Wat Traimit - Temple of the Golden Buddha

Wat Traimit is famous for its Golden Buddha. It is made of solid gold and the buddha is about 3 meters high and weighs 5½ tons. The statue was made in the Sukhothai period - 13th to 15th century. To hide the actual value of the statue in one of the many wars against invading enemies, the statue was covered with plaster - and was forgotten. Probably all monks that knew about the hidden golden buddha were killed. The statue was later moved to a temple in Bangkok, still regarded as a work made of plaster. In the 1950's, during repair works at the temple, the plaster was damaged and gold came to light underneath, revealing the golden buddha. Since then the statue is one of the main attractions in Bangkok.