Hi Steemians!

Thailand is not only a wonderful nature and tropical fruits, it's also a medium of Buddhism that I really wanted to get acquainted with.

There are so many yemples in this country, but each one has something special.

My first meeting with the new religion took place at the Temple of the Big Buddha in Phuket.

Getting there is quite easy because there are no problems with the transport in Thailand, but the easiest way is to get there by motorcycle.

During our trip, we were constantly renting a motorbike. This is very convenient, because not everywhere you can get by a car and you don't have to constantly search for the parking.

Big Buddha in Phuket is a temple complex and a huge statue of Buddha, which is visible from almost anywhere in the south of the island.

Big Buddha is located in the south of the island, on the hill between Chalong and the popular beaches of Kata and Karon. The exact location of the temple on the map:

Big Buddha is a functioning temple complex and you don't have to pay for the entrance. Parking near the temple is also free so we left our motorbike there.

The construction of the complex with the Big Buddha began in May 2002 and continues to this day, because its being conducted on donations.

The white marble Big Buddha has been built for a long time yet, but the complex next to the statue is still under construction.

Before going to any temple there are some important rules:

You cann't go inside wearing a bikini, with an open shoulder or short shorts.

This is a manifestation of disrespect for religion and it is very outrageous for the Thais.

It's necessary to dress in advance in something longer than to the knees and to cover the shoulders and elbows. If you don't have this kind of clothes, this is not a problem. At the entrance you can borrow a handkerchief for free.

The height of the Buddha statue is 45 m and the width is 25 m. It's amazing, isn't it?

Inside the temple you can make a donation - make a wish and throw 37 coins in the bowl 😉 or buy a marble slab (small one is 300 BTH, big one- 1000 BTH), write a desire on it and then this tile will be attached to the statue of Buddha (of course with your wishing inside).

This practice is very popular in Thai temples so in such way tourists help to build these wonderful places.

To climb the highest point you need to walk a lot of stairs. I noticed that the Thais love the stairs very much 😁😂😂.

From the top of the hill there is a wonderful view:

Under the statue of Buddha there is a temple where you can meet monks. If you are lucky, then the monk can give you the talisman - red thread on the hand which they call "Sai Sin".

We weren't lucky at that moment so we were left without a talisman 😞😢.

Another tradition that I really like is the gold leaflets, on which you need to write your name and mentally to make a wish.

I've done this almost in every temple so now it's time to wait until all my desires will come true😊😁😂.

Near the Big Buddha you can see the Golden Buddha, which has a much smaller height of only 12 meters.

There are a lot of statues of Buddha there and it's simply impossible to take pictures of everything.

Thais say that the statue of the Big Buddha was built in honor of the King of Thailand, and a golden statue - in honor of the Queen.

The Royal family in Thailand is very honored and at almost every step you can see a poster with their image or statue. Thais really love them.

I really love how Thais decorating sculptures and temples, as they clearly cut out every detail. It's just incredible!

For creative people here is simply a paradise. I got here a new dose of inspiration.

And finally, a sephi with Buddha 😊

As I later learned, it is not good to stay backside to the Buddha and to be photographed like that cos it's a manifestation of disrespect 😐.

Before going to another country, you need to learn more about its culture and customs to avoid getting into unpleasant situations🤔.

Thanks for reading my post! I hope you enjoyed my story and photos:)

All photos i made on my phone MI 5:)

Best wishes,

Olga:)