Jim in Thailand: Grand Palace

The Grand Palace is an amazing collection of incredibly ornate buildings in the center of Bangkok, acting as the center of both the nation's religious life as well as the monarchy. In addition to the former residence of the king (who now lives elsewhere), the walled complex also contains numerous spectacularly glittering Buddhist shrines, including Wat Phra Kaew, or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This figure is only 66 cm tall and sits so high on a gilded shrine that it might be easy to miss.