As we rounded a corner in the Talat Phlu neighborhood, our walking tour group suddenly had our first glimpse of Bangkok's latest religious project: the Big Buddha of Wat Pak Nam.
It was quiet and peaceful, and I was amazed to see the evening sky blaze in a fiery sunset. I often work in the evenings or otherwise stay indoors, and I had almost forgotten how beautiful a Bangkok sunset could be.
By the 20th century, however, the temple had fallen into ruin and was nearly forgotten before undergoing a massive renovation by a famous Thai abbot. The temple is now famous for its educational outreach and for its unique and impressive monuments. The great chedi was built several years ago, but the Big Buddha is one of Bangkok's newest landmarks.
We entered the temple grounds, walking first across a small canal and then past the temple's library hall. In the past, monks had to travel to India to make a copy of the Buddhist holy books by hand -a journey of many months.
The texts, written on wooden scrolls, was susceptible to termite damage. To protect the valuable texts, many old-style library halls are built as wooden vaults over a pool of shallow water over which the insects cannot cross.
Since it was the evening when we visited, the temple was already closed. We could explore the grounds, but we did not get to see the inside of the monument. I will have to go back sometime soon!
The most spectacular sight now is the Phra Buddha Dhammakāya Thepmongkhon, a towering 69 meter (226 ft) tall seated Buddha made of pure bronze - the first of its kind in the world!
The statue was started in 2017, and is expected to be finished by the end of this year, when a holy Buddhist relic will be enshrined in the lotus bud atop the statue's head
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