Ancient Siam

About

Ancient Siam (also known as Ancient City; Thai: , RTGS: Muang Boran) is a museum park featuring replicas of famous Siamese sites. It was constructed by Lek Viriyaphan and occupies over 200 acres (0.81 km2) in the shape of Thailand. Ancient Siam is often dubbed the world's largest outdoor museum, although it is smaller than Inhotim in Brazil. Located near the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm in Samut Prakan province, the 320-hectare park features 116 structures representing Thailand's famous monuments and architectural landmarks. The layout of Ancient Siam roughly follows the geographic shape of the kingdom, with monuments positioned in their corresponding real-world locations. Some structures are life-size replicas of existing or former sites, while others are scaled-down versions. Still others are creative designs rather than replicas of any specific historical structure. The replicas were constructed with the assistance of experts from the National Museum to ensure historical accuracy. Notable reconstructions include the former Grand Palace of Ayutthaya (destroyed during the Burmese invasion of 1767), Phimai Sanctuary in Nakhon Ratchasima, and Phra Viharn on the Cambodian border. Lek Viriyaphan was interested in art since childhood, which inspired him to establish the Ancient City. Initially, he intended to build a Thai map-shaped golf course where miniatures of important national ancient sites were placed, which aimed to serve tourism and education purposes only. Lek started doing research on the establishment of the Ancient City. He found that many ancient sites had been left in decay. Thus, he changed the concept of the Ancient City from being a tourism attraction and relaxation to an open-air museum for educational purposes to benefit newer generations who would be proud of their national heritage. Lek continually created artwork in the Ancient City as well as the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya and the Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan until the end of his life on 17 November 2000. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit visited the Ancient City (Muang Boran) on two occasions. Their first visit took place in 1971 as a private visit, accompanied by all of their royal children. On 11 February 1972, at 17:00, the King and Queen again visited the Ancient City, accompanied by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. The royal party was received by the Ancient City's committee, led by Praphai Viriyahphan, and subsequently toured major historic sites and monuments within the Ancient City by royal vehicle. In 2006, America's Next Top Model, Season 6, the reality show from the US, led the contestants to the finals by using the Pavilion of the Saint as a runway. It was a model platform that was the largest in the show's history. In the area, the Sanphet castle model was the place where the winner was announced. On 29 September 2009, during the Thai–Cambodian border dispute, a group of 500 members of the People's Alliance for Democracy led by Veera Somkwamkid traveled to the Ancient City to read a statement on behalf of the "Alliance Network for Reclaiming Thai Territory," calling for the return of Thai territory around Preah Vihear Temple to Thailand.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.