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Nestled in the heart of Chinatown, Bangkok's most important and largest Chinese-Buddhist temple is the hub of festivities during festivals like Chinese New Year and contains spectacular Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian shrines. It dates back to 1872, and was called Wat Leng Nui Yee until King Rama V changed it to Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (which means Dragon Lotus Temple).

You enter via a decorative passageway from Charoenkrung Road and into a large courtyard. The low-slung temple complex within is decorated in typical Chinese style, intricately carved dragons and other familiar motifs throughout. Inside the various rooms are altars to Buddha as well as Taoist deities. Explore its passages and you'll find a small cloister with cases of gilded Buddha images in the double 'abhaya mudra', or 'Buddha teaches reason' position.