Wat Phanan Choeng วัดพนัญเชิง is a Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River at the south-eastern side of the confluence of the Chao Phraya and Pa Sak rivers.
The shrine to the Chinese princess So…
Wat Phanan Choeng วัดพนัญเชิง is a Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River at the south-eastern side of the confluence of the Chao Phraya and Pa Sak rivers.
The shrine to the Chinese princess Soi Dok Mak is part if the temple complex and well worth a visit.
Today, as part of the Ayutthaya Historical Park, the temple is a popular tourist attraction.
Built in 1324, some 26 years before the city of Ayutthaya was officially founded, the temple must have been partly connected to early settlements in the area.
The large wihan, the highest building within the temple complex, houses an immense gilded 19 meter high seated Buddha from 1334. This highly revered Buddha statue is called Luang Pho Tho หลวงพ่อโต The statue is regarded as a guardian for mariners. Allegedly, prior to the destruction of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767 CE, "tears flowed from the sacred eyes to the sacred navel". The statue has been restored several times in history. King Mongkut named the statue Phra Puttha Thrai Ratana Nayok after its restoration in 1854.
The temple was visited in 1407 CE by Zheng He, a Chinese Muslim eunuch admiral from Yunnan who leading his second Ming imperial voyage. He bestowed gifts upon the temple in a great ceremony that included Siamese royal participation, and is today remembered by Thai-Chinese visitors who still visit the temple in his honour.
The three most important forts stood at the confluences of the main incoming and outgoing waters of Ayutthaya. These three large forts were Sat Kop Fort at Hua Laem overlooking the waters coming from the Maha Phram Canal, Maha Chai Fort at Hua Ro overlooking the old Lopburi River and Phet Fort near Hua Sarapha overlooking the Bangkok River.
The city wall is almost completely gone now but still a nice piece of history. The temple is amazing and worth a visit enjoy the video!
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