Rock carving of Buddha in Pattaya. The mountain with the image of the Golden Buddha in Pattaya is Khao Chi Chan. How to get to Golden Buddha Mountain in Pattaya

Golden Buddha Mountain (Khao Chi Chan) is located fifteen kilometers from. Previously, it was an ordinary mountain, from which stone was extracted during the Vietnam War to build American military bases and roads. In 1976, stone mining was stopped by order of the King of Thailand, and in 1996, a huge image of Buddha frozen in the lotus position was created on the rocky side of the mountain. It is believed that Buddha himself often meditated in the temple, which overlooked this mountain.

First, a computer program was developed, then the image was projected onto the mountain surface and applied to the rock using laser technology in two days. Over the course of several months, the drawn outline was filled with gold tiles. The gold leaf plates are placed in recesses specially made for this purpose.

Buddha image

The collection of funds for the creation of the Buddha image was carried out on the initiative of the king’s son, and any resident of Thailand could take part in it. Out of love for their king, the people collected almost $3 million in donations. The opening of the attraction was timed to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the accession to the throne of King Rama IX of Thailand.

Khao Chi Chan is the largest image of Buddha in the world. It rises 130 meters and is 70 meters wide. According to legend, the chest of the image contains particles of the relics of Buddha - one of the most sacred relics for followers of Buddhism. The full title of the image is “His Majesty Buddha, beautiful and chaste as Great Wisdom (Maha Vachira).” In order to get a better look at it, a telescope is installed at the foot of the mountain, but you have to pay to use it.

Around the rock with the image of Buddha there is a picturesque park full of flowering plants and lakes dotted with lotuses. The park has pavilions for relaxation and meditation. It is visited by Thai residents, tourists, members of the king's family, Buddhist monks. The park is under the patronage of the royal family. The territory of the park, the rock itself and the image of Buddha are guarded by the military.

Neighborhood Khao Chi Chan

You can enter the park for free through the pavilion, where photographers await tourists. They photograph those entering regardless of their desire, and then try to sell them frames with the resulting portraits for 100-120 baht. There are no towns, villages or hotels in the vicinity of the park, so nothing interferes with admiring nature and listening to birdsong.

To the right of the entrance to the park there is a sacred Bodhi tree or banyan tree. Under one of these trees, Siddhartha Gautama became Buddha (enlightened) and revealed to people the noble eightfold path of salvation. The tree is extraordinary - aerial roots descend in abundance from its crown. Experienced tourists advise holding them and making a wish.

Not far from the Golden Buddha Mountain lies the Silver Lake vineyard (from English - “Silver Lake”). It is a private area owned by a wealthy family from Thailand. It includes a vineyard, a lake and big park With windmill, a small restaurant and a group of shops. Grapes are cultivated quite rarely in Thailand. The owners of the land brought seedlings from France and planted a vineyard, which now attracts many tourists.

Silver Lake Park

An excursion to the famous image of the Golden Buddha allows you to feel the spirit of Tibetan culture and the oldest world religion - Buddhism. Read more about excursions.

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We continue to visit the sights of Pattaya that we did not have time to see on our first trips to Thailand. This time we visited the Golden Buddha Mountain Khao Chi Chan.

Golden Buddha Mountain is located a little further than the Wat Yan temple complex. We described in detail how to get there on your own in a post about Wat Yan. There are many signs along the way to the attraction, and the mountain itself can be seen from afar, so it’s very difficult to get lost here. Admission is free at any time.

The image of Buddha on the rock was made relatively recently in 1996, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the reign of the now enthroned King of Thailand, Rama 9. The creation of this monument was initiated by the king’s son. The height of the Buddha is 160 meters. This is the largest Buddha image made of gold. It was applied to the rock very in a modern way, using a laser. This process took two days, after which it was filled with gold over the course of two months.

Near the mountain there is a large pond in which lotuses grow. Small meditation pavilions are scattered throughout the park. The place is very beautiful and peaceful. It was very unexpected to see a large well-kept park at the foot of the mountain; I thought everything was much simpler there.

