Samphanthawong District
Samphanthawong ( Samphanthawong, Thai สัมพันธวงศ์ ) is one of the 50 districts ( Khet ) of Bangkok, capital of Thailand. Samphanthawong is located on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, southeast of the Phra Nakhon District. He is the smallest area of the district of Bangkok, at the same time commonly referred to with the smallest population and is known as Bangkok's Chinatown. Along the CharoenKrung and Yaowarat Road have numerous stores their headquarters
Geography
Samphanthawong is bounded on the north by the Charoen Krung Road, the east by the Maha Phrutharam Road, in the south of the Chao Phraya River and Khlong Ong Ang in the west by
The neighboring districts (Khet ) are from clockwise from the north: Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bang Rak, Khlong San ( on the other bank of the Chao Phraya River ) and Phra Nakhon.
History
The area of Samphanthawong is inhabited by Chinese people since the founding of Bangkok. Before Bangkok in 1782 the capital of the Siamese empire was ( during the so-called Rattanakosin period ), lived a Chinese community on the site of today's Grand Palace. They were "asked" by King Phra Phutthayotfa Chulaloke ( Rama I ) friendly to relocate their businesses, in the "Gardens ", a then uninhabited area outside the city, which is known as " Sampeng " today. The narrow Sampheng Lane ( สำ เพ็ง, called Wanit I Road วานิช 1 today ) has long been the main thoroughfare of Chinatown, "with a maze of narrow streets and nested buildings, as in the Middle Kingdom was common " (lit.: Van Beek, 1999). She was at that time also a notorious red-light district, where brothel -ranked brothel. The Chinese prostitutes had allegedly set all the surname Kim. Today, especially cheap household goods, plastic toys, fabrics and textile goods and memorabilia are sold for the locals. The alley is so narrow that the goods must be hauled on the back, vehicles do not come in here.
In 1863, then came at the insistence of many foreigners Bangkok paved the New Road ( Charoen Krung ) is added. After a devastating fire in 1891 allowed King Chulalongkorn ( Rama V ) to build a third thoroughfare of Yaowarat Road. Today the Yaowarat Road is the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown.
Yaowarat Road
The Yaowarat Road ( Thai: ถนน เยาวราช - Thanon Yaowarat ) is about 1.5 km long. On both sides of the road there are numerous gold shops and all kinds of Chinese special restaurants, noodle and rice dishes, dim sum or bird's nest soup. Other smaller shops for traditional Chinese medicine or fresh fruit, for devotional or household goods are available in innumerable tiny streets that branch off from the main road.
On the occasion of the 72nd birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1999 a gate was opened. It stands at the end of Yaowarat Road on the so-called Odeon Circle, a roundabout, which is named after a movie theater, which stood here once.
At the corner of Yaowarat Road - Yaowanphanit Road is the two hundred -year-old Talat Kao ( Thai: ตลาด เก่า - Old Market Square ). Here you will find a wide range of self- exotic Thailand for food.
Temples and Shrines
In this district there are some famous Thai Buddhist temples ( Wat ):
- Wat Traimit ( วัด ไตรมิตร วิทยา ราม วรวิหาร ) known for its giant Buddha statue, probably from 5.5 tons of solid gold. The gold was hidden for years under a plaster coating until it was discovered in 1955 by accident.
- Wat Pathum Khongkha ( วัด ปทุม คงคา ) is a very old temple which was renovated during the reign of King Phra Phutthayotfa ( Rama I ).
- Wat Chakkrawat ( วัด จักรวรรดิ ราชา วา ส มหา วิหาร ), also called Wat Sam Pluem ( วัด สาม ปลื้ม ).
Here are also many Chinese temples and shrines, such as:
- Leng Buai Ia Shrine ( ศาล เจ้า เล่ ง บ๊วย เอี๊ ยะ ) is the oldest shrine of the district, it should be about 300 years old.
- Ah Nia Geng Shrine ( ศาล เจ้า อา เนี้ ย เก็ง ) also Chue Pui Nia Nia Shrine ( ศาล เจ้า ฉื่ อ ปุย เนี่ ย เนี้ ย ) is the goddess Kuan Yin consecrated.
- Guan U Shrine ( ศาล เจ้าพ่อ กวนอู ) in honor of General Guan Yu and his horse sec Tao.
- Bunyasamakhom Shrine ( ศาล เจ้า โรง เจ บุญ สมาคม )
- Thien Fa Foundation ( มูลนิธิ เทียน ฟ้า ) - the first registered in Thailand Foundation for the medical care of the poor. Inside there is a Kuan Yin Shrine.
The most famous Chinese temples of this area, Wat Leng Nei Yi ( วัด เล่ ง เน่ ย ยี่, official name Wat Mangkon Kamalawat - วัด มังกร กมลา วา ส ), located just outside of the district in neighboring Samphanthawong Khet Pom Prap Sattru Phai.
Additional points of interest
- Wat Mae Phra Luk Prakham ( วัด แม่ พระ ลูกประคำ ) or Holy Rosary Church is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Bangkok. She is also known under its old name Wat Kalawar ( วัด กาล หว่า ร์ ), named after " Calvary ", the English name for Golgotha . It was founded in 1787 by settlers who moved here after the destruction of the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. The present building dates from the year 1890.
- Not far away is the building of the first commercial bank in Thailand. It was built in 1904 and then called Book Club ( บุ ค ค ลัภย์ ). Today it houses the Siam Commercial Bank.
- Also not far away is the River City, a shopping mall, which specializes in art and antiques.
- Markets: in the district Samphanthawong there are numerous markets. Along Yaowarat Road, Sampheng Lane (now Soi Wanit 1) and Charoen Krung Road, there are many small shops that are open mainly at night and on weekends. Saphan Lek is the old name of a bridge over the Khlong Ong Ang on Charoen Krung Road. The narrow winding alleyways is known for many tiny shops that sell accessories for video game consoles. Not far away is the Woeng Nakhon Kasem ( เวิ้ง นคร เกษม ) district, also called " thieves market ". Here, however, no stolen goods are sold, but antiques, farm equipment and musical instruments. Already in the neighboring district Pom Prap Sattru Phai lies opposite the Khlong Thom Market with used and new tool.
Festivals
Every year many festivals are celebrated, it is often the whole Yaowarat Road closed to traffic:
- Chinese New Year Festival ( เทศกาล ตรุษจีน, Chinese New Year ) is the biggest festival. The people wearing red clothes, there are dragon dances performed.
- Mid-Autumn Festival ( เทศกาล ไหว้ พระจันทร์, Moon Festival ) - many shops sell moon cakes.
- Chinese Vegetarian Food Festival ( เทศกาล กินเจ, Chinese Vegetarian Festival ) takes place from the first to the ninth day of the ninth month in the lunar calendar. During this time, many Chinese people dress in white and take only vegetarian food to him. On the Yaowarat Road food stalls are set up that offer vegetarian options. Your tags are yellow flags with a red "斋". Although some foods look like meat had been processed, but in reality they are cooked with bean curd.
Management
The district is divided into three sub-districts ( Kwaeng ):