Photo Tours - The Ancient City / Bangkok
Want to see all the great monuments, temples and ancient statues of Thailand in one day? Well you can, sort of. Sometimes known as the Worlds largest outdoor museum, The Ancient City (Muang Boran in Thai), just outside Bangkok, is an 320 acre model of Thailand and it's most beloved architectural treasures. The "city" is shaped to match the borders of Thailand and features 109 of Thailand's most famous historical attractions. While this musecum of architecture is not exactly a "road less traveled" destination, it is a great way to spend a lovely day learning the history of Thai culture and importantly for photographers, it allows you to photograph a wide variety of Thai architecture in one location.
The park is a beautifully maintained place, full of manicured grass and hedges, flower beds, trees and waterways. Many of the historical monuments are scaled down replicas while others are actual buildings which were purchased and moved to the park. In either case they make for beautiful subject matter during your photo expedition. Each monument is placed within the park in the same relative location you would find them within country. Throughout the park you will find maps pointing you to various provinces of Thailand and their respective templates.
Food is easy to find throughout the park in the form of little stands and a couple of outdoor restaurants with a few tables.
The park is not small, so renting some form of transportation is recommended if you want to see the whole park in a day. Bikes are available for cheap (though the bikes are extremely old and in poor condition). If you are six feet tall or more you will find it difficult to fit yourself on any of the bikes available. Golf cart rental is available and recommended to expedite the day and carry your photographic equipment.
The replicas were constructed with the assistance of experts from the National Museum to ensure historical accuracy. Outstanding works include the former Grand Palace of Ayutthaya (destroyed in the Burmese invasion of 1767), Phimai Sanctuary in Nakhon Ratchasima, and Wat Khao Phra Viharn on the Cambodian border. Ancient City also has sculptures from the Thai epic story, the Ramakien, a display of the Royal Barge procession, and a model Thai village in which craftsmen produce ceramics, paper umbrellas and lacquer items.
Who Built the Park?
The city itself was created and financed by a private citizen of wealth named Lek Viriyaphant. He initially intended to build a Thai-map shaped golf course where miniatures of important national ancient sites would be placed within the course. During Lek's research on the establishment of the Ancient City he found that many of ancient sites have been left in decay. Thus, he changed the concept of the Ancient City from being a recreational attraction to an open-air museum for educational purpose. Lek passed away on November 17, 2000 but his legacy continues on and is well worth seeing.