A few meters from the mountain is another attraction of Pattaya: Silver Lake Vineyard

Our visit to Golden Buddha Mountain coincided with the annual Khao Chi Chan Lantern Festival. This is a very large-scale and colorful event, which includes performances of traditional Thai Khon theater, as well as a large parade of all the participants of the holiday. There were many high-ranking guests at the festival, who took turns making welcoming speeches and then leaving their lanterns at the foot of the Golden Buddha Mountain. It was very interesting.

Video from the Lantern Festival:

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No prepayment is required to book any one-day excursions!
For excursions with hotel reservations, the prepayment is 500 baht (via electronic wallets or transfer to a card).
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30 km from Pattaya there is a large temple complex, Wat Yan or Wat Yansangwararam, as well as the Mount of the Golden Buddha. These two attractions are very popular in Pattaya and are definitely worth a visit. The distance between Wat Yan Temple and Golden Buddha Mountain is only a couple of kilometers, so it is convenient to visit them together. I will tell you why these two attractions are interesting in this article.

The territory of the Wat Yan temple is quite large and covers 145 hectares. It contains approximately a dozen religious buildings made in a variety of architectural styles. Here you will find traditional Thai style, as well as Chinese, Indian and Singaporean. The main temple of this complex is Wat Yan.

You should definitely climb the mountain to the footprint of Buddha. A staircase consisting of 300 steps leads to it. This shrine is significant in this temple complex and deeply revered local residents. Also opens from the mountain beautiful view.

In the Wat Yang temple complex there is a meditation center that anyone can visit. The center offers meditation classes and workshops based on the teachings of the Buddha. Also in the center you can find out when the next classes are held.

Monks live in separate houses. They study Buddhism and care about cleanliness temple complex.

The grounds of Wat Yan are well maintained and beautiful. Lots of flowers, trimmed bushes, two beautiful lakes, fountains, comfortable gazebos and benches. Near the lake there are trading tents where you can buy fish food and feed the inhabitants of the lake. They also sell birds, turtles and fish, which should be released into the wild after purchase. Thais believe that in this way a person is cleansed of sins.

The territory of the Wat Yan temple complex is almost always quiet and calm, with very few people. It’s nice to walk along the temples and picturesque nature, sit on the shore of the lake and enjoy all this beauty.

Golden Buddha Mountain

Not far from Wat Yan is the Golden Buddha Mountain. On this mountain, an image of Buddha sitting in the lotus position is laid out in golden slabs. The height of the image is about 160 m. At the foot of the mountain there is a pond.

The area near the Golden Buddha Mountain is well-groomed and well-equipped. There are gazebos where you can sit in silence while enjoying the magnificent views.

It is not possible to stay overnight near the Wat Yang temple and the Golden Buddha Mountain, since these attractions are surrounded by the jungle and there are no hotels or any residential buildings near them.

Working hours

Wat Yan is open to the public every day from 8am to 4pm. Free admission. However, we must not forget about proper appearance. When visiting religious places, you must wear clothing that covers your shoulders, stomach, chest and knees.

Best time To visit these two attractions, it is in the morning before 10:00, since during these hours there are practically no tourists and there is no unbearable heat.

How to get there?

The easiest way to get to Wat Yan and Golden Buddha Mountain is with a guided tour, which can be purchased at any travel agency.

If you decide to go on your own, you won’t be able to use public tuk-tuks, they don’t come here. The only available transport is a taxi.

For those who decide to go to own car or by bike, you should move south from Pattaya along the Sukhumvit Highway. First you will pass, and after a 15-minute drive a sign to Wat Yansangwararam will appear. Following the sign, you turn left and go straight to the fork. Then there are two options:

Drive straight to Wat Yan temple.
Turn right and go to Golden Buddha Mountain.

It is difficult to get lost on this road because there are signs everywhere.

Map

On this map I have marked the location of the Wat Yan temple complex and the Golden Buddha Mountain.

