The grounds of the Royal Monastery at Wat Phra Kaew, or Temple of the Emerald Buddha, are enclosed by gallery walls which are decorated with scenes from the Ramakien—Thailand’s national epic, derived from the Indian Ramayana epic. These were first painted under the rule of King Rama I in the eighteenth century, and are meticulously restored up to this day. The Royal Grand Palace sits on the banks of the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok. Thailand, 2009