This day was dedicated to visiting Ancient City, in the South East of Bangkok (Samut Prakan province). Ancient City, or Muang Boran in Thai, is a park in the shape of Thailand, gathering 128 monuments on 116 hectares, the center of interest of the country (some of which no longer exist in real life). This life-size museum was born from the ambition of a rich car dealer who put all his money into this original project.
This therefore allows you to see the many facets of Thailand in a single day, for example on a bike ride, available for rental at the entrance (which is what we did, 3 hours to go around the main sites), small downside, it is also open to cars...
Some monuments are life-size reproductions, others are 3/4. The attention to detail and the calm reigning in this park make it a pleasant place to spend a relaxing day. Catering services are obviously available within its grounds and access is easy, especially by taxi waiting at the exit for the return. It is better to visit in the morning, the opening hours are 8am-17pm (EDIT 2016: new schedule 9am-19pm!).
Once we had had breakfast, we were ready for the big tour, punctuated for my part by numerous stops, photos required, which meant that I spent a lot of my time alone taking pictures and then catching up with Jitima who generally continued to move forward.
I hadn't thought of that before, here's a view from the sky to give you a better idea.
The site is built to match the shape of Thailand.
Sky View.
A small clarification concerning Thai Junks, due to their strategic position in relation to the Chao Phraya River, cities such as Ayutthaya or Bangkok were able to develop significant trade, thanks in particular to this type of transport, moored along the banks until the 1950s.
What is a “Sala”?
It is in the Thai tradition to build public places such as temples or Thai Sala (understand pavilion). Functioning as a public center, they were used as places to hold Buddhist ceremonies to attribute merits for example and many other social activities. The finely crafted structure of the building not only shows the well-being of the community, but also the generosity of the person who requests its construction.
This "Sala" was named Ramayana Pavilion because of the murals inside, the Ramayana being a popular literature throughout Southeast Asia, recounting the story of Prince Rama, an avatar (an incarnation of a divinity on earth, not to be confused with the common name for the kings of the Chakri dynasty, the one currently reigning) of the Hindu God Vishnu.
The procession built here in Muang Boran is made in the style of the period when Ayutthaya was prosperous. This procession was created in order to celebrate this prosperity and the dignity of the kingdom. Nowadays, this event still exists, of great intensity and as much appreciated by Thais as by foreigners because of the beauty of this chain of barges giving the river the appearance of a parade of Thai know-how and culture.
It is a rather exceptional event that only takes place on a special occasion (on average, every 3/4 years).
[EDIT 2014: the last barge outing was on November 9, 2012]
The somewhat barbaric name as given on the Ancient City website deserves a little explanation. Bodhisattva also honored under the name of Kuan Yin, is a Sanskrit term which literally means " to be awake » (Bodhi), of enlightenment. Avalokitesvara on the other hand means « Lord who watches from above". Kuan Yin is the name given to the goddess of compassion, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is composed here of an image of Buddha on a crown affixed to the heads of the deities. These divinities having protected humanity from evil spirits by frightening them.
Brief explanations on the different currents of Buddhism
Which could be translated as the pavilion of the enlightened (obviously not in the pejorative sense but in the religious sense). This place evokes Mahayana Buddhism, which means "great vehicle", one of the three forms of Buddhism that exist, the dominant one in Thailand being Theravada meaning "small vehicle", the last being Vajrayana. Theravada is often associated with Hinayana, small and large vehicle being a form of current as to the way of teaching Buddhism. A sentence that illustrates well the difference between Theravada and Mahayana:
Theravada Buddhism is like the roots of the tree, while Mahayana Buddhism is like the branches. Without a tree, you cannot have branches, flowers or fruits.
Cf. Venerable Dhammaratana, Buddhist monk in the Theravada movement, researcher at UNESCO and the Sorbonne.
He also said that all currents are only deviations of man, Mahayana being only a development of Buddhism taught by the Buddha, wanted to be modernized, evolving with traditions, the era, the country, while Theravada sticks to the original teaching, without changing its words and its value, it wants to be the heir to the original doctrine of the Buddha.
I'm also putting a link to this very good interview to understand the differences:
Interview with Venerable Dhammaratana
Meaning diamond, the last current Vajrayana is considered by its followers as the ultimate Buddhism, bringing together the knowledge of the other 2, Vajrayana vehicle)
Coming back to this pavilion, it therefore refers to Mahayana Buddhism, a form of Buddhism therefore practiced by people of different levels of ethics and spiritual value.
