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Kampaengkaew or the chapel boundary wall, refers to the double marble walls around the main chapel.
There are 8 sheltered gates and 8 sculpted boundary stone (or Bai Sema). The outer side of this boundary wall is decorated with carved
stones portraying natural scenes of montains, trees and animals.
The outer side of balustrades around the main chapel is decorated with a series of 152 selected bas-reliefs depicting scenes from
Ramayana as described by Thai Verse. These basrelifts were the wish of King Rama III to maintain the art of the shadow show which was
a famous Thai style entertainment since the beginning of Ayutthaya period.
The art was less popular during Rattanakosin Period because there were
other kinds of entertainment such as Khon (Thai classical dance derma) and drama, and with the reason that only skillful players can make
a good performance. By duplicating the shadow show as bas-reliefs the art will survive for generations and also reveal the finest craftsmanship to the world.
Many people were interested in the bas-reliefs decoration and tried to duplicate by rubbing chalk on pieces of transparent papers.
Souvenirs from this duplication was once very popular as Wat Pho symbol, but the process over many years damaged the bas-reliefs, and it is now prohibited.
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