Every visible inch of the exterior walls was covered with mosaic of shiny metals, gems, and ceramic tiles. The interior was painted with endless murals. Shiny and colorful, just like the city noise in Bangkok that overwhelmed one's hearing; here, one's vision was overloaded with intensity. It was dazzling and exotic.
Strange creatures emerged into legendary statues: a bird's beak plus human torso, human hands, but with a pair of bird's claws as feet, it was holding on to a three-head snakes. Flowing figures of women's torso but with lion's lower body and a elongated tail curved into an elegant wave. The Buddha’s from Hindu culture, the statues of Chinese Gods, and even "farang" (foreigners) with bowler hats, they all guaranteed an equal footing in this holy land. It’s a melting pot for Asian Culture. It is one tolerant nation. Gui said she had within one block distance saw a Hindu Temple, a Masque, and a Church. They were able to live peacefully together.
It reminded me of Tang Dynasty of China, when China was strong and confident enough to open its doors to foreign influence and allows all kinds of people and culture to pour in and then assimilated them all. As the only nation in Southeast Asia that had never been colonized, and nowadays slowly gaining back its economy stability after the glorious Asian Tiger years, Thai has its reason to be confident.
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Wat Phra Kaeo and Royal Grand Palace, Nov. 24, 2003
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Wat Po, Nov. 24 After experienced the tourists packed Grand Palace, it was such a welcoming relief to walk into this quiet temple a few blocks away.
