The Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit) in Bangkok is home to the world’s largest solid gold Buddha statue. The temple is officially known as Phra Sukhothai Traimit and it is located in Bangkok’s Chinatown.
I had first seen this statue about 30 years ago during my initial visit to Bangkok. Back then the statue was housed in a relatively small structure — I believe a monastery. Now it’s located in the impressive four-story white-and-gold marble pavilion shown above. The Golden Buddha is situated on its top floor. This particular building was inaugurated in 2010. This building also includes the Chinatown Heritage Center and a museum.
The gold statue within the temple is unusual in that it consists of solid gold – a symbol of purity. It’s almost 4 meters tall and 3 meters wide (about 13 x 10 ft) and weighs 5.5 tons (over 12,000 pounds). The gold is about 83% pure – roughly 18 karat quality. At current valuations, the gold alone is worth between $600 and $700 million USA dollars. It’s recognized by Guinness World records as the world’s largest solid gold sculpture, as well as the planet’s most valuable religious object (by intrinsic melt value alone).
You can access the upper level of the temple by stairs or an elevator, and it is an impressive sight. The Buddha is seated in the position you see in these photos – a serene image. The Golden Buddha is a site of pilgrimage for Buddhists.
The Golden Buddha is believed to have been crafted in the 13th century. To protect it from invaders (such as Burmese armies), it was covered in plaster and stucco to hide its true nature, and in time it’s real identity seems to have been forgotten. The stucco coated statue was moved around temples in Bangkok before arriving at Wat Traimit in 1935.
In 1955, during a move to a new building, workers accidentally dropped the statue, and the plaster cracked — you can understand the panic they must have felt at that moment until they saw the shining gold underneath the cracked surface. The treasure and true nature of the statue was fully uncovered and put on display.
Of interest, a hidden key inside allows the statue to be disassembled into 9 pieces for transport.
If you Visit:
- The Temple is located at 661 Charoen Krung Rd, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
- It is open daily from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
- There is a modest admission fee of 40 Baht (less than 2 USD).
- Modest dress is required (shoulders and knees covered).
- Shoes must be removed before entering the main Buddha hall.
These vases were located somewhere in the temple complex, I can’t quite remember exactly where:
The surrounding property was preparing for the upcoming Chinese New Year.
