Posted on 12.10.2011, and 01.02.2015
Undoubtedly, Bangkok's modern history is intimately linked to the Chakri dynasty, which leads Siam (named from 1939, with a brief interruption, Thailand) for more than two centuries. And doing it well, because Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that was never occupied by any European power, even if over time the rulers have taken some unhappy decisions, such as the alliance with Japan in WWII. Founder of the dynasty, Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I), is the one who moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok, which marked the beginning of the rise of the city. Of course, the king had to have a palace and it appeared as The Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang), whose construction began in 1782, after a plan that closely followed that of the old palace in Ayutthaya.
The king, his court and his royal government were based on the palace until 1925. The present monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), currently resides at Chitralada Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, at the heart of the Rattanakosin Island, the palace complex, made up of numerous buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, and gardens is roughly rectangular. Its asymmetry and eclectic styles are due to its organic development, with additions being made by successive kings. It is divided into several quarters: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; the Outer Court; the Middle Court, including the Phra Maha Monthien Buildings, the Phra Maha Prasat Buildings and the Chakri Maha Prasat Buildings; the Inner Court and the Siwalai Gardens quarter.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) is actually a royal chapel, built in 1783. It is surrounded on four sides by a series of walled cloisters, with seven gates. Like the royal temples of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, the complex is separated from the living quarters of the kings. Within these walls are buildings and structures for diverse purposes and of different styles, but most of them adheres strictly to classical Thai architecture. The main building is the central phra ubosot, which houses the statue of the Emerald Buddha. In the second postcard is a golden statue of a Kinnari, a half-bird, half-woman creatures at Southeast Asian Buddhist mythology, one of the many creatures that inhabit the mythical Himavanta. She is renowned for her dance, song and poetry, and is a traditional symbol of feminine beauty, grace and accomplishment.
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