Mueang Boran

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Mueang Boran: "Floating Market".

Mueang Boran (lit. Old City , in English usage therefore often Ancient City , in Thai : เมือง โบราณ ) is an open-air museum for Thai architecture, culture and art near Samut Prakan in Thailand . The supposedly largest open-air museum in the world is located about 30 km south of the capital Bangkok near the coast to the Gulf of Thailand on the old Sukhumvit expressway to Trat.

The site

The museum is located on approximately 128  hectares in the middle of the industrial area of ​​Samut Prakan. Seen from the air, it has the shape of Thailand itself. The entrance is at the southernmost tip, which would actually be the land border with Malaysia . Every single sight can be reached even with your own car via an extensive network of paved roads. The preferred means of transport in the old town is the bicycle, which can be borrowed at the entrance. Golf carts can be rented for a fee.

  • Entrance gate to Mueang Boran ...

  • ... and the original in Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat, Si Satchanalai

history

Dvaravati Buddha statue

The idea for this unique museum comes from a vision of Khun Lek (Praphai) Viriyapan (* 1914, † November 17, 2000 - Thai : ประไพ วิริยะ พันธุ์ ), a wealthy Thai entrepreneur. He loved his country and was very interested in its cultural and art history as well as in traditional architecture. As early as the middle of the 20th century, on his many trips, he noticed that the development of Thai society was taking place from a traditionally agricultural to an industrial society. As a result, many cultural monuments were neglected and gradually abandoned to ruin. He started collecting antiques and through this came together with many like-minded people, with archaeologists and art historians. At first he had the idea of ​​building a mini golf course with miniaturized editions of important Thai places. But he quickly dropped this when he found the ideal place to realize his ideas in Samut Prakan in the 1960s. On February 11, 1972, the Mueang Boran was opened in the presence of the Thai royal couple and Queen Elizabeth II of England. It is speculated that around US $ 200 million has now flowed into the project.

Attractions

Salas around a garden with plants mentioned in Thai literature.

There are artificial watercourses on the site, mountains have been heaped up, sometimes you can watch shy roe deer, which keep the sparse lawn short. According to the last count there are 116 monuments, copies but also originals of famous buildings from all parts of Thailand. Groups of statues, which recreate works of Thai literature and their characters or famous events in history, are arranged in "gardens".

Statue of Kuan Yin ("performing a miracle")

The individual sights are correctly arranged geographically within the museum. When entering the museum, every visitor is given an overview plan on which all monuments are numbered consecutively. Only a few years ago it was possible to acquire another piece of land in the northwest, which will be used for additional buildings, some of which arose from the imagination of Khun Lek.

In the "old market town"

Some particularly interesting buildings from south to north:

  • The " Stupa of Wat Phra Mahathat" in Chaiya in Srivijaya style
  • In the “old market town” there are several original teak houses from Yan Nawa , which are modeled on a street market from the province of Tak .
  • The "Palace of the Tiger King " (King Suriyentharathibodi) was rescued from Ayutthaya , the original is now in Wat Suwannaram, Phetchaburi
  • The “Audience Hall of King Taksin ” with wall paintings, Thonburi
Naresuan fights against the Burmese
Replica of the Sanphet Prasat palace hall
  • The "Sanphet Prasat Throne Hall of the Wang Luang (Royal Palace) of Ayutthaya " was reconstructed on a scale of 1: 3 according to old records.
  • The "Phra Kaeo Pavilion", a round pavilion in Chinese style, as it was drawn on old maps of Ayutthaya.
  • The "Khun-Chang-Khun-Phaen-Garden" was modeled on figures from the Thai epic Khun Chang Khun Phaen .
  • The “ footprint of the Buddha ” in Wat Phra Phutthabat near Saraburi was reduced in size after extensive research into historical records.
  • A "Thai Hamlet", a small agricultural hamlet from the central plain, was built here with some original houses and antique farm implements.
The Sukhothai Viharn
  • The "Sukhothai-Viharn" is a fictional viharn , the appearance of which is based on the viharn of the Phra Buddha Chinnarat in Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat in Phitsanulok and a viharn in Wat Nang Phaya in Si Satchanalai in their original size.
  • On the "floating market" there is actually a market on special holidays, as it was common all over Thailand in the past. Original wooden houses line the large expanse of water, they are connected with small wooden bridges.
  • The "lotus bud tower of Wat Phra Mahathat " in Sukhothai
  • According to old photographs, Ho Kham, a “golden pavilion” from Lampang , was built from wood without a single nail. There is a small museum inside.
  • The "Chedi of Chama Thewi " from Lamphun were recreated in a slightly smaller size.
  • The "Viharn of Wat Phumin from Nan " with its entrance stairs flanked by snakes are reduced in size here.
  • The Khmer temple "Khao Phra Viharn ( Preah Vihear )", which temporarily belongs to Thailand, but today (again) belongs to Cambodia, was built down on an artificially raised, 54 m high mountain.
  • There are also 1: 3 replicas of the sanctuaries of Phimai in Nakhon Ratchasima Province and Phanom Rung in Buriram Province .

The following buildings in the north-west of the museum grounds have no real role model, they come from the imagination of Khun Lek:

  • The "Mount Sumeru ", a wooden building with fantastic and mythological figures and wall paintings, in front of it a group of statues depicting the mythological Lake Anotatta on Mount Meru.
  • The "Pavilion of 80 Yogi" is an old form of medical treatment based on partly picturesquely distorted statues of hermits.
  • Two large "statues of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara ( Kuan Yin )"
  • The “Ramayana Pavilion” is actually a series of floating wooden pavilions connected by a bridge. They show the history of Ramayana on wall paintings .
  • The "Botanical Garden from Thai Literature ": a covered arcade winds its way around a garden with trees and plants that are especially honored in Thai literature.

Further projects of the Khun Lek

  • Erawan Museum - Museum in Samut Prakan . Originally planned to house Khun Lek's antique collection. In a small park with many statues from Thai mythology, there is a circular building with some antiques in the basement. The attraction, however, is the huge errawan that stands on top of the building. The three-headed elephant is accessible from the inside, there is an elevator in its left hind leg. Inside, decorated in baroque abundance with small and large figures from the imagination of Khun Lek.
  • Sanctuary of Truth - building complex near Pattaya with wood carvings of figures from Thai mythology. A lot of materials from old Thai houses were used in the construction. Here Khun Lek could let his imagination run wild.
  • Muang Boran Publishing House - publishes numerous publications on traditional Thai art, culture and architecture. Most of the books published are in Thai, but often one or two chapters are translated into English.
  • Muang Boran Journal - Quarterly magazine for archeology, architecture. Mainly in Thai, selected articles, also in English.
  • Lek Prapai Viriyapant Foundation - cultural foundation
  • Nai Rob Roo - publisher of travel guides for the Thai market only
  • The Viriyah Insurance - general insurance company

swell

  • The Viriyah Business Co .: Guide to Muang Boran . Muang Boran Publishing House Bangkok 2001, ISBN 974-7381-26-5
  • Jittima Sutthasri (Ed.): The Old Market Town . Muang Boran Publishing House Bangkok 1992, ISBN 974-7366-91-6

Web links

Commons : Mueang Boran  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 13 ° 32 ′ 45 ″  N , 100 ° 37 ′ 41 ″  E