Phuket sights
Wat Chalong
Phuket's largest and most revered Buddhist temple, a working complex of gilded halls and a tall, ornate chedi said to enshrine a fragment of the Buddha's bone. Richly decorated and deeply local — dress modestly.
About
Wat Chalong (officially Wat Chaiyathararam) is the grandest and most important of Phuket's three dozen Buddhist temples, and the spiritual heart of the island for its Thai community. The temple is bound up with local history: it honours the revered monks Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang, who tended the wounded and helped quell a rebellion of Chinese tin miners in 1876, and whose statues are venerated here. The complex is a feast of gilded halls, mirror-tiled pillars, and intricate murals depicting the Buddha's life, crowned by the 60-metre Grand Pagoda (chedi) said to enshrine a splinter of bone relic of the Buddha; its upper floors give views over the surrounding countryside. Worshippers light firecrackers in a brick kiln to give thanks for answered prayers. As a living temple, modest dress is required, and visitors are asked to be quiet and respectful.
Good to know
Opening hours and entry fees vary by season — check before you visit.