About Wat Arun
The name comes from Aruna, a Hindu deity linked to the first rays of the sun, but the most famous photo of Wat Arun is the one at sunset, taken from the opposite bank. Up close, the surprise changes scale: the central tower, the prang, completed in 1851, is covered in flowers and mandalas made from pieces of Chinese porcelain, many of which arrived as ballast in merchant ships.
Before moving on to the Grand Palace in 1785, the Emerald Buddha was kept here. You can climb part of the outer staircase, which is narrow and very steep: hold the handrail, go down slowly and leave the hurry for the boat.
