Phuket Attractions - Temples |
Around Phuket island you can find scattered Chinese Temples, Buddhist Wats and Muslim mosques. Here below are the most visited.
Chalong Temple (Wat Chalong)
Phuket's most popular, biggest and famous temple, Wat Chai Tararam, or Wat Chalong, was built in 1837. Located approximately 8 kilometers from the city, the temple houses the famous "Luang Po Cham", a monk who helped the locals fight the Ang Yi rebellion during the reign of King Rama V (in 1876). A recent addition to the temple is a 61.4-meter high chedi containing the Phra Borom Sareerikatat relic, a piece of the Lord Buddha's bones brought over from Sri Lanka. The chedi is a mixture of southern, central and northeastern architectural styles and is the first in this region to house the holy Buddha's relic.
Phra Nang Sang Temple (Wat Phra Nang Sang)
Located on Thep Krasatri Rd., in Thalang Town at the traffic light it is Phukets oldest temple (app.250 years). The grounds of this historic temple are where the Battle of Thalang took place in 1785. Inside are three very old statues wrought in tin of the Buddha; they are the largest in the world and date from a time when tin was regarded as a semi-precious metal. The bellies of the three big statues each contains a smaller statue, from which derives their name, "Monks in the Belly" in local vernacular. or "The Three Kings" in formal language.
Phra Thong Temple (Wat Phra Thong)
The temple is a popular attraction for both visitors and local residents. Located in the temple is the upper half of a large Buddha statue which seems to emerge from the ground. Legend has it that during the invasion of Thalang town in 1785, the Burmese made several attempts to excavate the statue in order to take it back to Burma. Each time they dug into the ground, swarms of hornets would swoop on them and they had to give up in the end. Later, the visible part of the statue was covered with gold by the villagers and has remained as such until today.
The temple is located approximately 20 kilometers from Phuket City. Travel along Thepkrasattri Road, upon reaching the Thalang District Office, turn right and proceed directly to the temple.
|
