About Wat Saket and the Golden Mount
Rama III wanted to build an enormous chedi here, but the soft ground could not bear it and the structure collapsed. The ruin was left abandoned, was covered by vegetation and became a hill. Rama IV started a smaller chedi on top, finished early in the reign of Rama V and covered in gold, and a Buddha relic brought from Sri Lanka was placed inside.
There are more than 300 steps in a spiral, with rest stops along the way. From the top, to the west, you can see the roofs of Wat Phra Kaew; to the east, the towers of the financial district. In November, a candlelit procession climbs the hill and the chedi is wrapped in a long red cloth, on which worshippers write their names.
