When the taxi dropped us off, only one other person and I wanted to actually see the legendary Sanctuary of Truth. The others were put off by the entry fee, and didn't seem all that interested in it anyway. Signs told us there was a restaurant overlooking the sea, and I suggested we at least have some lunch before heading back. As we sat on the hilltop patio, we got our first view of this remarkable structure. We decided instantly that we had to go inside.
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| our first view of the Sanctuary |
The man behind the Sanctuary of Truth is Mr. Lek Viriyaphanat, an eccentric Thai millionaire, the same man behind the
Erawan Museum in Bangkok. His idea was to create a structure entirely out of teakwood representing spiritual truths, ancient visions of earth, and Eastern philosophy. The project also helped to preserve Southeast Asia's ancient woodcarving heritage.
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| workshop |
Guided tours are mandatory, as is wearing a hardhat, since the site is still under construction. The project began in 1981, and although it is supposed to be completed by 2025, the wooden structure's proximity to the wet, salty sea air means it must be under constant repair. Our first stop was a workshop where Burmese craftsmen were designing and carving the teakwood into beautiful and intricate designs. They even let me try my hand at carving a fold on Buddha's robe, although luckily the worker was right there with me to prevent me from doing any damage.
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| trying my hand at woodcarving |
The Sanctuary of Truth is made entirely out of teakwood. There is not even a single metal nail on the 100 meter high building. The exterior is completely covered in carved figures. Four wings represent four traditional spiritual cultures and art styles; Indian, Khmer, Thai, and Chinese respectively.
My personal favorite was the Chinese wing.
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| the Chinese Wing |
The guide explained that the Sanctuary of Truth has to be under constant repair. Built on the beach, it reminds me in a way of the man who built his house upon the sand. In this case it's a temple, although the choice was purposeful. Our guide explained that the temple's constant decay and reconstruction was symbolic of life's impermanence, and to me it seemed to invoke the Buddhist doctrine of re-incarnation and the cyclical nature of the universe.
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| carvings adorning the Chinese Wing |
"I'm going to tell you the truth," the guide told us as we entered into the first (Indian) Wing. It is the oldest part of the sanctuary, and the dark wood stain on the exterior has been purposefully allowed to fade in the past thirty years, despite the constant upkeep.
The inside was beautifully carved in Indian motifs depicting Hindu's "holy trinity", Shiva, Vishnu, and Bhrama, among other intricately detailed stories and scenes. This wing, our guide explained, represented the Hindu story of the creation of the universe, one of the world's oldest recorded stories.
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| the central alter with Buddhist relics |
While not strictly a "wat" (temple), the Sanctuary of Truth does have a central alter containing Buddhist relics believed to be bone fragments from Prince Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha) himself. There are no monks, and everyone must pay admission to enter. There's a reastaurant, a cultural show, and elephant rides along the beach, so it's still pretty touristy. Nevertheless, it's a spiritual place, and there were many Thai Buddhists inside praying.
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| looking over the sea |
We moved on to the next (Chinese) wing. "Now I will tell you the truth again". Our guide discussed the Confucian worldview and pointed out carvings of the Phoenix and Dragon (representing the Emperor and Empress of ancient China), and the eight Immortals of Taoism. I've always been interested in Chinese art and culture, and I thought that this wing was the most elegant and beautiful of the four.
The third wing was carved in a traditional Thai style showing images from the life of Buddha, and the fourth was decorated in Cambodian style, similar to the stonework at Angkor Wat and other temples from the Hindu Khmer empire. The exterior of the Khmer wing is still under construction.
The last spot you visit before leaving the Sanctuary is a small "chapel" off the main building. This was a special addition built to honor the important roles of parents, specifically the parents of Mr. Lek.
As we finished the tour, the evening Thai cultural show was beginning. Even though I've lived in Thailand for over a year now, I still haven't done many tourist things, and I really enjoyed getting to watch the show. Some guys did a sword fighting demonstration, and there was a performance of traditional Thai dancing. The finale was a really famous dance involving these long bamboo poles that first the men, then the women had to dance through. It's dangerous, and the dancers have to be really quick to prevent catching their ankles between the poles. It takes a lot of talent, and looks very impressive too.
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| Thai cultural show |
I wish we could have stayed a few hours more to watch the sunset over the Sanctuary (it faced west over the sea), but we had to get back to Bangkok. We left Pattaya around 5:00 via bus to Bangkok's Mo Chit Terminal. I've probably said this so many times over the past year, but I've found that for me it's important to get out of Bangkok at least once a month. When I'm feeling tired and run down, even a long day-trip out of the city makes me feel better.
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| looking back over the Gulf of Thailand |
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