Souvenirs Spring 2020 issue

Page 42

THAILAND

PILGRIMAGE SITE BY YING YANG

PATET, THAILAND

To explore Buddhist temples and beautiful architecture or find a pilgrimage site, come to Bangkok, Thailand. There are more than 400 Buddhist temples in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. Walking in this city, I enjoy listening to the ringing bells and seeing the incense slowly rising upon the altars. Everything feels full of mystery and peace. I am not a Buddhist, but for me Thailand is a pilgrimage place to learn about Buddhism, and I

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have a stronger feeling toward Buddhism in Thailand than in China. Grand Palace is my first choice for learning more about Buddhism. As a landmark of Bangkok, Grand Palace is the most perfectly preserved, the largest and the most well-known palace of all the dynasties. It is a must-see place for every tourist who visits Bangkok. The requirements for visiting are worth mentioning: to enter the Grand Palace, men need to wear formal trousers and ladies must wear long skirts below the knees. At the entrance, many vendors sell local patterned skirts, and I bought one to wear around my own waist. Entering the Grand Palace courtyard, I was impressed by the magnificent landscape. Large grass fields and bodhi trees with different postures met my eye at once. Among ancient trees, the Buddha Temple and many pagodas inside the Grand Palace are resplendent, unique and exquisite. The roof of the Buddha Temple is quite large with a long triangle shape, rising to the sky to underline faithfulness. During the visit, I was so impressed by the Jade Buddha statue, positioned in the Mahavira Hall. To see the Buddha statue, Thailand’s national treasure, tourists have to take off their shoes before entering the hall to show faithfulness and respect.


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