The Grand Palace in Krung Thep - known as
Bangkok to farangs (foreigners)
Bangkok to farangs (foreigners)
The Grand Palace in Bangkok (Krung Thep to the Thai and pronounced "grung-tep") is a
stunning complex on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River (The River Of Kings). The
perimeter wall surrounding the complex is about 2000 yards long - more than a mile!
The number of buildings packed into that area is amazing. It seems crowded, but at the
same time, you also feel that everything is where it belongs. As with any place you go in
Bangkok, there is something beautiful or interesting to see nearby.
The interior of the Palace walls are completely covered by hand painted murals (with a
LOT of gold) depicting the Thai Buddhist Ramikien epic. From Answers.com: "While
Thailand is considered a Theravada Buddhist society, the Brahman mythology derived
from the Ramakien serves to provide Thai legends with a creation myth, as well as
representations for the spirits that both help and hinder humans on their way to
enlightenment, as well as a balance to the superstitions derived from Chinese animism."
The Grand Palace is also the location of the Emerald Buddha, housed in Wat Phra Kaew.
It is Thailands holiest and most famous Buddha image. It is actually carved from a single
piece of Jade (rather than Emerald) and is (according to legend) 2050 years old, having
been carved in the first year of the Thai Buddhist calendar. Photography of the Emerald
Buddha is by permission only, so I don't have any personal pictures of it.
Here are some of the pictures from our trip there:
stunning complex on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River (The River Of Kings). The
perimeter wall surrounding the complex is about 2000 yards long - more than a mile!
The number of buildings packed into that area is amazing. It seems crowded, but at the
same time, you also feel that everything is where it belongs. As with any place you go in
Bangkok, there is something beautiful or interesting to see nearby.
The interior of the Palace walls are completely covered by hand painted murals (with a
LOT of gold) depicting the Thai Buddhist Ramikien epic. From Answers.com: "While
Thailand is considered a Theravada Buddhist society, the Brahman mythology derived
from the Ramakien serves to provide Thai legends with a creation myth, as well as
representations for the spirits that both help and hinder humans on their way to
enlightenment, as well as a balance to the superstitions derived from Chinese animism."
The Grand Palace is also the location of the Emerald Buddha, housed in Wat Phra Kaew.
It is Thailands holiest and most famous Buddha image. It is actually carved from a single
piece of Jade (rather than Emerald) and is (according to legend) 2050 years old, having
been carved in the first year of the Thai Buddhist calendar. Photography of the Emerald
Buddha is by permission only, so I don't have any personal pictures of it.
Here are some of the pictures from our trip there:
