designer handbags, clothing and jewelry that exudes the exotic and the magical world of Thailand.