Gong Wu Shrine

 GONG WU SHRINE                        

GONG WU SHRINE IS AN ANCIENT SHRINE AND HAS A HISTORY DATING BACK TO OVER 268 YEARS, IT IS LOCATED ON THE BANK OF THE CHAO PHRAYA RIVER IN SOMDET YA (PRINCESS MOTHER) COMMUNITY NEAR BY SOMDET YA PARK, BEHIND WAT ANONG KHARAM IN KHLONG SAN AREA OF THONBURI SIDE ACCRDING TO THE LEGEND, IT IS TO BE SAID THAT IN THE CHINESE STYLED SHRINE THERE ARE ALTOGETHER THREE GONG WU STATUES.  THE SMALLEST STATUE WAS BROUGHT TO THAILAND AROUND THE YEAR 1736, WHICH WAS DURING THE TIME THAT EMPEROR CHEN LONG OF THE OING DYNASTY WAS REIGNING IN CHINA.  THE HOKKIAN CHINESE BROUGHT IT BY SHIP FROM HOKKIAN PROVINCE AND ENSHRINED IT IN THE SHRINE WHICH WAS VERY SMALL AT THAT TIME.   

LATER ON IN 1802 DURING THE REIGN OF EMPEROR CHIA QING OF THE QING DYNASTY, THE MIDDLE GONG WU STATUE WAS BROUGHT TO THAILAND AS WELL, AND THE SHRINE WAS THEN NAMED GUANG DI GU MIAO.  THEN IN THE YEAR 1822 DURING THE REIGN OF EMPEROR TAO GUANG OF THE QING DYNASTY, THERE WAS A RICH CHINESE NAMED MR. KUNG SENG WHO RENOVATED THE SHRINE AND MADE IT BIGGER, AND HE BROUGHT THE THIRD STATUE TO ENSHRINE TOGETHER WITH THE EXISTING ONES IN THE SHRINE, BESIDES HE ALSO BUULT A BELL FOR THE SHRINE. CONSEQUENTLY, IN THE YEAR 1901 THE COMMITTEE AND DISCIPLES CONSIDERED TO REBUILD THE NEW SHRINE BECAUSE THE OLD WAS DILAPIDATED,ONCE IT WAS COMPLETED THEY NAMED IT GUANG DI GU SHENG MIAO.

Credit :  board Gong Wu Shrine

The Princess Mother Memorial Park (Suan Somdet Ya)

 The Princess Mother Memorial Park                          

(Somdet Ya Park is a common name that people called this memorial park and museum)  

                                                  

The Princess Mother Memorial Park in Klong San District of Bangkok was built at the initiative of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, in 1993 with the intention of renovation old buildings in an area where Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother, resided during her childhood as a museum in commemoration of Her Royal Highness and developing its surrounding area as a public park for the community.  In quick response, Mr. Daeng Nana and Mr. Lek Nana, title-deed holders, presented a plot of Land similar in character and location to "the house" of Her Royal Highness encompassing an area of 4 rai.  By gracious Royal Command, the Chipattana Foundation took over as owner of the land and a committee comprising people from various fields and respresentaitves of government and private agencies was set up to implement the construction of the Princess Mother Memorial Park at His Majesty's initiatiive as follows. 

credit :  Brouchure, handed out in the park

Exhibition Hall

location : Soi Somdech Chao Phraya 3, Klongsarn, Bangkok 10600

http://www.theprincessmothermemorialpark.org/home.php

Wat Ket Chaiyo Worawihan, Ang Thong Province, Thailand

Wat Ket Chaiyo Worawihan,Ang Thong Province                                 

Ang Thong is an ancient city of Thailand believed to have been constructed in Dvaravoti period. History of Ang Thong appears in clearly picture in the Ayutthaya period in the begining, the province was believed to be a suburbon town of Ayutthaya with agiven name of "Khwaeng Wiset Chai Chan" located on the bank of Noi River.

Ang Thong as a buffer state of Ayutthaya in a battle with Burma. This was because the   proximity of Ang Thong and its geographical plane route and a battle field of Ayutthay and Burma. 

A visit to Ang Thong will give you opportunity to touch a beautiful rice/ field along with clam and good people.  Local arts and crafts ancient ruins and temples with the biggest Buddha sculpture and all highlights of the provinces' attaractions.   

This monastery was also called Wat Ket Chaiyo during the reign of King Rama IV (fundly know to the Thai people as King Mongkut) of Bangkok.  Somdet Phra Phuthachan also know as to "Phrom Rang Si" the most famous buddhist monk of his time. once built a large buddha image at this site in an open space in 1887.  King Rama V (King Chulalongkron The Great) ordered the revision of the whole monastery.  And built the Vihara to house the buddha image. But the buddha image, however collapsed during the construction of the Vihara building due to the ground shuddering construction work that look place their. King Rama V then ordred the reconstruction of the image in the same style as the buddha image at Wat Kamjenamil in Bangkok and gave it the name "Phra Maha Phutthaphim", This new image was sculpted by Prince Pradit Worakan.

located to the east of Chao-Praya River. Number 21 Moo 3 Sub-District Chaiyo, District of Chaiyo in Ang Thong province. 

Wat Rong Suea Ten, Chiang Rai province, Thailand

 Wat Rong Suea Ten, Chiang Rai province, Thailand    

A new ordination hall built with applied Thai art. using blue-blue tones interspersed with gold Hidden with the mysterious beauty that invites many people to stop looking and step into this place as if by a spell. From the design and creation of Mr. Puttha Kabkaew (Sala Nok), a local artist from Chiang Rai. One of the students of Mr.Chalermchai Kosipipat (Thai visual Artist).        

Location of Wat Rong Suea Ten is 306, Area 2, Rim Kok District, Muang County, Chiang Rai Province

Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, Suphan Buri Province, Thailand

 Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, Suphan Buri Province, Thailand                                             

Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, Suphan Buri, Thailand

This temple is at least 600 years old and was once in the heart of the ancient town of Suphannaphum. The main stupa or Chedi also once housed relics of the Lord Buddha, but it was sacked by raiders and left in ruins. Raiders targeted votive tablets, created in the Supha Buri style, which had been stored there. The tablets are among the top five most sought-after series in the Kingdom.The Chedi or stupa was built from bricks without the use of cement. Thus, archaeologists have deduced that the structure dates from the pre-Ayutthaya period, from the U Thong Suphannaphum era.This ancient temple is located on Somphan Khong Road, 300 meters off Malai Maen Road in Tambon Rua Yai, on the western bank of the Tha Chin River. It is open daily from 6.00 am-5.00 pm.44.Wat Phra That or Wat Phra That Sala KhaoAlso called Wat Phra That Nok by locals, this temple is home to a stupa or Chedi similar to the one in the famed Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat. With a height of 25 meters, Wat Phra That's stupa is slightly smaller, and is topped with a rounder spire. Archaeological evidence dates this temple back to the reign of Phra Borommatrailokkanat, between 1424-1488. The temple is located at Km 145 off Highway 321, opposite Wat Suan Taeng.

https://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/wat-phra-si-rattana-mahathat-2