Wat Chalong Phuket – Planning your vacation to the beautiful island of Phuket, Thailand. I see you are doing your research to find the best places and things to discover while spending your holiday here in Phuket. Allow me to tell you about one of the most important Temples on the island, Wat Chalong Phuket. As you may already know, “Wat” refers to a Buddhist monastery temple. Strictly speaking it is a Buddhist sacred precinct with a temple, a separate building accommodating an image of Buddha, monks’ quarters, and a structure for lessons.
Wat Chalong Phuket is definitely an outstanding example, with a magnificent Temple building along with many other buildings to support the religious needs of the locals. Located on the southern end of the island, it is very close to multiple other tourist attractions, not the least of which is the Phuket Big Buddha. Plus many great restaurants in the vicinity, some located along the Rawai coast or in the village of Chalong. So please, plan a full day around this area, contact Easy Day Thailand for their VIP Tour packages listed below, hey what better way to see the sites then from a comfortable, roomy private van with you own tour guide.
OK, let me tell you a little about what you can expect to see at the Wat Chalong Phuket on your visit. Wear comfortable but appropriate clothes, especially shoes, as there is a bit of walking and stairs to navigate while visiting the buildings that make up the Wat grounds. All are worth exploring to enhance the enjoyment of your visit. While the entrance is set back off the main road, it is not difficult to find. Once you enter you will immediately notice the impressive archways and buildings that are Wat Chalong Phuket.
Wat Chalong Phuket was originally built over a century ago and was dedicated to the memory of two monks, who with their knowledge of herbal medicine helped the injured of a tin miners rebellion in 1876. The Wat still provides a sanctuary for Buddhist from all over the world who come to pray for Buddha’s assistance and help in their lives. Because of its beauty and serenity, the Wat draws many non-Buddhist foreigners on a daily basis, who hopefully take away a calm and better understanding of Buddhism.
There are many statues of monks and figures that have played an important role in the history and legend of the Wat. One of the first buildings on your left houses the statues of Luang Poh Cham, Luang Poh Chuang and Luang Poh Gleum, all ex-abbots of the temple. All credited with helping Ta Khee-lek (grandpa Khee-lek), a famous local who won many lotteries after consulting the Pohs. So if you are inclined to play the lottery, this is a good place to ask for Buddha’s help, no guarantees. If you were wondering about all the small gold leaf on the statues, it is traditional to paste these on the statues of the three abbots in tribute or offering for good luck.
Without question the grand pagoda dominates the temple grounds and contains many pictures depicting scenes of Buddha and a vast variety of statues of Buddha in different poses. Most importantly a splinter of Lord Buddha’s bone. You will want to take your time exploring this airy pagoda that is blessed with a cooling breeze from the windows on all four sides. The following pictures give you a small sense of the magnificence of this Pagoda and its interior filled with statues of Buddha in a variety of poses. The lovely lady standing on the steps in front of the door and praying is my wife. There is even a shot taken from the upper balcony of the grounds below.
As you wonder about the grounds, please do not let the loud noises from the exploding fireworks startle you, luckily these are somewhat subdues thanks to the generosity of patrons who have had their prayer answered. They have constructed a small domed, structure to house the fireworks set off by the many thankful people, you may want to buy some and give it a try just to honor Buddha.
Just across the garden is the hall containing the statues of the three abbots I mentioned earlier. You will see many Thai’s inside and outside making offerings and praying. One practice is to shake a vase filled with numbered sticks until one of the sticks falls out, this is then your fortune. Once the stick has fallen to the floor, you go to a cabinet around the corner to retrieve your fortune from the appropriate numbered bin. You will need a Thai who can interpret your fortune since each is written in Thai. Having done this in many Buddhist temples I have visited both here and in Japan I know that you sometimes get fortunes that you would rather not see come true, but there is a solution for this, you will need to carefully fold the fortune into a strip and tie it to the appropriate tree outside.
Just outside this hall in front is a great photo spot with a large Elephant statue that seems very popular with tourists.
Of course before going to this hall you will want to stop at the store to purchase the proper offerings, usually flowers, incense and perhaps even the gold leaf to stick on the statues. Fear not if you forgot to get cash, this is always the convenient ATM machine available.
Wat Chalong Phuket is one of the island’s many tourist attractions and can get very busy during the middle of the day. However it is also a place of peace and serenity to be enjoyed by all who visit. An important point to remember is that it is a very religious site in Buddhism and visitors should dress appropriately, no bear shoulders or midriffs or short-shorts. If you are looking for a beautiful site where you can find a place to reflect on the day, then Wat Chalong as with other Wats on the island may be just what the doctor ordered.
Easy Day Phuket Tours – Contact Us
Like to visit Wat Chalong Phuket? Contact our Easy Day Phuket team now and let us know. Any questions? Please do ask. We are always happy to answer.
EasyDay Tours Visit at Wat Chalong Phuket
Phuket Tours by Easy Day Thailand that include a visit at Wat Chalong Phuket Temple.
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