Wat Saket
At the bottom of the Golden Mount stands one of the capital's oldest temples, Wat Saket (daily 8am-5pm free). Upon returning from Laos in 1782 with the Emerald Buddha, general chakri stopeped here and took a ceremonial bath before making his way later changed to Saket, which means "the washing or hair"
The temple is also associated with a more grisly history as it was used as the old city's main crematorium. Disease epidemics broke out regularly during the 19th century, killing an estimated 60,000 people. The bodies of the dead were taken out of the city to the temple through the Pratu Pii (Ghost Gate) for cremation: if the families were too poor to pay for the ceremony, they were left for the vultures. Be sure to visit the main hall, which is adorned with fine murals and usually ignored by tourists.
Monks Bowl Village
Skirting the western edge of the Golden Mount is Thanon Boriphat a street lined with timber merchants and wood carvers, chiseling away at doors, lintels and even birdcages. Further along the some road are the narrow alleyways that run off Soi Ban Baat. This area, know as Monk's Bowl Village, is home to the only surviving community of traditional alms bowl makers, who have been hammering out these metal receptacles here since the capital's beginnings in the late 18th century.
Early birds may be privy to saffron robed monks walking barefoot along the streets at dawn collecting food offerings from merit-seeking alms givers. The bowl is known as a baat and was traditionally handcrafted from eight pieces of metal, representing the eight spokes in the wheel of Dharma. Cashing in on the tourist market, signs in English Guide you to this small community of skilled artisans, where you hear the distant tap-tap of hammers. finished in enamel paint, the bowls sell for about B500
Phu Khao Thong
Phu Khao Thong (Golden mountain, ภูเขาทอง) is a steep artificial hill inside the Wat Saket compound.
Rama I's grandson, King Rama III (1787–1851), decided to build a chedi of huge dimensions inside Wat Saket. Unfortunately, the chedi collapsed during construction because the soft soil of Bangkok could not support the weight. Over the next few decades, the abandoned mud-and-brick structure acquired the shape of a natural hill and was overgrown with weeds. The locals called it the "phu khao" (ภูเขา), as if it were a natural feature.
During the reign of King Rama IV, construction began of a small chedi on the hill. It was completed early in the reign of his son, King Rama V (1853–1910). A relic of the Buddha was brought from Sri Lanka and placed in the chedi. The surrounding concrete walls were added in the 1940s to stop the hill from eroding. The modern Wat Saket was built in the early 20th century of Carrara marble.
An annual festival is held at Wat Saket every November, featuring a candlelight procession up Phu Khao Thong to the chedi.
Phu Khao Thong is now a popular Bangkok tourist attraction and has become one of the symbols of the city.
