Wat Saket and the Golden Mount above Bangkok

Wat Saket in Bangkok is a historic Buddhist temple best known for the Golden Mount, an artificial hill crowned by a gilded stupa that once ranked among the city’s highest points. The complex traces its origins to the Ayutthaya period and was later restored and renamed under King Rama I of the Chakri dynasty when Bangkok became the capital of Thailand, giving the temple a close link to the foundation era of the modern city.Buddhist temple in Bangkok

Golden Mount: an artificial hill with a gilded stupa

The defining feature of Wat Saket is the Golden Mount, known in Thai as Phu Khao Thong, a man?made hill with a large gilded chedi rising above the surrounding low?rise neighbourhoods. The hill reaches about 80 m (262 ft) and carries a bright golden stupa at its summit, enclosing relics of the Buddha that were brought from India and installed under King Rama V in the late nineteenth century.80 metre high hill Around the base of the Golden Mount the temple buildings spread out over the flat ground, so that the hill appears as a compact mound rising from within the Wat Saket complex rather than from the city streets.

The ascent of the Golden Mount follows a long exterior stairway that wraps around the hill, passing shrines, bells and shaded terraces before reaching the platform below the stupa. From the upper level visitors look out across the tiled roofs of Wat Saket and the districts of Bangkok’s old city, with landmarks such as the Grand Palace lying in the same broad area of Phra Nakhon.historic temple in Bangkok’s old city Despite the later growth of high?rise districts along the river and to the east, the Golden Mount still forms a recognisable landmark within the older quarters of the Thai capital.

From Ayutthaya?period Wat Sakae to a Rattanakosin temple

The temple now known as Wat Saket dates back to the Ayutthaya period, when it was called Wat Sakae and formed part of the religious landscape before Bangkok took over as capital.dates back to the Ayutthaya period After the foundation of Bangkok in the late eighteenth century, King Rama I ordered the complex to be restored and elevated in status, conferring the full name Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan, more commonly shortened to Wat Saket.restored and renamed under King Rama I This placed the temple among the important monasteries of the early Rattanakosin era, at a time when the new capital’s core lay around the Grand Palace and the nearby river bend.

In the nineteenth century the grounds of Wat Saket acquired a sombre role as a cremation site for those unable to afford formal funeral arrangements, and during a cholera epidemic large numbers of bodies were taken there for cremation.cremation during a cholera outbreak That chapter in the temple’s story has left traces in local memory and adds a layer of historical weight to a place that visitors now encounter mainly as a hilltop shrine and viewpoint. The monastic buildings and ordination hall around the hill continue to serve as an active temple complex within the dense fabric of Bangkok’s inner districts.

Building the Golden Mount in soft Bangkok soil

The artificial hill of the Golden Mount grew out of an ambitious but problematic project under King Rama III, who sought to construct a large chedi within the Wat Saket compound.collapsed chedi under King Rama III The initial structure collapsed as its weight sank into the soft soil characteristic of Bangkok’s low?lying site, leaving a broad mound of earth and brick. Rather than clearing this failed work away, the mound became the core of an artificial hill that was gradually shaped into the Golden Mount.

Later in the nineteenth century, under King Rama IV, the hill was shored up with large numbers of timber logs and made higher to stabilise it, and a more modest chedi was placed on top.hill reinforced and chedi completed King Rama V then oversaw the completion of the gilded stupa that visitors see today, enshrining Buddha relics brought from India or Nepal and establishing the Golden Mount as one of the distinctive skyline features of Bangkok’s old city.relics enshrined under King Rama V Later in the twentieth century concrete retaining walls were added around the hill to protect it from erosion, giving the Golden Mount its present solid appearance above the surrounding streets.

Visiting Wat Saket: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Wat Saket stands in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district of Bangkok, in the old city area west of the modern commercial quarters and within reach of Ratchadamnoen Klang Road and the Grand Palace on standard city transport routes.
• The Golden Mount is reached by an exterior stairway that climbs the artificial hill in stages, with a sustained gradient and many steps that may be demanding for those unaccustomed to long stair climbs.
• The temple complex lies in a dense urban district with narrow streets and traditional shophouses nearby, so approaches often involve walking short distances from main roads or junctions where taxis and buses set down.
• Thai is the official language and the national currency is the baht.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Wat Saket

Where is Wat Saket located in Bangkok?

Wat Saket stands in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district within Bangkok’s old city area, not far from Ratchadamnoen Klang Road and other historic sites.

What should visitors expect on a visit to Wat Saket?

Visitors encounter an active Buddhist temple combined with the climb up the Golden Mount’s stairway to a hilltop platform and gilded stupa overlooking the older quarters of Bangkok.

What makes Wat Saket distinctive among Bangkok’s temples?

The combination of an Ayutthaya?period temple restored under early Chakri rulers and the later Golden Mount, an artificial hill topped by a gilded stupa with Buddha relics, gives Wat Saket a distinctive profile.