Wat Thaawon is the most photogenic and one of the most interesting religious buildings in Hat Yai city. Being a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist temple, the images of the Buddha along with other imagery are different from those at Thai Theravada Buddhist temples. Wat Thaawon is located adjacent to the Tesco Lotus shopping center very close to the Prince of Songkhla university and hospital. It can be easily located as the pagoda and the massive gold colored Buddha image can be seen from quite some distance. The temple opens everyday from 1 pm to 4 pm except on Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays. In the past few years, a lot of work has been done on it and the results have begun to show. If you enjoy photography, Wat Thaawon is a good place to visit. From temples to malls and further to museum, Hat Yai comprises of large number of attractions. Having a rental car will serve as an icing on the cake since it will save cost and time. So, hire a car in hat yai, and travel the vast town at your own ease.
Wat Thaawon – A Prominent Buddhist Temple in Hat Yai
Posted on: 26th February 2016
Exploring Wat Thaawon
The temple grounds at Wat Thaawon are well-maintained and attractively laid out. Inside the premises, there is a huge statue of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. Overall, the structure is 33 feet tall, its lap is 12 meters wide while the staff is 42 meters tall. The huge nine-story Chinese style pagoda is the most recent addition at the temple. When you reach the top of it, you get to ring the giant bell and take in the wonderful panoramic scenes of Hat Yai city. Sunset is the ideal time to go but make sure to inform someone before going up to avoid being locked while you’re inside. At Wat Thaawon, you’ll also find several other shrines, a 9-story ‘Peace’ Pagoda as well as a Chinese cemetery nearby built mainly for storing the remains of deceased people. Wat Thaawon is also known as Mahapanya Vidayalai and now it mainly serves as an international Buddhist university.
