The Golden Stupa is part of the Bangkok Royal Palace complex, on whose grounds there are luxurious temples, museums, and other remarkable structures. Among them, the large stupa, gleaming in the sun and visible from afar, makes the strongest impression. It serves as an excellent landmark: it is mainly by it that people determine the direction to the Royal Palace.
The Royal Palace began to be built at the end of the 17th century by order of Rama I. The construction of the Golden Stupa — one of the elements of the Buddhist temple Wat Saket — was undertaken in 1800 by Rama III. During construction, the architects did not take into account the softness of the soil, and the unfinished stupa collapsed, so later it was decided to create an artificial hill for it with a diameter of half a kilometer.
On this hill, Rama IV commissioned the installation of an 18-meter-high stupa, entirely covered with golden mosaic. Thanks to its grand (at least at the time of construction) height and abundance of gold, this place was given the name Phu Khao Thong – Golden Mountain.
Inside the stupa, relics of Buddha are kept, which makes this place sacred for Buddhists. Every year in November, a festival is held here in honor of the ancient Loy Krathong holiday, dedicated to the spirit of water and light.
