Wat Hualamphong

This guide to Wat Hualamphong in Bangkok, known to locals as the Coffin Temple, follows the practice happening inside it right now: wooden coffins stacked in rows, each tagged with a pink slip naming a donor who gave as little as five hundred baht so a stranger with no family would not go into the ground uncovered. It traces the Buddhist belief behind that generosity, and how a simple community wat came to be elevated to royal status by King Chulalongkorn. You'll hear about the 1996 renovation marking King Bhumibol's Golden Jubilee. Step inside the ordination hall to see the indigo and burgundy murals for yourself.