Situated within the Grand Palace compound, Wat Phra Kaew is Thailand's most sacred temple and home to the Emerald Buddha, the country's most revered Buddha image. The temple grounds are a treasure house of Thai art, featuring the Golden Stupa, the Phra Mondop library, and the Royal Pantheon. The 178-section mural paintings depicting the Ramayana are stunning. Open daily 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, included in the Grand Palace admission.
Wat Phra Kaew
Thailand's most sacred temple, home of the Emerald Buddha
A story
The Emerald Buddha is not emerald at all — it is carved from a single piece of green jasper. It was discovered in 1434 in Chiang Rai when lightning struck a chedi and revealed a stucco-covered Buddha inside; the abbot noticed a chip in the nose exposing green stone beneath, and removed the plaster to find the image underneath. It then travelled via elephant to Lampang (three times, because the elephant reportedly refused to go to Chiang Mai), then to Laos, before being brought to Bangkok in 1779.