The Grand Palace was constructed together with the founding of Bangkok in 1782 when King Rama 1 ascended to the throne and founded a new dynasty. The Grand Palace is very important as it used to be the palladium of the state. It was used for both the royal residence and the administrative center of the country in the government system of absolute monarchy. Today, the palace is used just for ceremonials. The architectural plan of this palace was almost identical in every detail to the Grand Palace of the former capital of Ayutthaya (about 600 years ago) because the King wanted to recreate the glory of the city as it was in the past. So it was completely first built in traditional Thai style. However, at various periods, the influences from other nations affect to the architecture in Thailand in different reigns such as the Chinese elements introduced by King Rama 3 in the early 19th century and the western building style introduced by King Rama 5 in the late 19th century.