Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

Wat Arun is the image that often represents Thailand and is printed on the back of Thailand's 10-baht coin. At first only a 17th century monastery, it later became a royal temple called after Aruna, the Indian god of dawn, and one of the nine most sacred temples in Bangkok. The temple is located inside King Taksin's Wangderm Palace and used to house the sacred Emerald Buddha until it was moved to the Royal Grand Palace when Bangkok became the new capital.

Its 85-meter high prang - a Khmer-style tower - was until quite recently the tallest building in Bangkok. The prang and its four satellites are beautifully decorated with pieces of Chinese porcelain. map