Reclining Buddha at Wat Lokayasutharam, Ayutthaya

These are photos of the reclining Buddha at Wat Lokayasutharam in Ayutthaya Thailand. This is one of the must see sites of the city. This Buddha image is 37 meters long and 8 meters high, and one of the largest in Thailand. This reclining position portrays the Buddha as he passed away peacefully.

On the day that I visited this temple, the Buddha image was being cleaned.

Thai people still come to Wat Lokayasutharam to pay their respects to the Buddha by offering lotus flowers and incense.

This Buddha image is constructed of brick which is covered by cement. This is the classic construction style that is seen in the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya.

Reclining Buddha image at Ayutthaya.

Brick Ruins at Ayutthaya

These are more photographs of Ayutthaya, Thailand. Ayutthaya is known for its temples and ancient structures made of bricks. Many of these structures are 500 or more years old. These photos were taken at Wat Thammikarat in Ayutthaya. This Wat is sort of off the beaten track of the main temples and there is no fee to enter.

Buddha image in the alter of a crumbling temple

Bricks- People stacked these bricks inside the main structure. I am not sure what the purpose is.

Wat Thammikarat- inside the structure. You can get a sense of how magnificent this structure was before it dilapidated.

Temple alter at Wat Thammikarat, Ayutthaya

Lots of Roosters. These are associated with King Naresuan who ruled Thailand from Ayutthaya over 400 years ago. Roosters are always placed around his image all over Thailand.

Ayutthaya Photographs

I haven't added any photos to the blog for a while. I guess thats what happens when you are abroad and have fluctuating internet capabilities. Now that I am back in the states, I am trying to post my pictures from this past year. Hope you enjoy! The first batch is from Ayutthaya, Thailand. This is a beautiful ancient city near Bangkok. It's a nice place to take a day trip if you are staying in the city. I suggest renting bicycles or motorbikes so that you can run around the city and visit all of the sites on your own. The traffic is pretty calm here for Thailand, so it's pretty easy to get around.

Photo of a Thai lion statue at Wat Thammikarat

More Lions at Wat Thammikarat

These are roosters at Wat Thammikarat. They are associated with the Thai King Naresuan, who ruled in Ayutthaya from 1590 to 1605.

Sign for Chang Beer. mmmm....

Ruins in Ayutthaya. The ruins around the city are lit up at night, which poses a good opportunity for photos.

Another Thai Lion

Bao An Taoist Temple Taipei Taiwan

Here are more photographs from Bao An Temple in Taipei, Taiwan. Almost finished uploading all of them. Enjoy!

The roof of Bao An Temple. The roofs of Taoist temples are always decorated with folklore creatures. This one has two dragons and a red pearl in the center. The dragons chase the pearl to make rain.

Another mural in Bao An temple of Chinese folklore.

A Spirit house in Bao An temple in Taiwan.

The entire outside of the temple walls are covered in Chinese folklore paintings. This is a depiction of a scene from the Three Kingdoms, which is a Chinese classic.

This is a little fortune telling station in Bao An temple. After people pray with the moon blocks, they get a stick with a number on it. That stick correlates to a drawer that will have a fortune. You can take your fortune to the temple fortune tellers and they will interpret it for you.

More Bao An Doaist Temple Photos

The Front of Bao An Temple in Taipei, Taiwan

Paper Money Burning Furnace. Daoists put paper money into this furnace when they go to the temple.

The Confucius Temple near Bao An Temple. This is a very famous Confucius Temple in Taipei. On Confucius day (Teacher's Day) in Taiwan, there is a big celebration for the ghost of Confucius.

Eaves of the temple.

A tree outside of the temple. Daoists try to incorporate nature into their temple designs, so there are often lots of trees, plants, rocks, and waterfalls inside the temples.

Bao An Taoist Temple Photos Taiwan

These are photographs from the Bao An Taoist Temple in Taipei, Taiwan. This temple is a beautiful example of religious art and architecture in Taiwan.

Photo of a Chinese criminal getting a tattoo. In ancient China, criminals were tattooed with the crime they committed.

Photo of a Taoist Woman burning paper money. In Taiwan people burn paper money in order to make merit to the gods. The money is burned to go to the heavens and used to pay "officials" who live in heaven.

Photo of a Taoist Temple Guardian. Temple guardians are painted or sculpted on Taoist temple doors.

Photo of Bao An Temple. This is a Taoist temple in Taipei, Taiwan.

Photo of Confucian Temple. This temple is across the street from Bao An Temple.

Photos of Long Shan Temple, Taipei

Long Shan Temple is one of my favorite temples in Taiwan. Here are a few photographs from my last visit there.

(People Praying at Long Shan Temple)

(Moon Blocks used for Divination at Long Shan Temple)

(Inside Long Shan Temple)

(Beautiful Paintings inside Long Shan temple.)

(Decorate archway at Long Shan Temple)

Buddhist Temples at Tibetan Refugee Camp in Bylakuppe

These are photos of Tibetan Buddhist temples at the Tibetan refugee camp in Bylakuppe, India. At the camp there are many temples where Tibetan monks live. The monks left Tibet because of religious persecution.

Photo of Tibetan Buddhism Temple in India

Photo of Tibetan Refugee camp with a Buddhist temple.

Photo of a Tibetan Buddhist Temple of Tibetan Refugees in India.

Model of the Potala Palaca Temple in Lhasa. This is a model of the main Tibetan Buddhism palace temple in Tibet.

Tibetan Refugee Temple in Bylakuppe, India.

Photo of a Tibetan refugee monastery in Bylakuppe, India. This is where the Tibetan monks live, next to the temple.

Hassan II Mosque Morocco Photographs

These are more photographs of the Hassan II Mosque in Morocco. I visited this mosque on my last day in Morocco, and watched the sun set over the ocean there. It was a nice goodbye to that country.

Photo of lovers resting on a fountain at Hassan II Mosque. I can only imagine they were wooing each other with Rumi poems as they secretly met at the mosque.

Photo of a muslim woman sitting at Hassan II mosque. The mosaic tile work at this mosque is amazing. All of the building materials for this mosque came from Morocco, except for a few pieces of marble that came from Italy.

Watching the sunset at Hassan II mosque.

Photo of Hassan II mosque over the sea in Casablanca, Morocco.

Photo of Hassan II Mosque.

Photo of the sunset in Casablanca.

More sunset.

A man resting at Hassan II Mosque, waiting for the call to prayer.

Photo of the detailed stone work of the Minaret of Hassan II mosque, Morocco.

Photo of a girl sitting at Hassan II mosque

Photo of the inside of Hassan II mosque. This staircase leads down to the bathing facilities, so worshipers can ritually wash themselves before praying.

Photo of the minaret of Hassan II mosque

the sun setting at Hassan II mosque, Morocco