BANGKOK
BANGKOKSIGHTSBANGKOKSIGHTSmarker of the town’s crossroads and meas-
uring point for distances between towns.
If you’re lucky, a lá·kon gâa bon (commis-
sioned dance) may be in progress. Brilliantly
costumed dancers measure out subtle move-
ments as gratitude to the guardian spirit for
granting a worshipper’s wish.
National Gallery MUSEUM
(พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาต ิหอศิลป; Map p 60 ; 4 Th Chao
Fa; admission 200B; h9am-4pm Wed-Sun; river
ferry Tha Phra Athit) The humble National Gal-
lery belies the country’s impressive tradition
of fi ne arts. Decorating the walls of this early
Ratanakosin-era building are works of con-
temporary art, mostly by artists who receive
government support. The permanent exhibi-
tion is rather dated and dusty, but the tem-
porary exhibitions, held in spacious halls
out back, can be good.
Banglamphu
Although slightly less grand than those of
its neighbour, Banglamphu’s sights are a
window into the Bangkok of yesterday, a city
that’s largely starting to disappear.
Golden Mount BUDDHIST TEMPLE
(วัดสระเกศ (ภูเขาทอง); Map p 60 ; Th Boriphat; admis-
sion 10B; h7.30am-5.30pm; bus 8, 37, 47, klorng
taxi Tha Phan Fah) Even if you’re wát-ed out,
you should take a brisk walk to the Golden
Mount. Like all worthy summits, the temple
plays a good game of optical illusion, appear-
ing closer than its real location. Serpentine
steps wind through an artifi cial hill shaded
by gnarled trees, some of which are signed
in English, and past graves and pictures of
wealthy benefactors. At the peak, you’ll fi nd
a breezy 360-degree view of Bangkok’s most
photogenic side.
This artifi cial hill was created when a
large stupa, under construction by Rama
III, collapsed because the soft soil beneath
would not support it. The resulting mud-
and-brick hill was left to sprout weeds un-
til Rama IV built a small stupa on its crest.
Rama V later added to the structure and
housed a Buddha relic from India (given to
him by the British government) in the stupa.
The concrete walls were added during WWII
to prevent the hill from eroding. Every year
in November there is a big festival on the
grounds of Wat Saket, which includes a can-
dlelit procession up the Golden Mount.
If you’re coming from the eastern end of
the city, the Golden Mount is a short walk
south of the klorng boats’ western terminus
at Tha Phan Fah.Wat Suthat & Sao
Ching-Cha BUDDHIST TEMPLE & MONUMENT
(วัดสุทัศน์/เสาชิงช้า; Map p 60 ; Th Bamrung Meuang;
admission 20B; h8.30am-9pm; bus 10, 12, klorng
taxi Tha Phan Fah) Brahmanism predated the
arrival of Buddhism in Thailand and its ritu-
als were eventually integrated into the domi-
nant religion. Wat Suthat is the headquar-
ters of the Brahman priests who perform the
Royal Ploughing Ceremony in May. Begun by
Rama I and completed in later reigns, Wat
Suthat boasts a wí·hăhn with gilded bronze
Buddha images (including Phra Si Sakaya-
muni, one of the largest surviving Sukhothai
bronzes) and incredibly expansive jataka
(stories of the Buddha’s previous lives) mu-
rals (see the boxed text, p 74 ). The wát also
holds the rank of Rachavoramahavihan,
the highest royal-temple grade; the ashes
of Rama VIII (Ananda Mahidol, the current
king’s deceased older brother) are contained
in the base of the main Buddha image in the
wí·hăhn.
Wat Suthat’s priests also perform rites at
two nearby Hindu shrines: Thewa Sathaan
(Deva Sathan), which contains images of
Shiva and Ganesh; and the smaller Saan
Jao Phitsanu (Vishnu Shrine), dedicated to
Vishnu.
The spindly red arch in the front of the
temple is Sao Ching-Cha (Giant Swing),
as much a symbol of Bangkok as Wat Phra
Kaew. The swing formerly hosted a spectacu-
lar Brahman festival in honour of Shiva, in
which participants would swing in ever-high-
er arcs in an eff ort to reach a bag of gold sus-
pended from a 15m bamboo pole. Many died
trying and the ritual was discontinued during
the reign of Rama VII. In 2007 the decaying
swing was ceremoniously replaced with the
current model, made from six specially cho-
sen teak logs from Phrae Province in north-
ern Thailand.
The temple is within walking distance of
the klorng boats’ terminus at Tha Phan Fah.Wat Bowonniwet BUDDHIST TEMPLE
(วัดบวรนิเวศวิหาร; Map p 60 ; cnr Th Phra Sumen
& Th Tanao; admission free; h8am-5.30pm; bus
56, 58, 516, river ferry Tha Phra Athit) Founded
in 1826, Wat Bowonniwet is the national
headquarters for the Thammayut monastic
sect. King Mongkut, founder of this minor-
ity sect, began a royal tradition by residing
here as a monk – in fact, he was the abbot(Continued from page 64)