วันพุธที่ 19 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2554

The top perspective

The top perspective
………From atop this peak, the views of Krung Thep are second to none; comparable to city views from Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Tokyo Tower. During temple fair time the pagada is open late enough for you to catch the city bathed in the golden color of evening’s last light.

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Phra Borom Banpot, or The Golden Mount, was conceived of during a major renovation of Wat Saket. At this time, King Rama ordered a new pagoda to be built near Mahanak Canal. Chedi (twelve-recesses style of traditional Ayutthaya) construction was delayed. Later, King Rama modified the plans to a more unique and grander version; this one coated with gold. Overseeing the completion of the chedi was King Rama , who enshrined some of Buddha’s relics at the top.
            Walking up the hill to pay respects to the relics is considered a boon of merit for Thais. To the non-believing tourist, the benefits still outweigh the hike’s struggle with an opportunity to lose your breath- by experiencing 360 degrees of the city’s panorama. Look where the old town and new city merge…in front you’ll see the temples, palaces and old communities and further east, the modern megacity Brilliant.
BKK festival : A temple fair in the middle of the capital? Coinciding with Loy Krathong each November, Wat Saket hosts the biggest and oldest temple for in Thailand. The fair started in 1890 and is still going strong. Rides, games, food, crowds…this Thai-style carnival is a lot of fun!

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The Folden Mount
Wat Saker (by Mahanak Canal)
Canal Ferry Phanfah Leelas Bridge
8.00-17.30 daily




วันอังคารที่ 18 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2554

The three offerings.

The three offerings.
…………..Among all the Buddhist countries in the world, only three have built palaces adorned with metal roofs or Laha Prasada.


Migaramatu Pasada > The first Loha Prasada was built in Sravasti, India during Buddha’s lifetime by Visakha, his greatest female disciple. This generous donation to the sangha (monks and practitioners of dhamma) was purported to have 500 rooms on each of its two stories with it’s a roof topped in gold.
Lavamahapaya > Completed around 150 BC, by King Dutthagamani, the second brazen palace was erected in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Rumored to have nine stories, it was established as a residence for up to 1,000 monks and a roof covered in copper tiles.
Wat Ratchanaddaram > King Rama commissioned the building of this third was to build a magnificent palace to house relics of the Buddha and offer the city a befitting gift in lieu of a less grand chedi.
The temple is seven stories high and topped with 37 metal spires that signify the 37 necessary virtues in order to reach enlightenment. The first two Loha Prasadas are in ruins, so a visit here grants you a look at one of the world’s most wonderful and unique sites.
Loha Prasada
Wat Ratchanaddaram
Mahachai Road, Canal Ferry
Phanfah Leelas Bridge
9.00-17.00 daily

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 16 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2554

Time barrier

Time barrier
……….Behind the white wall stretching away from Mahakan Fort lies a small old community…stepping through are of the seemingly invisible gates you enter what seems a lost world.

            Local architecture> The first thing to catch your eye most certainly will be the Chum Chon Baan Mai Boran or old wooden houses Rattanakosin’s only community with such houses in perfect condition. Here is a good place to see the evolution of Thai traditional wooden houses: from the steep pointed roofs in the earlier Rattanakosin period, to the gingerbread fretwork of houses from the eras of King Rama -, to today’s contemporarily built wooden homes. Get here quick, the city has been planning to turn the area into a park for the past several years.
            Local arts and culture> Traditional residential area for the city’s artisans. Among the original crafts were wooden birdcages and Thai classical music instruments; some still being built here today on weekends, if you are lucky, you might catch some classical Thai music and dance. Head to the wooden house in the front of the community’s courtyard to see instructors hosting their classes in this historically noteworthy location.







BKK note: The early Rattanakosin community had as 14 fortresses but only two remain: Mahakan Fort near Phan Fa Bridge and Phrasumain Fort (shown below) on Phra Athit Road.

