Wat Saphan Kluea

Wat Saphan Kluea, or the Monastery of the Salt Bridge, is located in the Hua Ro Sub-district of Ayutthaya on an island called Ko Loi in the northeastern corner of the city. The remains of the monastery can be found in a residential area near the technical school. Ko Loi can be accessed by crossing the metal floating bridge to the Ayutthaya Ship Building Industrial and Technology College (ASBITC). Another possibility is taking a hired boat to Wat Monthop from the pier in front of the Chan Kasem National Museum.

The ruin is on or near the premises of the ASBITC. Old bricks were noticed along the earthen path before arriving at the bell tower, which could indicate that another monastic structure sits under a school building. The large bell tower of the late Ayutthaya period (1633-1767 CE) stands along the Front Moat. The structure has two storeys on the upper floor hung the bell, while the lower part likely contained a drum. The tower is in prang shape with lotus petal gaps on the four sides. The brick-and-mortar bell tower is still in good condition, but it is usually covered in heavy vegetation for most of the year. There is a surprising amount of roof tile around the site.

On the opposite side of the walking path is a small shrine where probably a preaching hall used to be. This shrine has five Buddha images inside – all in the Virasana pose and the Bhumisparsha mudra gesture. There are some remains of old Buddha images beside the shrine as well.

Ayutthaya Historical Research