During my mom and brother's recent visit to Bangkok, I took them around the city introducing them to some of my favorite sites. It's been so long since I've had visitors, thanks to COVID, and I was really excited to show them the new places in Bangkok that I had discovered.
One morning, I took them on a walk along the "Green Mile", an elevated walkway connecting two major city parks and running along some of Bangkok's most historic religious communities. This was one of the walks presented during my "
Museum Walks" program, and I was proud to follow along the route that the other group had created and show my family some of the city's hidden gems.
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Lumpini Park
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We began at Lumpini Park, which was built in 1925 by land donated by King Rama VI to the people of Thailand.
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| The Aerator monument, which honors the invention of the water aerator by King Rama IX, the only monarch in the world to receive a patent for his invention! |
The park is huge, and contains ponds, monuments, places for public concerts, an outdoor gym, and even the city's first public library!
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| Lumpini Park Library |
As we left the park, we climbed up a set of stairs to walk along the Green Mile.
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the Green Mile
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We walked over the intersection with Thanon Witthayu, known in English as Wireless Road (named so because it was once home to Siam's very first radio transmitter).
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the Embassy District
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This beautiful, wide, shaded street is home to bank headquarters, shopping malls, and some of Bangkok's most expensive real estate, including many the foreign embassies of Thailand's closest allies (such as those of the US, UK, Vietnamese, Dutch, and more). The American ambassador's beautiful private residence
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| Wireless Road |
What's interesting about this walk is that the walkway takes you through some really interesting local neighborhoods, including one of Bangkok's oldest and most prominent Muslim communities.
Of particular note is the Masjid Indonesia, or Indonesia Mosque.
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Masjid Indonesia
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According to recent census data, there are over 364,000 Muslims and over 120 mosques in Bangkok. Making up around 5% of the population, Islam is by far Thailand's largest minority religion (there are even several provinces in the far south where it is the majority religion).
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| Indonesia Mosque, Bangkok |
The Indonesia Mosque is named so because of the unique history of this neighborhood. During the 17th century, when the Dutch colonized the island of Java (in present-day Indonesia), many Javanese Muslims left their home to settle in Bangkok. Although the community has since completely assimilated into Thai society, the name remains.
The mosque is really stunning, and the green minarets and dome really stand out as they rise over the surrounding neighborhood.
There seemed to be some sort of event going on, and it looked like a group of people were filming something on the walkway. We guessed that it might have been a shoot of a music video.
Next, we arrived at a place that my brother had really been looking forward to visiting: Holy Redeemer Church.
Holy Redeemer, Bangkok (The Church that looks like a Thai Temple) (stainedglasstravel.com) |
this Catholic Church looks like a Thai temple
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Established in 1949 by the Bishop of Thailand, Holy Redeemer Church is unlike any other Roman Catholic church in the Kingdom of Thailand. While Thailand's other Catholic churches are built in a distinctly European style, Holy Redeemer is inarguably Thai, with a temple-like exterior and an joyful Jesus statue in a posture of praise rather than a typical somber Crucifix situated at the main altar.
The congregation of Holy Redeemer, established by the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (also known as the Redemptorists), existed before the church building itself had been built. The original Redemptorist Church met in the garage of a small house purchased by the diocese downtown, and was given the affectionate nickname "Our Lady of the Garage".
The design of the church was controversial at first, both Thai Buddhists and conservative Catholics thought it inappropriate to build a temple in the style of a Buddhist temple, but the design grew on people, and it's since become an iconic landmark in the city.
Every Neighborhood Walk must contain a stop for coffee, and it was time for us to take a rest at Brooklyn Baker, a nice (and, most importantly, air-conditioned) coffee shop in the local neighborhood.
The cafe is just across from the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, another landmark we passed by on our walk. The club is very exclusive and nearly impossible to get in without connections!
Continuing on, we finally arrived at the end of the Green Mile at Benjakitti Forest Park.
The forest park opened just last year, and is one of Bangkok's biggest, newest, and most ecologically important green spaces.
The Blog of Michael Desrosiers: Benjakitti Forest ParkAnnounced in 2006 to commemorate the birthday of HM Queen Sirikit, the Forest Park was approved by the Thai government to be built on land granted by the Thai Tobacco Monopoly, which had previously had its factory adjacent to the park.
The new Forest Park features elevated walkways rising above the wetlands, as well as walking paths which wind through them. There's also an amphitheater, a small museum, and cycling paths.
The project, operated by the Royal Thai Army, also saw the planting of an approximate 10,000 new trees. While the trees are still young, the idea is that in some 20 years' time, there will be a fully grown forest in Bangkok. The government has taken care to plant a vast variety of rare species of plants with the hopes of attracting all sorts of birds and wildlife to this sanctuary.
