Wat Pariwat Ratchasongkram

On the southern edge of central Bangkok, visitors will find a Buddhist temple like no other: Wat Pariwat. 

This unusual temple is opulently decorated with an array of statues and images drawn from pop culture and history. Che Guevara, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Popeye, Pikachu, and the cast of One Piece all appear among its ornate carvings. 

Some of the figures are quite peculiar: a Mickey Mouse with breasts, a rabbit with a selfie-stick, or demons with mobile phones. The temple is sometimes nicknamed the "David Beckham Temple" for the statue of the famed soccer player placed below the main altar. In the ordination hall, murals show Winnie the Pooh and Albert Einstein with, surprisingly, brown hair.

Visitors could spend hours spotting the temple's countless eclectic characters. 

The complex was built sometime between the late Ayutthaya period and the early Rattanakosin era. After falling into disrepair, restoration efforts began in 2008, with one of the main buildings still under construction and slated for completion in 2028. 

The additions reflect a desire to spark the imagination of a younger generation and connect traditional Buddhism to a present-day context. The result is a hodgepodge of pop culture references that embodies the idea that Buddhism embraces all races, religions, and cultures.