Giant Swing

Description:

• Once used in a rather risky Brahmin religious ceremony, the bright red Giant Swing (Sao Ching Cha) is actually a modern reconstruction of the original. Located at the center of a traffic circle in Bangkok's Phra Nakon district in front of Wat Suthat, the 30-meter-high structure was built with six teak tree trunks and dedicated in 2007. The first swing, built in 1784 and commissioned by King Rama I, stood in front of nearby Devasathan shrine. The swing ceremony marked the Brahmin new year and lasted for ten days. Participants would swing to dizzying heights and attempt to seize a bag of coins from the top of a pole. The sometimes deadly injuries lead to the end of the event in 1935. The Giant Swing is little more than a photo opp now but conveniently located outside the gate at Wat Suthat and on the way to Devasathan across the street and the Tiger Shrine, San Chao Pho Suea, several blocks beyond.
  
• © NileGuide2013