วันพุธที่ 12 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2554

Rattanakosin

From dawn to dusk…
            Rattanakosin Island
……...Demarcated by the Khlong Lod (Old City Canal) and Chao Praya River Rattanakosin was the city’s earliest settlement. At that time it was home to the region’s Chinese immigrants and referred to as Tambon Bangkok or ‘Bangkok District’.
            Envisioning the future would necessitate a large degree of expansion, King Ramasought an idea location for his new capital. He chose Rattanakosin, then relocated the Chinese community to the area stretching from Wat Sam Pluem to Wat Sam Peng (today’s Wat Chakkrawat to Wat Pathum Khongkha).

            The new city wall, palaces and forts in Rattanakosin were all modeled after grand structures found in Ayutthaya Comprised of 14 forts and 63 gates, dispersed about the city, the City Wall was impressive in it’s own right. It totaled 7.2 kilometers in length and fortified 2,589 rai (Thai acres) of territory.
            Simultaneous to the projects above, an unprecedented period of construction followed New canals were dug and considerable tracts of land were cleared making room for the residential areas and communities that cropped up.
            This faux island blossomed rapidly from a small part settlement to a glorious city of opulence and grandeur Modern Rattanakosin still retains much of its old charm while standing as Thailand’s in valuable center of arts and culture….
* BKK fact: To put in perspective, today’s Bangkok is divided into 50 districts.

วันเสาร์ที่ 8 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2554

History of Bangkok

………Krung Thep Maha Nakorn as Thai people call it, or Bangkok as the rest of us know it, was founded by King Rama І. Searching for the most suitable place to house a grand city, this patron of the Chakri  lineage move his capital to the eastern banks of the Chao Praya River from Thonburi. He then ordered the erection of a new city pillar, or the Sao Lak Meaung, on April 21, 1782. In close proximity to the site where the Grand Palace would sit, the completion of this structure signified construction for the remainder of the city could commence.
            Later the official and extremely long name for the city was bestowed: Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. It roughly translates as follows: the great city of angels, the supreme unconquerable land of the grand royal palaces, a divine paradise for the reincarnated deity (Vishu), given by Indra and created by the god.
            So…why the name Bangkok? There are two assumptions:
1) the “bang”/district was bordered by a winding riverbank or “kok” and
2) indigenous to the region were lots of ma’kok’ , a species of plum tree that grows alive-shaped fruits. In all honesty, historians still don’t know the definitive origins of the name Bangkok.
            What we do know is people here have always been integrally connected to water. Once just a small part, all that changed when Ayutthaya (the then capital of Thailand) started funneling its trade southwards: Foreign warehouses and new communities sprang up as taxes and shipping fees were levied and collected here. Even though the city adopted the name “New Amsterdam” at one point, resident kept calling it Bangkok and the name took hold.
            Later, in the era of King Rama V, a greater city was planned based on the Western cities he himself visited. New boulevards were designed, canals were dug: the layout was impressive enough that in the salons of Europe people praised Bangkok as an Asian city of noteworthy acclaim.
            Recently Bangkok celebrated her 227th birthday and each day she becomes more and more the heartbeat of Thai life Typically the fist stop for tourist to Thailand (and the greater region at large), Bangkok is the city to showcase fashion, culture, politics, finance and trade for the rest of the country.
            Bangkok and old Thonburi encompass 1,568,737 square kilometers on both sides of the Chao Praya River. The metropolis is filled with old communities and teeming with fascinating locals. Moreover, the entire area is packed with unique food offerings (street vendors, floating and open air markets), creative shops, cutting-edge mails, skyscrapers, trendy urbanites, temples, palaces, museums and other cultural and historical sites. The city has a touch of green too: parks, rivers, canals, and, for those willing to venture a little outside of the downtown area, the sea.
            No wonder Travel + Leisure magazine awarded Bangkok “World’s Best City” for 2008. Those of us calling Bangkok home didn’t need the validation but it helps us remember why it’s our favorite place to hang out.