Wat Arun

Rank: Top 300

Wonder Type: Cultural

Country: Thailand

Best of: Temple, Buddhism

Wat Arun ("Temple of Dawn") is a Buddhist temple (wat) in Bangkok Yai district. The temple derives its name from the Hindu god Aruna, often personified as the radiations of the rising sun. Wat Arun is among the best known of Thailand's landmarks and the first light of the morning reflects off the surface of the temple with pearly iridescence. Although the temple had existed since at least the seventeenth century, its distinctive prang (spires) were built in the early nineteenth century during the reign of King Rama II. [More Details]