While in Bangkok we visited the famous Buddhist temple complex called Wat Pho (or Wat Po) which is also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Its official name is quite a mouthful: Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan; hence, the shortened title. Considered one of the country's oldest temples -- existing even prior to the establishment of the current dynastic family -- it was greatly renovated and expanded by King Rama I, the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (the current Thailand), who built his palace adjacent to the temple. His successors continued to renovate and expand the complex, most notably King Rama III (1824-1851). Most of the buildings you see today were either rebuilt or renovated under his reign. King Rama III also turned the temple complex into a public center of learning by decorating the walls of the buildings with inscriptions and diagrams on various subjects. The complex is regarded as Thailand's first university and was a center for medical studies at one time, and even today it remains a training center for traditional medicine, including Thai massage. The grounds and buildings are very well-maintained, but the star attraction is the enormous reclining Buddha. It was constructed around 1832 and represents the entry of Buddha into Nirvana and the end of his reincarnations. The statue is 15 meters high (about 50 ft) and 46 meters long (about 151 ft). Its core is made out of brick, which was shaped with plaster and then gilded. I have no idea how much gold is on the Reclining Buddha, but it's impressive.