Wat Pho Is Special Because...

Wat Pho is a temple in Bangkok that is special for many different reasons.  It is special because it is the oldest temple in Bangkok.  It is special because it is the largest temple in the city (it is made up of over 20 acres of land). 

It is special because it is the temple with the most images of Buddha in all of Bangkok (there are over 1000 images of Buddha here). 

This wall paintings cover the temple walls and are meant to teach us stories about Buddha's life.

It is special because it is where Thai massage was started and is still taught today.  Finally, what makes Wat Pho so very special is the statue of The Reclining Buddha that can be found here. 

It is the largest reclining statue of Buddha in all of Thailand measuring 46 metres long and 15 metres high, this gold plated statue is massive.  Get a metre stick and measure how long 46 metres is in the hallway or in the playground (use chalk to keep track of your measurements).  Have you ever seen a statue this long before?

Art Project: Let's Use Primary Colours

While visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok last week I got a chance to see the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.  Built in 1782, this temple is covered in tiny pieces of coloured mirror that, on a sunny day, reflect the sun's rays and make the building light up.  It is also the home to a very special statue of Buddha, the Emerald Buddha, that is actually carved out of a block of jade (not emerald). 

When you get closer you notice something quite interesting about the colours that were used to decorate the temple: they are primary colours (blue, yellow and red).

Blue, red and yellow pieces of glass (as well as clear ones) are used to decorate the pillars of the temple.

Photo: Laura Muir

You can use primary colours to create a piece of art too.  Get a piece of paper, divide it up into many small different shapes by drawing random lines on the page, and then colour in all the shapes you've created using only primary colours (blue, yellow and red).  You can keep some of the shapes white too.  There you have it, your very own Mondrian (do you remember him?)  For another art project you can use graphing paper and create a pattern with primary colours just like the one in the picture above.  Can't wait to see how your art turns out.