Wat Pho

Behind high walls near the river, in the shade of spires tiled in bright ceramics, lies a temple hall holding one of the largest Buddha images in the city — a giant figure reclining on its side, gilded from head to foot. This is Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, one of the oldest and most loved temples in Bangkok.

The image is the star: an enormous gilded Buddha lying on its right side, stretching the length of its hall, far too large to take in at once. It shows the Buddha entering his final passing, calm and serene, and walking its length, past the great soles of its feet, is the heart of a visit.

Those feet are a marvel of their own, each sole inlaid with mother-of-pearl in scores of panels showing auspicious symbols. The detail rewards a close look, and the contrast between the vast scale of the figure and the fine craft of its feet is part of the wonder.

Wat Pho is among the oldest temples in the city, predating the present capital, and it is also one of the largest, a sprawling compound of halls, courtyards, and spires. Beyond the reclining Buddha there is a great deal to wander through, far quieter than the famous hall.

Scattered across the grounds are hundreds of stupas, the bell-shaped towers that hold relics and ashes, including four tall, brightly tiled ones dedicated to early kings. Together they make the compound feel like a forest of spires when seen from within.

Wat Pho is famous as a home of traditional Thai medicine and massage, and a respected massage school still operates within the grounds. You can receive a massage here, in the place long associated with the practice, a memorable pause in a day of sightseeing.

The temple was conceived partly as a place of public learning, its walls and pavilions once covered with inscriptions and illustrations on medicine, history, and other subjects, an early kind of open university carved in stone. Some of this survives among the courtyards.

Right next to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho is usually calmer, so it makes a gentler companion to that crowded sight. Many visitors do the two together, but Wat Pho rewards lingering once the tour groups have moved on.

The temple is rich in detail: stone guardian figures, many of them carved in the likeness of foreigners and brought long ago as ballast in trading ships; bright ceramic flowers on the spires; and quiet cloisters lined with row upon row of seated Buddha images.

As at any temple, modest dress is required, with shoulders and knees covered, and shoes removed before entering the halls. It is a working place of worship, so move quietly and step around, not in front of, anyone who is praying.

A few practical notes. Entry is ticketed and includes a bottle of water; come early to beat the heat, and allow more time than the reclining Buddha alone suggests. The river and the Grand Palace are both a short walk away.

Walk the full length of the great gilded figure, then step out into the quieter courtyards among the tiled spires, and let the calm settle. Wat Pho has been a place of faith, healing, and learning for centuries. When you leave toward the river, the giant reclining figure stays in your mind, serene amid the bustle.