The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace!

Foreground: the latest in my growing series of topiary shots.
I seriously have a thing about photographing foliage.

Today we visited one of Bangkok's oldest and most beautiful attractions -- the Grand Palace, a complex of buildings on the east bank of the Chao Phraya river in downtown Bangkok. The Grand Palace was the home of the King up until the turn of the twentieth century, when a newer, simpler palace was constructed (though the old Palace is still used for official government ceremonies). It is also home to some of the city's most elegant temples. Construction was begun here in 1872, and the place is still in immaculate condition... thanks to constant upkeep! Unfortunately, for precisely this reason, the famous chapel of the Emerald Buddha was closed for repair during our visit. The Emerald Buddha is "an object of national veneration" according to the official website: carved from a single block of jade, it is perched atop a golden altar meant to resemble the chariots depicted in Hindu myths popular in Thai history. Still, although we missed out on the Emerald Buddha, we were definitely not at a loss for beautiful buildings to explore!

Our completely adorable tour guide, plus students in the temple-appropriate clothing they are forced to wear if their original attire is deemed inappropriate (shorts, skirts above the knee, pants on women, etc.) From left to right: Alex, tour guide, Liz.

One of the highlights of this visit was our energetic tour guide, the tiny, eccentrically-dressed gentleman pictured above. After sweltering for a bit in the blazing sunshine, we met up with the guide and were on our way.

While we stood lined along the road, waiting for those
who were required to change into long sarongs in order to enter
the temple area, a phalanx of Thai soldiers marched past
in their crisp white uniforms.

We began our tour by meandering through the temple area of the Grand Palace. The first area we explored -- the Upper Terrace -- was really interesting.

One of the female chimera guardians of the temple area.

Topiaries, mini water gardens, fanciful and historical statues are sprinkled around a lineup of three religious monuments in distinct Thai architectural styles. The first, and perhaps most eye-catching, is the Phra Sri Rattana Chedi, a reliquary housing part of the remains of Buddha himself. The enormous golden chedi stretches high into the sky, and is visible even from the other side of the river

Closeup on Phra Sri Ratana Chedi.

The next building we examined was Phra Mondop, a library of sorts, which holds a mother-of-pearl cabinet used to display the palm leaf scriptures (important Buddhist scriptures) at various times of the year. We didn't go inside.

The tour guide explains the statuary decorating the exterior of Phra Mondop.
In some areas of Thailand demons are considered appropriate guardians
for important buildings, since they can frighten away evil spirits,
while in others, they are viewed as themselves evil and would
never adorn an important structure like this one.

Holding up the temple like the guardians behind us!
From left to right: Shirin, Ana, Miki, Ariana,
Jen, Liz, Margarita, Carrie, Risa, Jen, Melissa.

The final monument in this area was Prasart Phra Thep Bidorn, or the "Royal Pantheon" where statues of past sovereigns of the ruling dynasty are enshrined. Guarded by a ring of elaborately-carved monkeys and demons, the Pantheon holds statues of past Kings and Queens of Thailand. Again, we didn't go inside, but the exterior was breathtaking enough! Click on the picture below to admire the intricate detail on this temple entrance -- it's surreally beautiful.

Closeup on Prasat Phra Debidorn Temple.

Lastly, speaking of intricate detail, the Upper Terrace also houses a small-scale model of Angkor Wat, crafted at the command of King Rama IV.

Some of the crew in front of the model of Angkor Wat.
From left to right: Oak, Risa, Janice, Jen,
Shirin, Dr. Ruth Fischbach, Nini, me.

After all this reverence, it was time to return to the realm of the profane by touring the palace part of the Grand Palace.

Chakri Mahaprasad Hall.

The main palace area was built by King Rama V (1868-1910), and he lived there for much of his time on the throne. Today, only the reception portion of the building is now used by the Royal Family for state ceremonies. The central throne-hall now used for various purposes and was formerly the site of the reception of diplomatic envoys from England, France, China, and other important countries.

The long history of trade with China
(Thailand/Siam's first official diplomatic trading partner)
has left its imprint on the society's development,
and signs of Chinese cultural heritage are everywhere,
as evidenced by this set of statues and urn.

The Grand Palace is built in the traditional Siamese architectural style, featuring distinctive roof-lines and color scheme of vibrant reds, oranges, and greens, set off by flashes of pure gold and brilliant white. The uniformity of design principle just adds to the magnificence of the palace compound, and makes a beautiful sight when viewed from the river during the day or when lit up at night.

Another view of the main palace buildings.
(...including topiaries. Heh.)

Understandably, security at the Grand Palace was quite tight. In addition to the marching soldiers pictured above, there were soldiers on guard all around the palace buildings. Their stern faces couldn't stop us from having a little fun, though...

Ruth and I grin mischievously as Risa
and a Thai soldier keep guard of the National Palace.
From left to right: Risa, soldier, me, Dr. Ruth Fischbach.

One of the few departures from the uniformity of design in this area is the Borom Phiman Mansion, pictured below. The difference in architectural style is explained by the building's history: Phra Thinang Borom Phiman was purposely built in the western style in 1903 by King Rama V for the Heir Apparent, the future King Rama VI. Although it has been home to several Kings since then, the Mansion currently serves as the Royal Guest House for visiting heads of state.

Borom Phiman Mansion.

After all that exploration and absorption of Thai cultural and political history, the BIOCEP crew was sweaty and hungry. We gratefully climbed back into our big pink bus, blasted the AC, and drove off to find some lunch.