Wat Mangkon Kamalawat

Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, also known by its former name Wat Leng Noei Yi, is the largest and most important Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok (Wikipedia). It stands in the heart of Chinatown, between Soi Charoen Krung 19 and 21, and MRT Wat Mangkon station is at its doorstep. It is the religious centre of two festivals covered on this site: Chinese New Year and the Vegetarian Festival.

History

The temple was founded as a Mahayana Buddhist temple in 1871 or 1872 (sources differ) by Phra Archan Chin Wang Samathiwat, also known as Sok Heng. It was first called Wat Leng Noei Yi. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) later gave it its present name, which means "Dragon Lotus Temple".

What to see

The temple is built in a classic Chinese style, with sweeping tiled roofs decorated with dragons and floral motifs.

• The ordination hall (ubosot) holds the main gold-coloured Buddha image, in a mixture of Thai and Chinese styles, with an altar in front of it for religious rites.
• The sermon hall (viharn) has statues of the four guardians of the world, the Chatulokkaban, in warrior costume, on either side of its main entrance.
• Shrines around the temple honour a range of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian figures, important in local Chinese belief.
• At the rear, three pavilions are dedicated to Guan Yin (the goddess of compassion), to the temple's founder and to the saint Lak Chao. A gallery near the back holds gilded Buddha images with both hands raised.
• The courtyard has a furnace for the ritual burning of paper money and other offerings for ancestors.

Hours and entry

Wikipedia gives the opening hours as 8am to 4pm, with free admission. We haven't confirmed this with the temple (checked October 2026), and the temple is busier around festivals.

When it matters most

• Chinese New Year: the temple sits on Charoen Krung, near the festival's centre on Yaowarat. Expect crowds and offerings around the main day.
• The Vegetarian Festival: Wikipedia lists the temple as a host of the annual Chinese vegetarian festival.

Visiting respectfully

It is a working temple. Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, as at other Bangkok temples, keep voices down and don't photograph worshippers close up without asking. Incense and offerings are part of worship; join only if you know what you are doing, or watch.

Getting there

• MRT Wat Mangkon (Blue Line), at the temple.
• By river, Ratchawong pier is the usual stop for Yaowarat; see Chinatown.

Combining it

A short visit, perhaps 20–30 minutes, fits easily into a Chinatown walk: Wat Traimit in the morning, this temple, then Yaowarat for food in the evening. Charoen Krung Road runs past the door.

• Bangkok Chinatown (Yaowarat)Chinatown is two places: a hectic wholesale district by day and one of the world's great street-food streets by night. Plan for both.
• Vegetarian Festival in BangkokFor nine days each autumn, Chinatown turns yellow. The Vegetarian Festival is the easiest time of year to eat well without meat in Bangkok.