The Wat Phra Kaew is not only one of the major cultural landmarks in the city of Bangkok, it is also considered to be the most sacred of the Buddhist temples in Thailand. It has an interesting history and is situated right in the heart of Bangkok’s historic center. It also has the prestige of housing the Emerald Buddha . The construction of the temple dates back to 1785 when King Rama I moved the capital of Thailand from Thonburi to Bangkok. Tourists who are visiting the city and are staying in the best Bangkok hotel make visiting this temple one of their highest priorities. The fact that it is located on the grounds of the Grand Palace ensures that a visit to the temple can include an entire day’s worth of architectural sight seeing.
There are three primary doors that are used to enter the temple, though it is a strict rule that only the king and queen are allowed to enter through the central door. This is the smallest of the entrances, though it is also a sacred icon. There is a wall that surrounds most of the temple area, which from the outside looks like a plain white wall. However, on the inside there are elaborately painted murals that depict scenes from the Thai version of the Ramayana. There are also several statues in the temple area whose figures depict scenes and characters from the story.
The Wat Phra Kaew is unique from other temples in the fact that it does not contain actually living quarters for monks. This is a primary aspect of most of the Buddhist temples in Thailand, though this one is strictly oriented to contain major decorative statues and pagodas and serves strictly as a holy building. The main building in the temple, the ubosoth, houses the sacred Emerald Buddha. The Buddha is believed to have originated in India, though it somehow surfaced in Cambodia and was given to the King of Ayuttaya in 1434.