Page 34 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Bangkok

32 ❯❯ Top 10 Bangkok Highlights

Wat Arun

Wat Arun is named for Aruna, the Indian god of dawn, because
King Taksin arrived here at sunrise on an October day in 1767 to
establish Thonburi as Siam’s new capital. With its prominent prangs
(towers), the temple shows a strong Khmer influ ence. All the
prangs are ornamentally encrusted with colorful broken porcelain.

Stairs on
NEED TO KNOW 1
Central Prang
MAP B5 • 34 Arun The steep stairs up the
Amarin Road • 02 891 central prang represent
2185 • Cross-river ferry the difficulties humans
from Tha Tien Pier face when trying to attain
• www.watarun.org
en light enment. They lead
Open 8:30am–6pm daily up to a terrace with a
Adm: B100 view, but the upper
stairway is often closed.
• Due to ongoing
Chinese
renovations, it may not 2
be possible to climb the Guards
stupa. However, the Wat Steps lead up to the first
Arun temple remains terrace, and each set is
open to visitors. guarded by Chinese
• Although strolling figures that may have
food and drink vendors arrived as ballast on
Central Prang
do occasionally look for ships. There are also 4
business at the temple, statues of many mythical The central prang
there is no permanent creatures on the terrace. (above) was extended to
café here, so it’s always its current height of 266 ft
River View
best to carry a bottle of 3 (81 m) by Rama III
water with you around It may be called (r. 1824–51). It represents
the complex. the Temple of Dawn, but Mount Meru, the abode
• If you visit in the the best view of Wat Arun of the gods in Hindu-
late afternoon, in time is at sunset from the Buddhist cosmology. It is
to enjoy views of the east bank of the river. topped with a thunder-
temple at sunset, There are cafés and bolt, the weapon of
you can pause for restau rants around the god Indra, who
refresh ment at one Tha Tien from where is also shown
of the cafés on the you can watch the riding the three-
east bank of the river. sun slip down headed elephant
behind the soaring Erawan in niches
prang (below). on the prang.

Eyewitness Travel – Top 10 series LAYERS PRINTED:
Three-column, 8.25pt grid “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.5)
032-033_Top_10_Bangkok.indd 32 22/05/2017 12:12
Date 12th May 2015
Size 100mm x 191mm