Sanam Chandra Palace (Moon Palace) is a royal retreat built by HM King Rama VI in 1911. During this period, Siam was facing a crisis. The French had recently conquered Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos and incorporated them into their Protectorate of Indochina. France greatly desired Siam as well, and set up a blockade along the Thai coastlines and rivers. Cut off from much of the kingdom, the king was unable to travel far from Bangkok, and used Sanam Chandra Palace as not only a royal retreat, but also a stronghold against French invasion.
Incidentally, Siam was able to fight back the French and maintain its independence. Thailand remains to this day the only Southeast Asian nation never to have been conquered or colonized by a foreign power.
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| wooden Thai-style building at the palace |
The palace complex, located in Nakhan Pathom (a neighboring province about 60 km west of Bangkok), consists of five buildings and a shrine to the Hindu god Ganesha.
The first building which we got to tour was a traditional Thai-style teakwood house. The house was built in a breezy open-plan layout, and was where the royal family would sleep when the weather was nice.
The main royal residence is a European-style villa which was designed by an Italian architect and looked like something out of a fairy tale - not exactly what you would expect from a Thai palace!
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| the Royal Residence |
Outside of the royal residence, a large bronze statue of a dog stands as if guarding the villa. This is Yah Leh, the beloved companion of the king.
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| a statue to the king's loyal dog |
The residence itself is quite interesting, though photographs are not allowed inside. The palace is made up of two separate villas linked across a pond by a covered bridge.
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| covered bridge linking two parts of the palace across a pond |
In the center of the palace compound, a large shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Ganesha stands surrounded by lush gardens. Today, the palace is managed by Silpakorn University, the symbol of which is Ganesha!
Read more about Silpakorn University's connection to the Bangkok modern art scene HERE:
https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2019/09/getting-artsy-in-bkk.html
and about Mr. Silpa's house HERE:
https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2019/10/beyond-city-wall.html
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| the Ganesha shrine at the palace |
The shrine is built so as to frame the Great Chedi of Nakhon Pathom, which stands just a kilometer away. This is the largest chedi, or Buddhist prayer stupa, in the entire world!
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| Nakhon Pathom Chedi |
I've visited this great temple before, but it's just as breathtaking today. The temple marks the spot in which missionaries sent by Indian Emperor Ashok first brought Buddhism to Thailand in the 200s BC. As you can imagine, it's quite an important temple, and the giant stupa is fittingly grand!
Read about my first visit to this famous temple HERE:
https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2014/07/phra-nakhon-pathom.html
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| the Great Chedi |
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