Chinatown Bangkok was started when King Rama I decided in
1782 to ascertain the new capital Bangkok on the eastern bank
of the Chao Phraya River. The Chinese immigrants who were
originally settled in the world that's currently the Grand Palace had
to move out to a strip of land a kilometre down the river.
Over the years the settlement grew. Nowadays, Chinatown
Bangkok or Yaowarat covers a square bounded by Phadung
Krung Kasem Canal to the east, the Ong Ang Canal to the
west, Luang Road to the north and the Chao Phraya River to
the south, an area of concerning two sq km.
The casual visitor to Chinatown would probably only have the
time and energy to cover the most street Yaowarat Road
where most of the activities are concentrated. The opposite road
of interest is Rachawong Road that is off Yaowarat Road.
If you are coming to Chinatown by road the most convenient
approach to begin your tour of this Bangkok legacy is to require the
subway to the Hua Lam Phong station located on the jap
bank of the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal. Nearby is the Hua
Lam Phong railway station from that trains travel to every
half of Thailand.
Across the road from the train station is Traimit Road where
the famous Wat Traimit
or Temple of the Golden Buddha stands. This wat homes a 3 m
high Buddha created of additional than 5 tonnes of gold!
Within the same compound as Wat Traimit, is that the Saphanthawong
Museum a community museum dedicated to the early
Chinese immigrants in Bangkok.
Outside the main entrance of Wat Traimit could be a traffic island on
that stands an enormous Chinese arched gate, the Odeon Gate,
built in 1999 to mark the 72nd birthday of King Bhumipol, the
present king. This gate marks the beginning of Yaowarat Road and
the walking tour of the rest of Chinatown.
Yaowarat Road, the most street in Chinatown Bangkok, was
designed in the reign of King Rama V. The crowded street winds
through bustling heart of Chinatown like a mythical dragon
rearing its head at the Odeon Gate. Look signs in each Thai
and Chinese provide the visitor a clear indication that he's in
Chinatown.
The street is lined with ubiquitous goldsmith retailers, sharks' fin
and birds nest restaurants, retailers and vendors selling Chinese
herbal drugs, dried mushrooms, salted fish, roast duck,
Chinese calendars, almanacs and in fact, lottery tickets. The
avid bargain hunter would have a ball a time browsing
through the shops and stalls.
Every year throughout the Chinese New Year, Yaowarat Road is
closed to traffic for street festivities, lion dances and food fairs.
A member of the royal family attends the occasion every year
much to the thrill and pride of the Yaowarat community.
Most of the bigger hotels in Chinatown are located along
Yaowarat Road. The foremost prominent however is that the Grand
China Princess at the Ratchawong junction, right in the heart
of Chinatown, overlooking the previous town and therefore the Chao Phraya.
Regarding a kilometer down Yaowarat Road turn left into
Ratchawong Road another street filled with vendors selling
everything from stickers, deep-fried snacks to roasted
chestnuts. Ratchawong Road has 2 significant landmarks in
Chinatown.
Fifty metres once turning into Rachawong Road you will
encounter a tall Chinese arch to a slender soi on the left.
During the Lunar New Year in 2004, this soi, Soi Phalittaphon,
was renamed Soi Sun Yat Sen,
after the daddy of the Chinese revolution who visited
Chinatown Bangkok in 1908, during his tour of South East
Asia to raise money from the overseas Chinese for the
revolution.
Walking through this slim soi, the visitor would have to
deal with the crowds of shoppers and the frequent passage of
vehicles. The shops and stalls along this packed soi sell a wide
selection of goods and even Christmas trees.
Further along Rachawong Road is an even narrower soi to the
right. The soi is therefore congested that it's barely passable to human
traffic. Full of stalls on either aspect, it would take a terribly
determined shopper to weave his means through.
It's troublesome to imagine that this can be the famous Soi Sampheng or Soi Wanit where the
original Chinese settlers first moved in and began Chinatown
in 1782.
At the top of Rachawong Road is that the Rachawong Pier on the
Chao Phraya River. If you are coming back by boat, this is often the pier
to alight and start your of Chinatown in reverse. If you've got
arrived by road, you may would like to leave by boat for a change.
A tour of Chinatown Bangkok provides a fascinating insight
into a terribly different means of life. The busy streets are a melting
pot of communities engaging in trade and commerce at every
level - a legacy of the first Chinese immigrants and their
enterprise.
Author Resource:-
Dorish Hill has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Almanacs, you can also check out his latest website about:
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