Have you ever heard of a temple complex guarded by a huge dragon? A huge dragon encircling a building is the main attraction of Wat Samphran Buddhist temple complex in Thailand.
Wat Samphran also known as ‘Dragon Temple’ is located at Amphoe Sam Phran in Nakhon Pathom province which lies about 40 kilometers to the west of Bangkok, Thailand.
The dragon looms high amidst the greenery in the temple complex. The pink building with the dragon encircling it is the tallest building for miles around. So it is visible from a great distance.
The sculpture of the gigantic green dragon crawling up around the entire height of the pink cylindrical building is truly an awe-inspiring sight. The 17-story building has a height of 80 meter (260 feet). So imagine the size of the snake encircling the whole building. Its head stands higher than the top of the building and its tail is at the base of the building.
The dragon is made of iron and glass fiber and has tunnels and stairs inside it leading up to the top. A few portions inside the dragon are open to the public. There are stairs as well as elevators to reach the top of the building.
The main statue of the Buddha is in the middle of the hall on the lower floor. There are many more Buddha statues on the same floor. A statue of Buddha sitting on a lotus can be seen near the head of the dragon at the top of the building. There is another golden Buddha statue atop the next building. The view from the top is beautiful.
The pink building was built 80 meters tall to honour the 80 years that Buddha lived. The buildings and the premises have Thai and Chinese elements in their design. It has adopted many things from both the Thai and Chinese culture and mythology. The dragon encircling the building is symbolic of a human’s journey from sufferings to happiness.
There are several small shrines near the base of the pink building. There are also many dragon figures on the premises of the temple complex. There is a wishing fountain guarded by many dragons. Opposite to that, there are nine pairs of dragons with colored balls in between their mouths.
Wat Samphran has a beautiful park with many statues scattered around. The huge elephant, the white rabbit, the group of dolphins, the peacock, and the tigers would be a delight to children. There is also a large tortoise with its mouth open and visitors can go inside it. It houses a small shrine inside it.
The temple complex is located in a sparsely populated area with lots of greenery in and around it. It is calm and peaceful as it is far away from busy cities. It was founded by Bhavana Buddho sect as a place for the monks to study and meditate.
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