The name 'Temple of the Dawn' comes from the name of the Hindu god Aruna, to which the temple derives its name. In the first light of the morning, the sun reflects off the surface of the temple with pearly colours.
The tower (Prang) next to the Buddhist temple is the best-known landmark of Thailand. It was built in the early nineteenth century. The corners are surrounded by four smaller towers. Most beautiful is the decoration with colourful Porcelain and seashells. You can see the teacups and plates! These were previously used as ballast by boats coming to Bangkok from China. The temple next to the tower was built earlier in the seventeenth century. At first, it held the Emerald Buddha, that was later transferred to Wat Phra Kaew at the opposite of the river. The temple has a lot of Hindu details. The entrance of the Wat Arun Temple has two big statues of guards and other animals to keep out intruders.