Religious education and training therefore require appropriate strategies. The story of the 500 enlightened monks is one such strategy to show people from different backgrounds, with different codes of conduct, different merits, that they can all become “enlightened” (not in the original sense of the term…) and attain Nirvana.
I will not elaborate further here, because the subject is so vast and complicated, I will just add a small note indicating that Theravada Buddhism is the only religion considering that there is no all-powerful creator god, the doctrine being that it is about reaching awakening, that is to say, getting out of the cycle of reincarnations.
The big parenthesis is over, I hope that the way I expressed myself is clear and interesting enough, I'm resuming the course of this day.
A short break is needed, it is not particularly warm, because rather cloudy that day, but with the bike ride in particular, drinking a little is not refused. We stop at a small stand selling fresh fruit juices, pressed before your eyes. We sit on the terrace of the restaurant next door, empty of eaters…
This restaurant is located under the Ho Kham, which is a term from Northern Thailand that could be translated as luxurious hall or golden pavilion.
Used as the official residence of the Royal Governor of Lampang Province during the Rattanakosin period. The original house was unfortunately destroyed about thirty years ago.
Named after a miracle. According to Buddhist myth, Buddha gave a mango seed to Nai Khanta to tend and grow. With Buddha's power the mango tree grew very quickly, giving tasty fruits to the people. A group of heretics who did not believe in Buddha cut down the tree.
It was then that Lord Buddha performed the miracle, also called "the miracle of the twins", because he split himself in two by positioning himself in meditation posture and lying down. Then he preached to help people reach Nirvana and prevent all suffering. This is the meaning of this sculpture placed on a trunk.
The statues in this garden are inspired by a legend. Nang Ai was the most beautiful girl in the city of Khomkham. She had secret trysts with Pha Daeng, the ruler of the city. Her beauty is said to have attracted the son of King Naga. He then transformed himself into a handsome gentleman to try to charm her, but he failed to win her heart.
Finally, Prince Naga transformed into a white squirrel in order to approach Nang Ai and kidnap her. But upon seeing the squirrel, Pha Daeng sent hunters to trap it. The prince was then killed by the hunters. The squirrel's meat was going to be used to feed the people of the city, but as it was cut up, it grew bigger, even allowing it to feed the neighboring city.
Soon after, torrential rains fell on these cities, considering the event abnormal Pha Daeng and Nang Ai tried to flee on horseback, but the horse fell and fell into the torrent of the river, the spirit of the dead squirrel having metamorphosed into King Naga, taking Nang Ai to his underwater kingdom. It is said that those who had not eaten the meat were spared.
The reconstruction of the monuments is intended to be faithful, here the creator of the park went so far as to create an artificial hill (which nevertheless peaks at 55 meters for 66 meters in length), because the real monument is located at the top of a hill named Phra Wihan on the Thai-Cambodia border.
[EDIT 2013: Temple that was the subject of tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, the temple being attributed to Cambodia, but Thailand still claiming it, not recognizing the border line, established by the French during Indochina. Today, things have calmed down a bit, there were still some deaths, especially due to the presence of mines, no more military presence on the premises, the 2 countries having been ordered to leave the area by the international court]
The real Preah Vihear is a stone sanctuary built around the year 1038 during the reign of King Suryavarman. Today, this monument belongs to Cambodia although geographically speaking, because the paths (like the one passing under the big rock that forms the crest of the hill) descend directly into Thailand, in the Northeast of the country.
Moreover, it is easier for Thais to come and visit, as they only need to take these paths, while Cambodians have to climb the damaged and steep stairs, which becomes uncomfortable.
[EDIT 2014: see the latest information regarding the Preah vihear]
The kingdom of Dvaravati was long considered the center of Hinayana Buddhism. Religious arts were widely spread around Nakhon Pathom, the capital of the kingdom of Dvaravati. Its influence was visible all around by the numerous Ubosot (ordination hall), Wihan (assembly hall) and Chedis (also called Stupa).
Note that the monuments are reproduced in their current state (some of which I remind you no longer even exist in real life), it would have been interesting to see a reproduction as it could have been in its splendor.
