Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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Epigraphic archives of Wat Pho
Inscribed 2011
What is it
The 1431 inscriptions erected by King Rama III on the
walls of the Wat Pho Temple in Bangkok cover a wide
range of subjects including traditional knowledge,
Buddhism, medicine, massage, morality and literary texts
that now attract interest from a worldwide audience.
Why was it inscribed
The inscriptions comprise Buddhist texts, selections
from the Hindu Ramayana and the Persian Shâhnâmeh.
In addition the inscriptions provide unique details of
the techniques of Thai massage and holistic healing
methods that have been adopted globally, testifying to
cross-cultural exchanges.
Where is it
Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Pho is second only to the Temple of the Emerald
Buddha in terms of importance in Thailand. Situated
south of and close to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, it was
probably built in the 17th century in the Ayutthaya period.
It underwent major restoration in 1795 during the reign
of King Rama I (King Phra Phutthayotfa, 1782–1809)
who established the new dynasty in Bangkok, and it
was regarded as the monarch’s temple. During King
Rama III’s reign (King Nangklao, 1824–51) in 1831–41,
the temple’s grounds were expanded and the buildings
were decorated with Chinese ceramic tiles, mural
paintings, stone sculptures, wood carvings and motherof-pearl
inlaid works. The king also commissioned the
inscribing of texts on various subjects on stone plates in
different sizes ranging from 32 cm by 14 cm to 200 cm
by 110 cm. The marble, limestone and slate plates were
placed on the exterior and interior walls, windows, posts
or wooden beams of twenty-five buildings. Most of the
1431 inscriptions that survive are legible and in good
physical condition.
The subject matter of the inscriptions varies, covering
history, government, literature, Buddhism, herbal
medicine, physical therapy, ethnology and morality. They
represent a cherished corpus of wisdom that includes
a history of Wat Pho’s construction and restoration
346 Epigraphic archives of Wat Pho
(twelve plates), Buddhist beliefs and practices (310 plates),
literature (including 152 plates retelling the Hindu
Ramayana and nine from the Persian Shâhnâmeh),
general knowledge on political geography and cultural
diversity (124 plates), moral teachings (sixty-five plates),
royal customs (thirty-six plates) and health, medicines
and massage (608 plates). Indeed, nearly half of the
existing inscriptions contain medical and massage or Thai
yoga texts composed by royal physicians. The temple is
recognized by many health experts as a world centre for the
teaching and practising of Thai healing techniques that are
sometimes known as ‘Thai massage’.