Serving as the spiritual keystone of Bangkok, Lak Meuang is a phallus-shaped wooden pillar erected by Rama I when the city was founded in 1782. Part of an animistic tradition, the city pillar embodies the city's guardian spirit (Phra Sayam Thewathirat) and also serves a practical purpose as a measuring point for calculating distances between towns.
If you're lucky, you may be able to observe la kon gaa bon – a commissioned dance where brilliantly costumed dancers measure out subtle movements to show gratitude to the guardian spirit for granting a worshipper's wish.
