One of the most dazzling sights at Bangkok’s Grand Palace are the murals that line the inner walls Wat Phra Kaew. Depicting the Ramakian, the Thai version of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, they sparkle in lucid shades of gold, crimson, and turquoise. Though the temple is over 200 years old, they’re so dazzling that they look as if they were painted last year- probably because, in fact, they were. The murals at Wat Phra Kaew are under continuous restoration – as soon as the entire length of the mural has been repainted, the artists return to the beginning and start again. As Thailand’s holiest site, the temple has to look its best, after all.
