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Wat Samphran Temple

Khlong Mai, Thailand

An enormous dragon scales the walls of this 17-story temple. 

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The Buddhist temple Wat Samphran (Dragon Temple). MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images
The Buddhist temple Wat Samphran (Dragon Temple). MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images
Wat Samphran Temple Inazuma/Panoramio user
The one Dragon's foot in contact with the ground alasdairmc (Atlas Obscura User)
Up the stairs inside the temple, the entrance to the tunnel inside the dragon's body via the open mouth of a mythical monster alasdairmc (Atlas Obscura User)
Shrines on the temple grounds Deltec Homes/Facebook
The lucky wells for coins in front of the Dragon Temple alasdairmc (Atlas Obscura User)
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Step Inside the Giant Dragon of the Wat Samphran Temple

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With the Wat Samphran Temple, what you see is what you get: while a smattering of awed visitors across the web have expressed admiration for this impressive work of architecture, details such as when it was built, who designed it, or why this 17-story tower is in the clutches of a massive, beautiful dragon are nowhere to be found.

The Wat Samphran Temple is rarely featured in guidebooks and is considerably removed from the typical tourist track. Travelers who’ve happened upon the temple in their journeys have described an interior in mild disrepair but filled with stunning statues and shrines, including a giant bronze Buddha.

The dragon itself is reportedly hollow, and visitors are able to walk some sections of it, though other parts of the temple remain closed to the public.

giant buddhas dragons towers temples sacred spaces architectural oddities architecture
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