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 Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) |
| Lacation : Na Phrathat Road |
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This is the most famous place that is a must for all tourists. It is a large compound located near Sanam Luang in the very heart of Bangkok. The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha were built after King Rama I ascended the throne as the founder of the Chakri Dynasty on 6 April 1782 and have undergone several repairs and renovations.
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The Grand Palace consists of several buildings with different styles of architecture. Wat Phra Kaeo is renowned as the most beautiful and important Buddhist temple in Thailand. It houses Phra Kaeo Morakot (the Emerald Buddha), the most highly revered Buddha image carved from a single block of fine jade.
Scattered in the temple grounds are numerous interesting sculptures of artistic value, including the fanciful animals in mythology, the fierce-looking giants standing guard at the gates, the six pairs of Cambodian-style bronze lions and the stone figures from China.
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On the inside walls of the temple's compound, there are extensive mural paintings depicting scenes from the famous epic "Ramayana". It is the longest wall painting in the world as well as one of the Unseen Bangkoks. A distinctive characteristic of this temple is that there are no monks living in it like other temples. |
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| City Pillar Shrine (San Lak Muang) Sanamchai Road |
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Located across the street from the eastern wall of Wat Phra Kaeo to the southeast of Sanam Luang, this shrine contains a wooden pillar erected by King Rama I in 1782 to represent the founding of the capital. The spirit of the pillar is considered the city's guardian deity to whom hundreds of Thai worshippers daily come to pay homage and offer prayers.
Thai classical dance performances are given many times daily from 08:30 until 15:30 (16:00 for Sunday). |
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| Vimanmek Mansion Ratchawithi Road |
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Located in the Dusit Palace area behind the old National Assembly Building, this three-storey European style mansion is the biggest golden teakwood building in the world. It was originally built in 1868 by command of King Rama V as a summer house on the island of Ko Si Chang off Chon Buri province
It was moved to Dusit Palace compound in 1901 and used as a royal residence. After having been deserted for decades, it was renovated by order of H.M. Queen Sirikit in 1982 and opened to the public as the private museum of King Rama V with 31 exhibition rooms in total. Some rooms such as the bedrooms, the throne room and the bathrooms, are kept in the original condition, while the others are used to display art works.
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