The Golden Mount, or Chedi Phu Khao Thong, is a man-made mount within the grounds of Wat Saket (which is often incorrectly thought to be the Golden Mount itself). It was first constructed during the reign of King Rama III (1824-51). The king had built a chedi on the spot, but it collapsed due to the soft soil underneath. The strengthen the foundation, King Rama III created the artificial mount of mud and bricks.
When the reign passed to King Mongkut (@ Rama IV, 1804-68), the new monarch further stabilized the manmade mount with 1000 teak logs, because it was once again sinking into the soft ground. The building of a new chedi on top of the mount was the work of the subsequent King Chulalongkorn (@ Rama V, 1853-1910). The chedi enshrines a relic of the Buddha given to King Rama V by the British. The relic is believed to have originated in India or Nepal.
During the Second World War, the Golden Mount was further strengthen from erosion by a concrete wall. Today the Golden Mount still towers 78 meters above ground. Up till the 1960's, it was the highest point in all of Bangkok. The chedi at the top is reached by a stairway that goes around the mount.
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