The Different Elegance of the Grand Palace

The tour bus was parked on a narrow street. I saw several pointed roofs on the white wall and a small door not much bigger than the ordinary gate. I really couldn’t believe this was Thailand’s Grand Palace. There is no dignity in front of Beijing’s Forbidden City, no luxury in front of Paris’s Versailles Palace, and no magnificence in front of Vienna’s Meiquan Palace. Is it famous all over the world just because it is Thailand’s political and cultural center and the seat of the Privy Council, the Ministry of Finance and the Palace Affairs Office?

There are rules for entering the grand palace: no sleeveless jacket, no short skirt on the knee, no loud noise, no photos in the jade Buddha temple, no……. We joined the crowded * * and began to visit. When checking tickets, you should check your clothes. Those who fail can rent clothes. Fortunately, we got the tour guide’s attention in advance, and no one was embarrassed about it. On the left side of the door was an open hall, and a armed guard looked coldly at the crowd. The guns on the steel frame are eyeing up, which makes me, who touched the guns since I was a child, somewhat frightened. In the green grass-shaded palace courtyard, the Bodhi tree exudes the breath of holiness. The unknown little flowers swayed in the wind and set each other off with the little girls playing in the lawn. Steel guns and flowers, guards and girls, indifference and gentleness, these diametrically opposite factors constitute my first impression of the Grand Palace.

The sun near noon brightened my eyes. When I put on sunglasses and opened my eyes, I found that what brightened my eyes was not the sunshine, but the resplendent and magnificent buildings in the courtyard. Completely different from the simplicity in front of the door, the whole palace is surrounded by strong gold. Sharp gold roofs, high gold colonnades, gold sculptures and gold murals. I seemed to walk into a gold mine, surrounded by gold. I feel as if all the gold in the world is concentrated in the palace, and the description of “Curse of the Golden Flower” is not too much here.

Jade Buddha Temple is the largest temple in Thailand, also known as “Guguo Temple”. We took off our shoes on the shoe rack under the steps and entered barefoot. There are Jade Buddha Hall, First King Hall, Buddha Bone Hall, Sutra Depository, Bell Tower, Urn Pagoda and other buildings in the temple. They are towering and straight, and focus on the characteristics of Thai Buddhist temple architectural art. The hall of the Jade Buddha Hall is tall, and a jade Buddha carved from a piece of emerald jade is enshrined on the 11-meter-high decorative box ritual stage inside the hall. The Buddha is 66cm high and 48cm wide. It sits cross-legged and has a solemn statue. Its exquisite sculpture can be called one of the world’s best. When the season changes, the king holds a grand ceremony to change clothes for the Jade Buddha with his own hands to protect the peace of the country and the people. We looked at the photos shown by the tour guide. Jade Buddha showed his shoulders in hot season, one shoulder in rainy season and priceless gold wisp clothes all over his body in cool season. This jade Buddha is regarded by Thais as a “treasure of the town” and photographing is strictly prohibited. Many good men and women in the temple bowed down, and I also respectfully folded my hands to express my respect and awe.

The layout of the palaces in the Grand Palace is very compact and exquisite everywhere. I kept taking pictures with my camera, only to find it difficult to take the overall elegant demeanour. Looking around, all kinds of tourists attracted my attention. Take a group of small photos of foreign tourists to show the unique style of the Grand Palace from another angle. Graceful blondes, rough and tough middle-aged strong men, rich and peaceful fat aunts, shy and timid young beauties… People gathered in this magnificent palace from different countries, different cultural backgrounds and different origins. Not only is it Thailand’s political and cultural center, but also because the Grand Palace is a symbol of the Thai dynasty. It records Thailand’s long history and culture and is a treasure of architecture, painting, sculpture and decoration. It is hard to say that you know Thailand without carefully and seriously understanding the Grand Palace.

I really can’t remember the tour guide’s complicated explanation, and I haven’t been able to distinguish between the king and the princess and prince who live in what. I just admired the beautiful, exquisite and luxurious buildings all the way, leaving exclamation marks in this unforgettable gold…….

(For photos of the Grand Palace, please see my photo album “The Different Elegance of the Grand Palace”)