As you may expect, today, Wednesday, we had a quiet day, the most exciting part being a very short trip to the the Big Buddha Temple (Way Phra Yai) built on Pratumnak Hill which is 2 km from South Pattaya, between Pattaya and Jomtien. There are actually many "Big Buddha" temples in Thailand, and this is just one of them. Each one however has its own unique architecture and history.
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| The main Buddha statue and altar |
This Big Buddha - the largest in the region - is the highlight of Wat Phra Yai. built in the 1940s when Pattaya was nothing more than a fishing village. The Big Buddha is extremely popular with tour groups who love to see the intricate design of the statue and the temple complex, but it is also revered by local people who come to pray at the temple.
Despite the crowds, the wreaths of flowers and burning incense create a reflective mood in which to explore the many smaller Buddha statues, partial views of Jomtien Beach, and the pavilion hall which has a beautifully painted mosaic on the walls.
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| Some of the many Buddha statues |
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| Dragon staircase |
The staircase leading up to the temple is quite striking as there are golden dragons running along the entire handrails.
At the foot of the stairs, seven-headed mythical snakes called Nagas emerge from the dragon’s mouths.
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| A reclining Buddha |
Once at the top, there are many Buddha figures in different postures (some are sitting, others lying down or standing) which are representative of different days of the week.
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| Rachel and Charlotte release a bird |
Before you arrive at the top of the hill, there are traders selling many small birds that are kept together in cages.
The girls bought and released some finches at the summit. Hopefully they found their way back home (or to be recaptured and released again).
The idea of setting them free is to gain good karma. This all sounds wonderful, but the temple does not encourage it because, the more money given to this practice, the more birds will be caught and caged. They prefer that you donate to the temple.
Another popular activity while visiting Big Buddha Hill in Pattaya is to ring the line of bells with a big stick, which is supposed to call good luck to whoever completes the task.
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| Row of bells |
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| Frances & Ric |
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| Rachel & Charlotte |
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| Wongbo - Queen of Heaven |
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| Confucius (Kong Fu Zi) |
Like many temples, it consists of a complex of buildings and functions.
There is a statue for celebration of Wongbo’s (The Queen of Heaven) birthday.
In addition to the main Buddha statue, there is a Chinese Shrine complex dedicated to Confucius.
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| "Monkey Magic" TV series |
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| Diorama of the "Journey to the West" |
I loved the dioramas depicting scenes from historic stories and legends.
The best was a diorama of "Journey to the West" about a young monk in search of Buddhist sacred texts which in Japan was made into the classic TV series "Monkey Magic" with his companions; Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy.
Also on the hilltop include Wat Khao Phra Bat, an interesting temple which is claimed to house a relic of Buddha and Guan Yin, and a Taoist temple.
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| Wat Khao Phra Bat temple |
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| Taoist shrine |
Pretty strange was a monument to Kromluang Chomphonkhetudomsak, the founding Father of the Thai Navy, which is revered by many Thai people who leave wreaths and burn incense in his honour.
The location also provides a great view of Pattaya - when not obscured by smog.
We still planned to leave the next day (Thursday) and arrive back in Sydney on Friday about 1:30 pm. The Bangkok airport appeared back to normal so we expected no hitches and fortunately everything went quite smoothly.
