Phra Maha Chedi Si Ratchakan
Photograph by Vince Gx, published 2019

Phra Maha Chedi Si Ratchakan (The Great Chedi of Four Reigns), located within Wat Pho in the Phra Nakhon District of Bangkok, is a prominent architectural feature of this historic Buddhist temple complex. Standing at 42 metres tall, it is one of the four chedis (also known as stupas) located there. It was constructed in the early 19th century during the reign of King Rama I, and is a fine example of Thai-Chinese architectural style, characterised by its bell-shape and elaborate decoration of coloured mosaic tiles. These structures serve as both funerary monuments for the kings and as a way to enshrine Buddhist relics, including a ruined, 16-metre-tall Buddha statue brought from Ayutthaya. King Rama IV ordered the complex enclosed after the fourth chedi's construction to signify the completion of the dynastic memorial. Although referred to as a pagoda, Phra Maha Chedi Si Ratchakan is in fact a chedi. Unlike pagodas, which can be entered, chedis are designed to enshrine sacred relics or artefacts.