The 5.5-ton gold Buddha statue at Wat Traimit (Traimit Temple) is worth over US$200 million dollars in gold, but its cultural and historical value is priceless. For over two centuries, the world’s largest gold Buddha statue was encased in plaster and hidden in plain sight from invaders and thieves. It wasn’t a few moves and an accidental drop later that the statue’s true identity was revealed in 1955.
The statue now sits on the top floor of a four-level marble-clad structure near Bangkok’s Chinatown. You can learn about the history of the golden Buddha on the floor below (the exact origins of this statue is uncertain), plus the history of the Chinese community presented in 3D on the second floor. While visiting the temple, don’t forget to stop by the fortune-telling slot machines to see if lady serendipity is in your future as well.
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The statue now sits on the top floor of a four-level marble-clad structure near Bangkok’s Chinatown. You can learn about the history of the golden Buddha on the floor below (the exact origins of this statue is uncertain), plus the history of the Chinese community presented in 3D on the second floor. While visiting the temple, don’t forget to stop by the fortune-telling slot machines to see if lady serendipity is in your future as well.
