Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, is a Buddhist temple on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River at 158 Wang Doem Road, Bangkok Yai, Bangkok, Thailand. It is known for its tall central prang covered in porcelain and seashells, facing Wat Pho and the Grand Palace across the water. Foreign visitors pay about 200 baht, and it suits anyone exploring Bangkok's riverside temples.

From Wat Makok to Wat Arun under King Taksin

Its full name is Wat Arun Ratchawararam, after Aruna, a Hindu deity often shown as the rays of the rising sun. A temple existed here in the Ayutthaya period, called Wat Bang Makok and later Wat Makok. After the fall of Ayutthaya, King Taksin made nearby Thonburi his capital and renamed the temple Wat Chaeng. It held the Emerald Buddha until 1785, when King Rama I moved the image across the river to Wat Phra Kaew.

King Rama II restored the temple and planned to raise the main tower to 70 metres. The great central prang was completed in 1851 under King Rama III. Major restorations followed under King Chulalongkorn, in 1980 and from 2013 to 2017.

A Khmer-style tower representing Mount Meru

The central prang is a Khmer-style tower that represents Mount Meru, the centre of the universe in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. Published heights vary from about 67 to 86 metres. A seven-pronged trident, often called the Trident of Shiva, crowns the top, and four statues of the god Indra riding the elephant Erawan sit above the second terrace. Four smaller prangs at the corners are dedicated to the wind god Phra Phai.

Every surface is covered in pieces of porcelain and seashells, much of it once used as ballast on trading ships from China, arranged into flowers and patterns. Steep steps climb to the upper terraces, with views across the river.

Yaksha guards and Rama II's Buddha image

Two yaksha guardian figures from the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana, stand at the gateway to the ordination hall. Inside, the main Buddha image is said to have been designed by Rama II, the altar is of red, grey and white marble, and the murals date from the reign of King Chulalongkorn. Six Chinese-style pavilions of green granite line the riverfront. During the annual Kathina ceremony, the king may travel to the temple by royal barge procession to present robes to the monks.