Sanphet Prasat Palace was the main palace in the early Ayutthaya period. Originally built during the reign of King Borom Trailokanath, the 8th King of Ayuttaya, around the mid-15th century. He successfully designed a unique architectural style that clearly differs from the Khmer or Sukhothai style. The palace was widely used for various official ceremonies and receptions, including welcoming foreign delegations. For example, Chevalier Chaumont was welcomed to present the credentials of King Louis XIV.
Soon after the Burmese invaded and destroyed the city in 1767, the palace was burned marking the fall of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, and only the foundations of the prasat remained.
Later, King Rama IV wanted to honor the kings of Ayutthaya by rebuilding a prasat on the foundations of the old one. But he died before the completion of this project. His son Rama V destroyed the unfinished prasat to make it a ceremonial pavilion.
The Sanphet Prasat Palace is therefore an example of a reconstructed monument (as I mentioned in the previous page, saying that it would be good if he made reconstructions, well here is an example, but it is one of the only ones…). This palace was reconstructed on the park based on plans of the original structure and indications taken from Thai and foreign archaeological and historical documents.
It is worth noting that this reconstructed palace in Muang Boran was used during an official reception where the current King Rama IX welcomed Queen Elizabeth II.
According to a folk tale from Saraburi, a hunter named Phran Boon followed a deer he had wounded to the foot of a hill. There, he saw the wounded deer drinking water from a puddle. Incredibly, the animal's wounds suddenly disappeared.
When the deer ran away, the hunter came to look towards the puddle and found that this puddle was actually the footprint of Buddha. Preserved in this montop which was built on top of a hill in Saraburi province in the Ayutthaya architectural style again, this place is considered one of the most sacred places in Thailand.
Prang Sam Yod or the "Three Peaks Shrine", made of laterite (red rock), is located in the heart of Lop Buri province. Built in a style that reflects the influence of Khmer art, the shrine dates back to the 13th century.
This is a monument dedicated to the courage of the inhabitants of a locality near Ayutthaya, the capital of the time. Indeed, under the reign of King Ekathat, Burmese troops invaded the kingdom. They raped, pillaged and burned the houses.
This angered the inhabitants of Sing Buri village who began to organize a militia to protect their community which took refuge in a place known as Khai Bang Rachan which was in fact a fort surrounded by wooden palisades.
They fought the Burmese bravely 8 times over a total of 5 months before finally being defeated. The Burmese held a siege with cannons, while in the fort they had nothing of the kind to defend themselves despite an attempt to make some by melting down the metals they had at hand. Discouraged after fighting valiantly for 5 months, they were finally massacred.
Note that they sent emissaries to the capital to ask them for reinforcements of cannons, reinforcements refused, error of the capital, which fell precisely under the fire of the enemy since I recall the Burmese destroyed and put an end to the kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1767, this episode of Bang Rachan ending just towards the end of the previous year in 1766…
The unwavering courage of the villagers is one of the greatest acts of heroism recorded in Thai history. And in this regard a Thai film simply called Bang Rajan was released in 2000 on their screens, with a huge budget of 50 million baht (about 1M euros) that is 4 times more than the average budget of other Thai productions of the time and it brought in the tidy sum of 300 M! Also to know for movie buffs that it was presented by Oliver Stone himself during a limited release in the USA.
Passing in front of the Erawan Museum
Erawan is the Thai name for the mythological elephant Airavata, a white elephant that carries the god Indra (the deity of war) in the Hindu religion. It is a gigantic elephant, depicted here with three heads (but sometimes with many more)
We did not go to visit this museum but I know that the three floors inside the elephant contain antiques and collections of ancient religious objects belonging to Mr. Lek Viriyapant, the owner of the museum who is none other than the creator and also owner of Ancient City !
That's not an understatement... As a little anecdote, on the way there, I was relatively tired and I took advantage of the journey (Muang Boran is actually outside Bangkok in the city and province of Samut Prakan, only 500 m from the sea, where the Chao Phraya River flows into it) to sleep a little.
Dreaming, Jitima woke me up by tapping my shoulder and made me turn my head, half asleep, I found myself with this gigantic statue under my eyes which at the time made me think of a real monster! Jitima died laughing and saw me jump into the car and I just realized what was happening to me…
So it was with both of us smiling that we passed by on the way back.
