The Temple of Dawn rises straight off the west bank of the Chao Phraya, its central prang climbing around 70 metres and named for Aruna, the Indian god of the dawn. Look closely at the tower and you see it is entirely encrusted with broken Chinese porcelain and seashells, ballast from old trading ships pressed into flowers and mythical figures, so the whole spire shimmers in changing light. You can climb the steep interior stairways partway up the prang for a closer view and a look back across the river to the old town. Despite the name, the magic here is at the other end of the day: from the eastern bank the temple glows orange at sunset and lights up gold after dark. Cross on the small cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier for a few baht, or grab a table at one of the riverside bars opposite for the classic photograph.
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