Our plans for today are to visit Golden Buddha Mountain in Pattaya. For Thais this is a sacred place. The largest, apparently, rock image of Buddha was built there. It will also be interesting for us because of the unique beauty of the surrounding nature. It was created quite recently, in 1996. Thailand then celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the reign of its King Bhumibol Adulyadej IX. The figure of the saint, whose height is 160 meters, and the width of the Buddha’s closed legs at the knees is seventy, was carved into the rock in just two days using laser technology.

After the Buddha image was erected on grief Khao Chi Chan, resort town Pattaya, which is located 15 km from it, has become not only tourist center, but also a place of worship for the Thais themselves. They expressed their loyalty to the King and religious awe of the Buddha by decorating the mountain with gold leaf. This is the only precedent in the entire Buddhist world when the Golden Buddha Mountain, located under open air, decorated in a similar way. For tourists, a mountain with a Buddha image carved into its slope is called “ Golden Buddha Mountain", but officially its name is much more magnificent and solemn: "His Majesty Buddha is beautiful and chaste, like Maha Vachira".

For the Thais, such decoration truly became a religious sacrifice - for such a large image of the Golden Buddha they had to spend a total of about three million dollars in gold. Almost a third of this impressive amount for Thailand was collected by local residents. At the foot of the mountain there is a magnificent, lush oriental garden and two lakes, the surface of which is decorated with blooming lotuses.

The whole atmosphere of the park on Golden Buddha Mountain in Pattaya promotes peace and meditation. But this does not mean that everything is left to Divine Providence, which will protect the surrounding beauty. The site, which the Royal Family of Thailand considers their "home church", is protected by Thai guards. This park is open not only to royalty; ordinary Thais can also worship their deity here. For this purpose, many places have been organized where you can pray and make offerings. Tourists are also allowed there.

Oddly enough, but it is the tourists who are most numerous here. A line stretching towards Mount of the Golden Buddha, simply endless. Thais are calm about the endless photo sessions of Russians, Chinese, and Japanese. They believe that touching their deity can spiritually enrich everyone. However, you should not abuse their tolerance.

Video filming of Khao Chi Chan mountain from a quadcopter

Golden Buddha Mountain - Wat Khao Chi Chan, is located in the suburbs of Pattaya, about 15 km from the city center.
The largest rock image of Buddha, lined with gold plates, is one of the top 20 attractions in Pattaya, so it’s definitely worth a look.

Golden Buddha Mountain Khao Chi Chan – History of Creation

A huge image of Buddha who achieved nirvana, lined with plates of real gold, appeared in the vicinity of Pattaya in 1996.
The son of King Rama the ninth, (Rama 10th is the current king of Thailand), dedicated this gift to his father, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his reign.

For Thais, Mount Khao Chi Chan is a religious place of pilgrimage, not a tourist attraction. On its territory there are places for prayers, offerings and meditation.

The story of the creation of the golden rock Buddha united the country. Before the start of work, the king's son announced a collection of donations and part of the gold used in the work was collected among ordinary citizens, who brought their jewelry, bracelets, rings to be melted down, as a sign of respect and love for their king.

The image of Buddha was applied to the rock using a laser, and then, for several months, the plates were laid by hand.

The Golden Buddha on Mount Khao Chi Chan can be seen from the southern part of the city, in the Jomtien and Na Jomtien areas. In the evening, the lights and laser show turn on.

How to get there, how much does it cost?

You can get to Mount Khao Chi Chan either independently or with a guided tour.

If you are on your own, here is a point on the map:

You need to turn right from the Sukhumvit highway at the traffic light opposite the Mini (BMW) salon and go straight.

If you don't plan to rent a car or bike, check out these Beautiful places, where Mount Khao Chi Chan is located, can be part of the 7 Wonders of Pattaya excursion.

The location for such an installation was amazing.

Every year some new attraction appears in the surrounding area and they are all worthy of attention.
The “7 Wonders” tour includes - the village of long-necked women, Wat Yang Temple (where they make wishes and clear karma), an inverted house, Mount Khao Chi Chan, a Chinese temple, Mondop - a chapel with the footprint of Buddha.

In addition, near Mount Khao Chi Chan are worthy of attention and visit:

A good time to explore local attractions in those parts is early morning (right from 7 am) and before sunset. This is when the most beautiful photos are taken.

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