Wat Mangkon Kamalawat

Chinatown


Clouds of incense and the sounds of chanting form the backdrop at this Chinese-style Mahayana Buddhist temple. Surrounding the temple are vendors selling food for the gods – steamed lotus-shaped dumplings and oranges – which are donated to the temple in exchange for merit. Dating back to 1871, it's the largest and most important religious structure in the area, and during the annual Vegetarian Festival, religious and culinary activities are particularly active here.

The giant protector deity statues on both sides of the shrine's entrance are reminiscent of temples in Tibet. Indeed, you'll spot panels written in the Tibetan script at their base if you look closely.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chinatown attractions

1. Talat Mai

0.15 MILES

With some two centuries of commerce under its belt, New Market is no longer an entirely accurate name for this strip of commerce. Regardless, this is…

2. Sampeng Lane

0.34 MILES

Soi Wanit 1 – colloquially known as Sampeng Lane – is a narrow artery running parallel to Th Yaowarat and bisecting the commercial areas of Chinatown and…

3. Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha)

0.45 MILES

The attraction at Wat Traimit is undoubtedly the impressive 3m-tall, 5.5-tonne, solid-gold Buddha image, which gleams like, well, gold. Sculpted in the…

5. Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center

0.46 MILES

The Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center is a small but engaging museum with multimedia exhibits on the history of Bangkok’s Chinatown and its residents.

6. Chinatown Arch

0.48 MILES

This arch marks the so-called centre of Bangkok's Chinatown, and straddles a busy traffic crossing between Th Yaowarat and Th Charoen Krung. If you dodge…

7. Odeon Circle

0.48 MILES

A traffic roundabout with the accompanying Chinatown Arch monument that serves as a central landmark in Bangkok's Chinatown.