Wat Pho – Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Pho or Temple of the Reclining Buddha is located in Bangkok, Thailand near the grand palace, is one of the oldest and biggest temples in Bangkok. This massive temple complex was one of the first centers of education (rumored to be where traditional Thai massage was created), where the massive 150ft Reclining Buddha is housed and has the largest collection of Buddha figures in all of Thailand with over 1,000 figures! It’s truly quite the site!

The Reclining Buddha is so massive that it was essentially impossible for me to photograph all of the Buddha in one photo – a piece of his elbow, head or toes were always cut out. It literally takes minutes to walk from one end to the other. It’s such a beautiful figure and is housed in a truly stunning room!

This is just a tiny snippet of how the inside looks. Beautiful Buddhist motifs, bright colors and depictions of the Buddha’s life.

This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It’s an Buddhist inscription in Thai which I think is one of the most beautiful alphabets I have ever seen!

Detail of some of the wall art

A small buddhist figure and shrine in front of the giant reclining Buddha.

Another Buddha figure in front of the Reclining Buddha.

A look at the Buddha from near the toes

Stacey and me marveling at the size of this beautiful figure

The toes of the Buddha figure looking up towards his head.

The feet of this massive figure are a site to be seen in themselves. They’re 9ft high and a little over 13ft high! INCREDIBLE! They’re inset with mother-of-pearl and they are filled with several different images that symbolize the Buddha. Each of these figures are things that have represented the Buddha in art and myths. They’re so stunning!

Also, surrounding the Reclining Buddha are 108 bowls and as a form of bringing blessings people are meant to drop a coin in each while thinking of blessings or deeds. It’s a bit of a form of meditation. Plus, the money that’s dropped in the bowls are used by the monks to help maintain the Wat.

The grounds of this complex are stunning and filled with some of the most elaborate and beautiful  stupas (91 to be exact) varying in sizes.

This is a hall full of Buddha figures, lined on four sides

I loved this figure – it’s the Buddha touching the Earth, representing the moment that he became enlightened.

This is the inside of the main temples of the complex. We sat here soaking up the moment and the spirit. Monks sat meditating and giving thanks. It was a truly stunning place.

I would put Wat Pho as my number one stop in Bangkok. It’s size, beauty and feeling make it a must-see. We spent a couple of hours around there and I feel like we could’ve still seen more.

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