Banquet
Hall Banquet Hall built
to entertain important foreign visitors, is surrounded on three sides by ponds.
A brick platform fronting the hall may have been a stage or theatre where guests
were entertained, perhaps by shadow plays or dances, after dinner. |
Chanthon
Phisan Pavilion Chanthon Phisan Pavilion
was built as a royal residence of King Narai in 1665. It was subsequently
used as an audience hall after King Narai had moved his residence to Suttha Sawan
Pavilion. The building was constructed in pure Thai style, thus indicating that
no French architects were involved in its construction. The building was restored
by King Rama IV in 1863 and is now used as a hall for displaying archaeological
and art objects. Many Lop Buri style stone Buddha images are kept in the building. |
Dusit
Sawan Thanya Maha Prasat Hall Dusit
Sawan Thanya Maha Prasat Hall King Narai had this building constructed
to be used as an audience hall for high-ranking foreign visitors and ambassadors.
He probably received Chevalier de Chaumont, King Louis XIV's representative, in
this hall. The building was constructed in a mixed Thai and Western architectural
style. | Elephant
and Horse Stables Elephant and Horse
Stables located close to the wall separating the outer section of the
palace from the middle section. | Kraison
Siharat Hall Kraison Siharat Hall
or Phra Thinang Yen Located on an island in a dried up lake, Thale Chupson,
formerly supplied drinking water to Lop Buri residents. This hall was built and
used as a residence of King Narai, Jesuits and Louis XIV's envoys to witness a
lunar eclipse on 11 December, 1685 |
Lop
Buri Zoo Lop Buri Zoo This
25-acre enclave is near Sa Kaeo circle. The zoo includes favourite Asian and Australian
birds and mammals. The most unusual spectacle is that of three tigers and four
dogs living in unique harmony and the love story of a couple of urang-utans. |
Narai
Ratchaniwet Palace
Narai Ratchaniwet Palace This palace in
the town centre was built by King Narai and took 12 years to be completed (1665-1677).
Now the whole compound has been turned into the Lop Buri National Museum. and
houses the following historical buildings. |
Phiman
Mongkut Pavilion Phiman Mongkut Pavilion
is a three-storied brick building used as a residence of King Rama IV
when he visited Lop Buri during the renovation of the palace. Connected with the
pavilion are the other three buildings namely Suttha Winitchai Pavilion , Chai
Sattrakon Pavilion and Akson Sattrakhom. All of these buildings are now used as
the offices of the Lop Buri National Museum. |
Phra
Chao Hao Building Phra Chao Hao Building
located in the south of the outer section of the palace was built, probably
as a private audience hall, in Thai style. Only wall sections remain, but the
decorative designs at the doors and windows are still visible. |
Phra
Khlang Supharat Phra Khlang Supharat
commonly known as the twelve treasure houses, stored the royal treasures
as well as royal goods for selling to foreign merchants. |
Phra
Prang Sam Yot Phra Prang Sam Yot
This former Hindu shrine is some 200 metres from the railway station
and is Lop Buri's best known landmark. The laterite and sandstone structure was
constructed in the Lop Buri style and decorated with stucco. The three adjoining
towers signify the Hindu Trinity of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver,
and Shiva the destroyer. During the reign of King Narai, the shrine was converted
to a Buddhist temple. | Prang
Khaek Prang Khaek This charming
and petite Khmer ruin is in the market place on Vichayen Road. The structure was
built in the 15th century as a Hindu shrine with three adjoining towers, but it
is much smaller than Phra Prang Sam Yot. It is considered to be the oldest monument
of Lop Buri. | San
Phra Kan San Phra Kan This
former Brahman shrine is adjacent to Phra Prang Sam Yot. It consists of an ancient
Khmer ruin and a shrine constructed in 1951 for a worshipped four-armed deity
figure with a Buddha image's head. The monkeys living in the compound sometimes
cause mischief when approached. | Statue
of King Narai the Great Statue of
King Narai the Great This statue is situated at the entrance of
the town. It was erected to honour King Narai the Great who made Lop Buri an important
and prosperous town. He commanded many magnificent structures built in this town
including the Phra Narai Ratchaniwet Palace, several fortifications and a Buddhist
sanctuary. He was the first one to apply modern technology in the observatory
and in laying terra-cotta pipes to supply water to the palace. As
for his foreign policy, King Narai was the first Thai monarch who established
diplomatic relations with France and attributed friendly policy towards other
foreigners, especially the Europeans. |
Suttha
Sawan Pavilion Suttha Sawan Pavilion
This residence is where King Narai died on 11 July, 1688, while the palace
was under the control of royal revolutionaries. Ruins of the pavilion, artificial
hills and fountains remain. It has been recorded that the pavilion stood amidst
a beautiful garden in which there were many fountains were displayed. |
Vichayen
House Vichayen House was
a residence for Chevalier de Chaumont, the first French ambassador to Thailand
during the reign of Louis XVI. Later, the place was occupied by Chao Phraya Vichayen
(a Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon) until he was killed by the revolutionaries
in 1688. Many ruined buildings dot the compound, one served as a Roman Catholic
chapel. Others were residences for the ambassador and mission members. Ruined
brick water tanks and fountains are visible. |
Wat
Khao Wongkot Wat Khao Wongkot Located
at the foot of Sanam Daeng Mountain, this temple is noted for a large bat cave
where bats fly out around 6.00 p.m. in great numbers to seek food. The temple
derives income from bats’ droppings. |
Wat
Mani Chonlakhan Wat Mani Chonlakhan
The monastery was originally called Wat Ko Kaeo because it was located
on a small island. Interesting to see are, Chedi Luang Pho Saeng, the ubosot,
the vihara and the large Buddha Image along the river. |
Wat
Phra Si Maha That Wat Phra Si Maha
That This temple is located behind the railway station near Phra Kan
Shrine. The Lop Buri style prang or tower fronting the temple was built around
1157 when the town was ruled by the Khmer. The U-Thong style Buddha images on
the prang were added at a later date. The temple was probably restored during
the reign of King Narai the Great. |
Wat
San Paulo Wat San Paulo This
is situated on Ruam Decho Road, some 1.5 kms. east of the town. It was originally
a church of the Jesuits founded during the reign of King Narai, and also the first
observatory in Asia. Now only a brick wall of a high tower remains behind the
church site. The name "San Paulo" called by Thais probably derive from "Saint
Paul" or "Saint Paulo". | Wat
Sao Thong Wat Sao Thong
Thong is to the north of the Royal Palace. The vihara and the main Buddha image
were created in the Ayutthaya period. Later, King Narai restored this monastery
and changed the windows of the vihara into a western style. |
Wat
Yang Na Rangsi Wat Yang Na Rangsi
This temple is located by the Lop Buri River, 9 kms. south of the town
centre on the Lop Buri-Bang Pahan route. The four Buddha images made of sandstone
and quartz in the temple suggest that this forest temple could have been built
during the Lawo period. The old wooden teaching hall was built in 1927 in a typical
style of the rural central region. After the restoration in 1988, it was turned
into a local boat museum. A collection of local boats and oars in various types
are displayed, particularly a rare one-seat barge, which plied local waterways
in the old days. | Water
Reservoir Water Reservoir stored
water which came through terra cotta pipes from Tha-le Chupson, a large freshwater
lake which supplied drinking water to the inhabitants of Lop Buri. |
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