A relatively young and not particularly remarkable temple, built in the mid-20th century, became a Bangkok landmark because of the stunning Buddha statue made of five and a half tons of pure gold, with eyes of pearls and sapphires.
It appeared here quite by accident. In 1957, the newly built temple needed to install a statue of a meditating Buddha, inexpensive and modest. A suitable plaster figure three meters high was found somewhere in one of the old temples of Thailand. During the installation, clumsy Thai movers dropped the monument, a piece of plaster broke off it, and beneath it the astonished workers saw gleaming gold. Thus, the small temple suddenly acquired a sacred relic several centuries old. Now the Temple of the Golden Buddha is a place revered by Buddhists around the world.
The reason for the plaster cocoon around the treasure was conflicts with neighboring Burma: in order to protect temples from being looted by invaders, the Thai covered gold objects with plaster, thus concealing the true value of the items.
The Temple of the Golden Buddha stands in Chinatown on Trai Mit Road, near Hua Lamphong Station.
