Wat Phra Kaew
Located in the northeast corner of the Grand Palace and used as the place for the Thai royal families to hold religious ceremonies, Wat Phra Kaew is the most sacred Buddhist Temple in Thailand.
Famous for the priceless Emerald Buddha Statue which is carved out from a single piece of jasper, Wat Phra Kaew is definitely a spot that visitors should not miss when visiting Thailand.
Wat Phra Kaew, literally meaning Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is the most sacred place of Buddhism in Thailand, located at the northeast corner of and was erected along with the Grand Palace in 1789 AD, accounting about 1/4 of the palace’s total acreage. Major architectures inside Wat Phra Kaew include various halls enshrining different deity figures and past kings of Thailand, bell tower, pagodas and so forth, but the most prominent one is no doubt the hall housing the Emerald Buddha. The Emerald Buddha measures 66cm (2.2ft) in height, 48cm (1.6ft) in width, completely carved out from a single piece of jasper.
Aside from its rarity and actual value of the jade, this statue was considered auspicious, capable of bringing along good fortune as well. It was discovered in 1434 AD in Chiang Rai (a city near the northern border of today’s Thailand), when the statue was coated with a layer of grayish lime, appearing just like an ordinary, worthless clay statue of Buddha. Fortunately, the clay on the tip of the Buddha’s nose fell off by accident, revealing that it is in fact a dazzling, priceless emerald statue. Ever since then, the statue has been the hottest treasure vied among India, Sri Lanka, Laos, Burma and other neighboring countries. It was once owned by Laos for some 226 years, until the Thai military conquered Vientiane (capital of Laos) in 1778, thereafter, the statue was transferred back the Thailand and worshipped in Wat Phra Kaew till today.
According to different seasons of the year (rainy, dry, cool etc.), the Emerald Buddha would be put on befitting silk garments, which is an eminent rite performed by the King of Thailand himself on a deliberately chosen day. Nowadays, whenever a new cabinet is formed, inauguration ceremony would be conducted at Wat Phra Kaew where all the ministers of the new government would declare their allegiance to the king before the emerald Buddha statue.
Wat Phra Kaew, literally meaning Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is the most sacred place of Buddhism in Thailand, located at the northeast corner of and was erected along with the Grand Palace in 1789 AD, accounting about 1/4 of the palace’s total acreage. Major architectures inside Wat Phra Kaew include various halls enshrining different deity figures and past kings of Thailand, bell tower, pagodas and so forth, but the most prominent one is no doubt the hall housing the Emerald Buddha. The Emerald Buddha measures 66cm (2.2ft) in height, 48cm (1.6ft) in width, completely carved out from a single piece of jasper.
Aside from its rarity and actual value of the jade, this statue was considered auspicious, capable of bringing along good fortune as well. It was discovered in 1434 AD in Chiang Rai (a city near the northern border of today’s Thailand), when the statue was coated with a layer of grayish lime, appearing just like an ordinary, worthless clay statue of Buddha. Fortunately, the clay on the tip of the Buddha’s nose fell off by accident, revealing that it is in fact a dazzling, priceless emerald statue. Ever since then, the statue has been the hottest treasure vied among India, Sri Lanka, Laos, Burma and other neighboring countries. It was once owned by Laos for some 226 years, until the Thai military conquered Vientiane (capital of Laos) in 1778, thereafter, the statue was transferred back the Thailand and worshipped in Wat Phra Kaew till today.
According to different seasons of the year (rainy, dry, cool etc.), the Emerald Buddha would be put on befitting silk garments, which is an eminent rite performed by the King of Thailand himself on a deliberately chosen day. Nowadays, whenever a new cabinet is formed, inauguration ceremony would be conducted at Wat Phra Kaew where all the ministers of the new government would declare their allegiance to the king before the emerald Buddha statue.
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