Chinatown Bangkok
Wat Manglow Kamalawat and Wat Traimit appear to be competing temples in Chinatown. Unfortunately, neither are very impressive architecturally.Wat Traimit is an worthwhile visit for the six ton Golden Buddha. The tale that goes with the Golden Buddha is what makes it worth visiting, that plus its six tons of gold. Hundreds of years ago, monks covered the gold Buddha with concrete to protect it from the marauding Burmese as their city was sacked. Shortly after, everyone forgot it was made of gold and for hundreds of years no one wanted the unimpressive concrete statue until Wat Traimit agreed to take it for free. Upon trying to move it though, the crane collapsed under the shear weight of the gold, breaking the concrete exterior and revealing the big secret. The tricky part came in figuring out a way to move the relatively small (3 metres) but exceedingly heavy statue.
Interestingly, because Wat Manglow Kamalawat is so close and a much busier temple (the craziest I've ever seen where the smoke of incense is so thick it burns your eyes), they are currently raising funds to create three Golden Buddhas, equal in size to Wat Traimit's Golden Buddha. Personally, I think they should try for chocolate instead.
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posted by Jim Chea @ 7:49 AM
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