Wat Chalong - Phuket's Not-So-Silent Sanctuary

Wat Chalong's temple fair

The largest and liveliest temples on Phuket, Wat Chalong has been a centre of the local Buddhist community since its original construction in the early 1800s. Not exactly a peaceful place of contemplation, the main viharn (assembly hall) is thronged daily with worshippers and curious tourists, while the air is constantly crackling with the sound of firecrackers set off by those hoping to blast some good fortune their way.

Another hall houses the eerily realistic wax statue of the revered Luang Por Cham, a former abbot of many talents. He is credited with helping to quell the Chinese workers’ rebellion in 1876, and was also known as a great healer. The statues of two other former abbots, Luang Por Chaung and Luang Por Gluam, are also set in the building.

Fruity looking sugar snacks for sale at the fair

More recently, Wat Chalong was renovated and construction of a large chedi was completed in 2002 to house a sacred relic – a bone fragment of the Lord Buddha, brought from Sri Lanka in 1999. Called the Phramahathat Chedi, it stands more than 61 metres high and its large platform on the third storey offers a great lookout point over the surrounding area. The bone fragment, enclosed in glass, can also be viewed on this level.

Goat's heads in a bucket. We didn't ask why.

Later this month during Chinese New Year, which starts on January 23, the temple will be jammed with people flocking to the huge annual nine-day Wat Chalong fair that features food, live music and loads of food, handicrafts and odd stuff for sale.

Wat Chalong is on Luang Por Cham Road, about 8 km south of Phuket City off Chao Fa West Road.

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