Description of the attraction
Wat Pho existed even before the founding of Bangkok. Here General Chakri proclaimed himself king and took the name of Rama I. By his order, the ancient monastery was expanded.
The monastery is famous for its temple with a magnificent statue of the Sleeping Buddha (Buddha in anticipation of nirvana). The 46-meter statue is made of bricks, plastered and covered with gold. Mother-of-pearl inlay on the legs of the statue symbolizes 108 signs that distinguish Buddha from a mere mortal. The four large chedis, built in honor of the first four kings of the Chakri dynasty, contain fragments of the Buddha's body (relics).
Next to the temple there is a library building where ancient manuscripts are kept.
Wat Pho is a famous public education center. On the walls of a small medical pavilion, you can see ancient stone "visual aids" on various branches of knowledge. For example, an image of a human body with acupuncture points applied to it. Also on the territory of the monastery you can find small stone slides with figures of people in different poses of Thai massage.
Since 1960, Wat Pho has been home to the most famous massage school in Bangkok. Here you can not only go through a massage yourself, but also sign up for courses.
