Thailand is famous for its temples, and the temples in Bangkok are truly a sight to behold. The place is known for its many gilded Buddha statues, but that may be starting to wear off over time. If you’ve already visited the famous sites, try Wat Pariwat – a unique temple along the Chao Phraya River, with some particularly unusual statues.
Bringing the spiritual world closer to young people
Located on the Phra Nakhon side near Rama III Road, the temple was built between the late Ayutthaya and early Rattanakosin periods. It was later renovated and renamed Wat Pariwat Ratchasongkram. The area around the ordination hall is a great spot to view these works of art. The beautiful modern stuccowork sets Wat Pariwat apart from other temples.
In the capital Bangkok of Thailand, there is a special temple with a statue of soccer player David Beckham placed in the shrine.
According to the South China Morning Post, the temple is perhaps most famous for the statues of cartoon characters, comic books and Western superheroes that appear here. That is the character of Master Roshi from the Japanese comic book series Dragon Ball, which is decorated on the wall of the temple. A statue of Luffy "Straw Hat", a main character in the famous Japanese comic book series One Piece, is also present here. The temple also has a statue of Mickey Mouse from Disney's cartoon and Pinocchio from Italian writer Carlo Collodi. On the wall of Wat Pariwat, there is also a statue of Superman, a famous fictional superhero in the comic book series of the same name by DC Comics, or Spiderman.
Not only that, in this temple there are also images of other interesting cartoon characters.
This temple is also known as the "David Beckham Temple" because there is a 30cm high gold-plated statue of the famous footballer located right under the pedestal of the Buddha statue in the main hall. This statue has been placed here since 1998, when David Beckham was still playing for Manchester United and with the club won three titles in one season.
No one would expect that in a temple there would be such a funny statue.
However, visitors should note that these modern statues are not for worship purposes, local monks created this temple to spark the imagination of the younger generation. This is a destination for all ages, especially families with children and bloggers. Despite its eccentric appearance, Wat Pariwat is a sacred place, serving the locals more than foreign tourists. One thing to note is that when visiting here, you must dress politely and seriously.
A repository of popular culture
In fact, this temple is a fusion of modern art, Buddhism and traditional Thai art. There are many sources of information that the strange statues of characters were added to decorate the temple with the meaning of bringing good luck and protecting Buddhism.
Contemporary elements blend into the temple architecture, creating the unique and somewhat strange character of Wat Pariwat.
But the reason the unusual statues bring uniqueness to Wat Pariwat to attract tourists to visit and worship is more convincing. "I really like these unique statues because they make people, even children, more interested in visiting the temple," Thitima Munmai, a tourist told Reuters.
Despite its eccentric appearance, Wat Pariwat is a sacred site, catering to locals rather than foreign tourists.
Although the temple has a modern "youthful" color, when you come here, you must dress politely and seriously.
Wat Pariwat is a particularly amazing place in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, considered a gem in the heart of Bangkok. Many unique modern characters from cartoons, action movies, and influential people in history from Asia to Europe, from the East to the West are gathered here. Therefore, many people when traveling to Bangkok have sought out this temple.
The temple is located at 2-67 Rama III Road, right next to the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok. To get to the "David Beckham Temple", visitors can take the BRT bus (15 baht) to Chong Nonsi stop and then cross the bridge or take a taxi from the city center to the temple, costing about 80-150 baht.
