The small emerald Buddha shines at the back of Wat Phra Kaew

Emerald Buddha in Wat Phra Kaew — Emerald Buddha sitting in Wat Phra Kaew

I moved on to the most crowded part of Wat Phra Kaew. It is the main hall of Wat Phra Kaew. Many tourists were wriggling around the ornately decorated hall. I took off my shoes and went inside. The main hall was just as crowded inside as outside.

The Emerald Buddha statue that sits in the main hall is the highlight of the visit to Wat Phra Kaew. Through the crowd of tourists, I also looked at the Buddha statue enshrined in the back of the temple. The statue was perched on a golden pedestal. In Thailand and Japan, Buddha statues are often large, as if large is good, but the Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew was much smaller than I had imagined.

The small green Buddha statue glared at visitors from atop a tall pedestal. It was literally like looking on from a high place. If you thought the Emerald Buddha was small because it was made of emerald, a gemstone, you were wrong. The Buddha statue itself is made of jade. It is said that it is called the Emerald Buddha because of its shining green color.

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