Wat Phra Kaew's Emerald Buddha in Bangkok
Although Wat Phra Kaew is famous for being a beautiful royal temple, the main reason people come here is the Emerald Buddha. Most of the temples I've visited so far want to enshrine this Buddha, so they make and keep replicas. The Emerald Buddha I saw in Chiang Mai was one of them. They don't treat it carelessly just because it's a replica; it's enshrined so preciously that you might confuse it for the real thing.
According to legend, this Buddha statue came from India and was given as a gift from the kingdom of Cambodia to the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1434.
The statue disappeared when Burma invaded the Ayutthaya Kingdom, but was rediscovered a century later after a massive flood in Chiang Saen. It was then moved to Chiang Mai via Chiang Rai, and Prince Setthathirath relocated it to Luang Prabang. When his father passed away, he succeeded to the throne of Siam, and a few years later it was moved to the Siamese kingdom in Vientiane. When the Haw people invaded from the north, Luang Prabang requested reinforcements from Siam. The King of Vientiane ambushed the Siamese army from behind, but King Taksin the Great fought Laos and returned the Emerald Buddha to Siam. General Chakri, who would later become King Rama I, brought the statue from Vientiane. It was initially taken to Thonburi before being moved to its current location in 1784. - Wikipedia
When I looked from outside the building, the statue was wearing golden robes and illuminated by a mystical light, so I had huge expectations as I walked in. However, completely contrary to my expectations, there were so many people that it was hard to even find a place to sit. On top of that, middle-aged tourists from East Asia were shouting so loudly that it was exhausting just being there. The building was beautiful and the Buddha statue was fascinating, but it was a bit of a shame that the atmosphere wasn't right for truly appreciating it. Now I finally understand why guidebooks recommend entering early in the morning as soon as the doors open.