Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

Wat Arun stands on the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya, almost opposite Wat Pho, and its tall central spire is the image most people carry home of Bangkok's river. A temple existed here in the Ayutthaya period, and King Taksin renamed it Wat Chaeng when he made Thonburi his capital in the late 18th century. For a time it housed the Emerald Buddha, before the image was moved across the river to Wat Phra Kaew in 1785. The great central prang was begun under King Rama III and finished in 1851.

The prang is the reason to come. It is built in the Khmer-influenced style and represents Mount Meru, the centre of the Buddhist universe, with four smaller prangs at its corners. Up close, its surfaces turn out to be covered in thousands of pieces of broken Chinese porcelain and seashells pressed into flower patterns, and a band of demon and monkey figures appears to hold up the upper tiers. Visitors can climb the steep lower terraces for a view across the river to the Grand Palace. Beside the prang, the ordination hall has a Buddha image associated with King Rama II and murals from the reign of King Rama V, guarded at the entrance by two demon figures.

Foreign visitors pay a modest entrance fee. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, as in all Thai temples. The terrace steps are very steep and narrow, so take care and avoid the climb if you are unsteady on your feet; wheelchair access is limited to the flat grounds.

Wat Arun suits photographers, couples and families, and it pairs well with Wat Pho on the same morning. Allow about an hour. Early morning is cooler and quieter, while the best view of the prang at sunset is actually from the opposite bank, where several riverside bars and restaurants face the temple.

Getting there is half the fun: walk from Wat Pho to Tha Tien Pier and take the short cross-river ferry, which runs throughout the day. Chao Phraya Express Boats also stop on the Thonburi side. Each year during the Kathina season, the royal barge procession sometimes ends at Wat Arun, when the king presents robes to the monks.