Ayutthaya Part VI: Summer Palace

Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, also known as the Summer Palace.

The Summer Palace for Thai royalty in Ayutthaya had a certain degree in common with the Summer Palace for Chinese emperors and empresses that I visited in Beijing -- from the giant peaceful lake to the serene elegance of the gardens and mansions, right down to the assorted tourists taking pictures of me (and with me) instead of the infinitely more interesting scenery. (I've said it before and I'll say it again: there seems to be an odd pattern in Asia where visitors at monuments or historical sites are as interested in the other visitors -- especially tall approachable-looking ones with blonde hair -- as in the site itself, and have little compunction about photographing, or asking to be photographed with, them.)

On the other hand, I am awfully photogenic.
Just kidding!
From left to right: me, Heny.

Anyway, the Royal Palace at Bang Pa-In dates back to the seventeenth century, pre-dating the establishment of Bangkok as the capitol of Thailand. However, the palace fell into long disuse and was only revitalized later in the 1800s, by King Rama IV. Today, the palace is only used infrequently, and then mostly for state occasions rather than as a royal summer residence.

The mansion roofline.

According to the official Thai Palaces site, the main residence is a modern reconstruction of the original building. Although the original building was supposedly constructed in the style of a Swiss Chalet, the modern building has a more "Paris Metro" art-deco feel to it.

Me in front of the main mansion.

Indeed, there were many western-style buildings on the site. Perhaps the most beautiful area was a large formal garden near the entrance we came in, lined with perfect white statues and bright flowers next to the faintly rippling waters of the complex's expansive artificial lake.

Row of statues.

From left to right: Risa, Alex, Angie, me.

One of the grounds' many Western-style buildings.

Still life by the artificial lake.

On the other hand, the palace grounds are also home to buildings in non-Western architectural styles, most notably the "tower of the sages" -- a kind of lookout tower shaped like a traditional stupa and painted with yellow and red stripes -- and a Chinese-style residence complete with a personal temple for the King's spiritual needs.

Twisty tree roots obscure the red-and-yellow tower.

I wish I had a clearer shot of the so-called "Sages' Lookout" (Ho Withun Thasana), because I'd like to convey to you all just how brave I was to climb to the top. (For those who don't already know: I hate heights.) However, this shot taken from the top might give you some sense of how high up I was, as well as showing another angle on the perfectly manicured grounds...

The view from the top of Ho Withun Thasana!

The "inner complex" of the Summer Palace is where you'll find the aforementioned Chinese temple and house, just a bit behind the Sages' Lookout.

The Chinese temple.

Believe it or not, the structure was actually built in China and given as a gift to King Rama V by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1889. The traditional architectural detailing, geometric forms, exorbitant use of red and ebony lacquer... I began to feel a bit nostalgic for Taiwan and China as I padded (barefoot, naturally) through the building's gilded halls.

A shot of the perfectly still water beside the temple.

Personally, one of my favorite things about the Summer Palace was the distinct bunny theme they had going on. First, we passed a little statue of a boy cradling a rabbit in front of the gazebo overlooking the pond.

Statue of child with rabbit.

Then, from atop the Sages' Lookout, I spotted a veritable warren of bunny-shaped topiaries!!! I pointed them out to everyone who happened to be up top with me at the time, then tried to take a closer photo of them with my friend Jen (foiled by our sudden recognition that it was not permitted to walk on the grass).

Bunny topiaries!

What's not to love about a place with topiaries like this?! The Royal Palace at Bang Pa-In was definitely one of my favorite stops.