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Wat Phra Kaeo, normally called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is a temple purposely built to house a Buddha image carved from a large solid piece of green jadeite (jasper). Chaophraya Chakri, who went on to become King Rama I, brought the image from Vientiane when he captured the city in 1778. King Rama I built the temple and enshrined the Emerald Buddha there as a symbol of Siam's regained nationhood. The temple does not house any monks. Rather, it is more like the personal chapel of the royal family. No visitor is permitted to go near the Buddha which is raised high on a series of platforms. A seasonal cloak, changed three times a year to keep up a correspondence to the summer, winter, and rainy season covers the statue. A very important ritual, the changing of the robes is performed only by the King to bring good fortune to the country during each season. The temple is delightfully adorned and has a great sense of peace about it. Despite the hot weather most of the year in Bangkok, long trousers are required to enter the wat. This rule is strictly enforced. The facility can offer the rental of proper trouser wear.
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