Guardian at Wat Pho in Bangkok
When we visited Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand, I was interested to see everything that was there. It was the first full day of being in Bangkok, and everything was new and interesting. I was especially intrigued by the large stone guardian figures around the complex, such as this guy seen here.
I later learned that these statues were from China, which helps to explain their Chinese appearance. Obviously. These large stone statues were originally used as ballast in the trading ships sailing between Thailand and China, helping to weigh down a ship that had originally been loaded with rice. To me, it was fascinating to find out that detailed statues such as this were used for ballast instead of just ordinary rocks.
And just imagine what it would be like to be wandering around in the hold of a ship in the dark with only your torch to light the way, when suddenly you went around a corner and found this guy staring at you. I can just imagine the old guys getting a good laugh by sending a new guy down into the hold and then listening for him to scream in fright. Or at least that’s what I would do as a seasoned sailor to help pass the time.
This particular guardian, along with seven others similar to him at Wat Pho, wears European clothes, and he symbolizes Marco Polo, the first European to visit China. So much interesting history to be found in places, if you just look for it.
Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stability. - 2 Peter 3:17
About the Photo
For this photo, I purposefully added in a bit of grain to match the texture of the stone statue. And I also shifted the white balance quite a bit warmer, as I often do, because I like that look better than having everything be tinted blue.
A single RAW exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about the photo software and gear I use at the camera gear page.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Lens: Olympus M.Zukio 25mm f1.8
