Wat Suthat

Before a great temple in the old city stands a towering red wooden frame, two tall posts crowned by a carved arch, all that remains of a dramatic old ceremony. Behind it spreads one of the city's oldest and grandest temples. This is Wat Suthat, with its famous Giant Swing, a pairing of temple and landmark at the heart of the old town.

The Giant Swing in front of the temple is its best-known sight, a tall red structure that once held a swing used in a Brahmin ceremony, in which men were swung high to grab a bag of coins. The dangerous rite was stopped long ago, but the great frame remains as a striking landmark.

The temple behind it is among the oldest and most important in the city, begun in the early nineteenth century, with a vast assembly hall, one of the tallest of its kind, built to house a huge and revered bronze Buddha brought from an older capital.

That bronze Buddha, seated and serene, is one of the largest surviving from its era, and the soaring hall was built around it. Sitting before it, in the dim, incense-scented space, is the heart of a visit.

The walls of the hall are covered with detailed murals, among the finest in the city, showing scenes from the life of the Buddha and from Buddhist cosmology in rich, faded colour. They reward slow looking once your eyes adjust to the light.

The temple is laid out on a grand scale, with a cloister of golden Buddha images surrounding the main hall and spacious courtyards, yet it sees far fewer visitors than the riverside temples, so it is often calm.

The surrounding district is part of the appeal: an old quarter of shophouses, religious-supply shops selling monks' robes and temple goods, and traditional trades, a glimpse of the working old city around the great temple.

The Giant Swing and temple sit near other old temples and the city pillar shrine, so the area makes a rich walk through the historic, less touristy heart of the old town.

As one of the city's most important temples, it plays a part in major religious and royal ceremonies, so you may find preparations or rituals underway, a reminder that it is a living institution.

Its relative quiet is a large part of its charm. For visitors tired of the crowds at the famous riverside sights, Wat Suthat offers grandeur and fine art with room to breathe.

A few practical notes. Entry to the temple carries a small charge; the Giant Swing outside is free to see. Dress modestly, remove shoes in the hall, and come in the cooler hours to wander the courtyards in comfort.

Stand beneath the towering red swing, then step into the great hall before the bronze Buddha and the painted walls, and the scale and age of the place settle around you. Wat Suthat is the grand old city away from the crowds. When you step back out past the swing, the everyday quarter resumes around it.