Wat Phanan Choeng, Ayutthaya Historical Park, Ayutthaya

Wat Phanan Choeng, Ayutthaya Historical Park, Ayutthaya Wat Phanan Choeng was located on the southeast corner of the island, outside the city where the Pa Sak River joins the Chao Phraya River. Legend, it was built by King Sai Nampueng on the cremation site his Queen (Queen Soi Dokmak) and given name Wat Chao Phra Nang Choeng. Vihan. Inside vihan to enshrine the large Buddha image is recorded in the chronicle have been built in 1324 A.D., which means that it was twenty six years before Ayutthaya was found. It was known as Phra Puttachao Phanan Choeng until King Rama IV of Bangkok had restored the temple and renamed it Phra Puttha Trirattana Nayok. The image is in a seated Buddha image in the attitude of Subduing Mara, made of gilded brick and plaster. Its size 14.10 meters in width at the lap span and 19 meters in height. It is clearly one of the largest of seated Buddha image in Ayutthaya. The restoration of the Buddha image was Prof.Corrada Feroci with the Thai name Prof. Silpa Bhirasri, an Italian artist, the president of the Silapakorn University. He was the first person to teach fine arts in Thailand using Western method. This temple has maintained a special relationship with the Chinese since the Ayutthaya period. It is believed that the Buddha image was partly restored by a famous Chinese enuch known as Zheng He. To pay homage to the image is to pay homage to Zheng He at the same time. Legend has it that the temple was a funeral ground of a Chinese Princess who suffocated herself to death because she pertulant that the Ayutthaya king at that time did not come palace her perform the boat despite her long journey from China. There is a Chinese styled shrine housing her image located at the bank of the river. The Chinese community also built a cemetery at the back of the temple and Chinese always come here to pay during important occasions such as the Chinese New Year.