Page 26 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2025 THAILAND
P. 26

Throughout much of the country’s turbulent
            history of civil wars and conquests, this
            diminutive statue was coveted as a harbin-
            ger of prosperity and stability. The many
            rulers who possessed it moved it around the
            country for centuries. Once it was disguised
            by a coat of plaster and hidden in a shrine
            in Chiang Rai, only to be revealed decades
            later when a lightening strike exposed it and
            the plaster cracked. In 1778, the army of
            Rama I recovered it and four years later
            moved it to Bangkok when it became the
            country’s capital.
               Only 26 inches tall and carved from
            emerald-green jadeite, the statue reigns
            atop a towering gilded “throne” in the Royal
            Grand Palace temple, Wat Phra Kaew. As
            with all temple visits, we removed our shoes
            before joining lines that took us inside.
            Since it was summer, the sitting buddha was
            “dressed” in a gold and diamond cloak,
            making it hard to spot in amid the floor-to-
            ceiling gold. No photos were allowed in the
            temple, so we were limited to long shots
            outside at the entrance.
               Access and views were much better at
            the nearby temple of the Reclining Buddha,
            an extra stop Joe suggested and we ea-
            gerly accepted. Known as Wat Pho, this an-
            cient complex is home to one of the largest
            collections of Buddha figures in Thailand
            and a long-time hub of education for Thai
            medicine and massage.
               In contrast to the Emerald Buddha, the
            gold-plated Reclining Buddha stretches 151
            feet, in a pose that represents his entrance
            into spiritual enlightenment. A walkway lets
            visitors see details - his long fingers, curled
            hair, stretched earlobes and sensual lips, all
            typical of these androgynous figures. Joe
            pointed out several hairline cracks in the
            gold, cause by the recent earthquake.
               Mother-of-pearl inlays decorate the
            soles of his giant feet with wheels (dharma)
            and other auspicious symbols. Nearby are
            more than 100 bronze bowls where cash
            gifts bring health and prosperity to the




            26   WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER  2025
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