Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha)

Wat Traimit stands at the eastern end of Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, and is home to the Golden Buddha, a seated Sukhothai-style image of solid gold weighing around five and a half tonnes. Its story is unusual. For centuries the statue was covered in plaster, probably to hide it from invaders, and nobody knew what lay underneath. It was moved to Wat Traimit from an abandoned temple in 1935, and in 1955, while it was being shifted to a new building, it was dropped. The plaster cracked, revealing the gold beneath.

Today the Golden Buddha sits at the top of the Phra Maha Mondop, a four-storey white marble pavilion with a gilded, tiered roof that opened to the public in 2010. Climb to the shrine hall on the top floor to see the image up close, and walk round the terrace outside for views over the rooftops of Chinatown. Two lower floors hold museums. One tells the story of the statue, from its casting to its rediscovery; the other, the Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center, traces the history of the Chinese community in Bangkok from the early Rattanakosin period with models, dioramas and personal stories.

Foreign visitors pay a small fee to see the Golden Buddha and a separate fee for the exhibitions. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and take off your shoes before entering the shrine hall. Lifts serve the upper floors, which makes it one of the more accessible temples in the city.

Wat Traimit suits first-time visitors, families and anyone exploring Chinatown, and the heritage centre is a good introduction to the neighbourhood before you head out to eat. Allow about an hour, or longer if you visit both exhibitions. Mornings are quieter than the middle of the day, when tour coaches arrive. Many Thai visitors come to make offerings of flowers and incense, so keep your voice low and avoid standing in front of people who are praying.

The temple is at 666 Charoen Krung Road, beside Odeon Circle and the Chinatown gate where Yaowarat Road begins. Hua Lamphong MRT station is a five-minute walk away, and Wat Mangkon station is about ten minutes on foot. Yaowarat's food stalls, Sampeng Lane and the Talat Noi riverside quarter are all within easy walking distance.