The Boat Temple: Wat Yannawa

Whenever I go on my weekend walking tours, we often meet up at Saphan Taksin BTS station at the riverfront. Every time I'm arriving at the station on the Sky Train, I can see a big, ornate temple just down the road. Last weekend, I arrived a bit early. I wanted to get a coffee before the walk began, and on the way, I stopped by at the temple which had caught my attention.

the temple's boat

The most outstanding feature in the massive temple complex was what looked like a large boat, complete with cannons and Buddhist chedis instead of masts, sitting in the middle of the temple courtyard.

The temple itself dates back to the Ayutthaya Period, before the establishment of Bangkok as the capital. Because it is so old - one of the oldest temples in the city, in fact - the ancient ordination hall is kept under a protective roof, safe from the harsh sunlight and pounding rain of the tropics.

the old temple hall is protected by a separate roof

The temple has the ranking of Royal Temple of the 3rd Grade. It's beautiful, but little-known to foreigners. When I was there, a large group of people all dressed in white were making merit. There was also a bald-headed young woman all dressed in white robes. Perhaps it could have been the ordination of a Buddhist nun. Nuns aren't nearly as common as monks in Thailand, but you'll see them from time to time.

a carved door and sticks of incense

Female monastics are actually a lot more common in Mahayana Buddhism (the type of Buddhism found in China and Vietnam) than in Theravada Buddhism (the type of Buddhism found in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia). Maybe I'll write a post sometime soon about that.

the main temple shrine and the beautiful ceiling

The central courtyard of the temple is taken up by this huge white and gold replica of a boat. When I visited, I had no idea why it was there. As soon as I got home, I got online to do a little bit of research.

up close to the boat

In the past, Bangkok was a major port for Chinese merchants who would sail their junks from Hong Kong, Canton, and southeastern China to trade in Bangkok. During the reign of King Rama III, these junks began disappearing as steam boats and more modern sailing ships became more efficient.

statue of King Rama III

Afraid that the memory of these historic boats would disappear, a group of Bangkok merchants built a replica of a junk boat at this temple as a way to preserve the memory for future generations.

the ancient temple contrasts with the modern skyscrapers in the Sathorn neighborhood