Just when I thought our family had been all "wat-ed" out, we happened upon one of the most unique structures I've ever seen. The place was called Wat Sampran (also known as the Dragon Temple) and it's a 16-story red tower with a statue of a dragon wound around it four times.
The whole temple complex is a cluster of crazy statuary, most of it seemingly Chinese-inspired. The effect is almost dizzying.
There are heads based on the characters of the Chinese zodiac (2007 is the Year of the Golden Pig in case you hadn't heard).
I'm really not sure what all of this stuff meant, but it was still fun to look at. Some English language signs or guides would have been helpful, but I guess they are not really a priority in this part of Thailand.
Even the floor was decorated with interesting animal imagery.
Supposedly touching the dragon's foot will bring you good luck, so we couldn't pass up that chance. I don't recall anything truly great happening since this trip, so I'm not sure if it worked (but nothing horrible has happened either).
You can climb up the tower, but the only way to do so is by using the stairs. The place was equipped with an elevator, but it didn't work.
The journey seemed a little imposing, but how often does one get to say they climbed a tower surrounded by a dragon?
The staircase was kind of disgusting. It was dirty, dusty and the floor was covered with mice droppings. The fact that we had to remove our shoes (like you have to do in all religious places in Thailand) made the climb even more unpleasant.
Some of the floors had statues and things to look at (but not all of them). Again, I have no idea what these things represent, but I assume they are based on some Chinese legend.
Once at the top, you get a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside...
A more traditional wat located next door...
And some other building shaped like a giant turtle (further proof that this was one of the most bizarre places we've ever visited).
The top of the tower had more intricate details...
A view of the dragon's tail...
And a close-up of its head.
As far as temples go, Wat Sampran was a pretty fun place to hang out...
Provided you're not afraid of heights (don't look down if you are).
Once we climbed back down, we wandered around the rest of the grounds and saw a giant elephant statue...
And the turtle building (there was nothing too exciting inside).
Overall, I found the place pretty fascinating. My only complaint was that the inside of the tower was pretty run down. If they could get it cleaned up a bit and have something to look at on every floor, Wat Sampran would truly be one of the "must-see" places in all of Thailand (I would still recommend it pretty strongly though).
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