The Ancient City – Tour the Great Sights of Thailand in One Day
At The Ancient City in Samut Prakarn province, splendid replicas of all of the key historical landmarks and significant cultural sites found in each of the provinces of Thailand have been reconstructed in a single location thereby presenting visitors with an opportunity to literally tour the famous monuments, places of historic interest and other antiquities found in four regions of the kingdom in a single day.
From April 12 – 16, 2005, Grand Songkran Thai New Year festivities being held at the Ancient City will depict timeless Thai traditions and the traditional Thai way of life in the four regions of Thailand. Cultural presentations and performances will be staged amidst the captivating surroundings of the Ancient City. The journey back in time begins in the Old Market Town.
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- Southern Region
The Old Market Town
- Central Region
Phra Si Sanphet Prasat Palace
- Northeastern Region
Khao Phra Viharn, The Anthropological Museum
- The Floating Market
- Northern Region
Ho Kham, The Northern Village,
The Viharn of Wat Chiang Khong temple
- Songkran in Samut Prakarn
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Shuttle Service
To facilitate the tour of the various sites in the Ancient City (known as ‘Muang Boran’ in Thai), a mini-rail shuttle service operates in a looped route.
HIGHLIGHTS
SOUTHERN REGION
The Old Market Town / 08.00 - 16.00 hours
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All photos © Ancient City: Samut Prakarn, Thailand |
The Old Market Town depicts the way of life in a picturesque provincial town complete with a traditional apothecary and herbal medicine shop, a barber shop, and an old-style ‘coffee society’.
Cultural presentations and activities/ 10.00 – 12.00 hours
- Puppet Pavilion
- Nang Thalung shadow play
- Klong Yao long drum performance
- Angkalung folk musical instruments made from vibrating bamboo cylinders
- A demonstration of traditional folk sports and games of the south such as ‘takraw’ played with a rattan ball
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CENTRAL REGION
Phra Si Sanphet Prasat Palace
11.00 – 12.00
The Buddhist Grand Songkran bathing ritual in which scented lustral water is sprinkled or poured over shrines, revered Buddha images and religious artifacts in an act of cleansing and Buddhist worship.
Cultural presentations and activities
- Graceful classical Thai dance
- Lively folk dances
- Bamboo flute serenade
- Live music by traditional ensembles
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Ruan Thap Khwan House, Khun Phaen House and Rattanakosin Dwelling
09.00 - 16.00 hours
The bathing ritual is also performed in a gesture of respect and to seek blessings from elders. Lustral water is sprinkled or poured over the hands of the repected elders and individuals of seniority. Visitors will be able to take part in this beautiful tradition.
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Khao Phra Viharn |
NORTHEASTERN REGION
Khao Phra Viharn
09.00 – 16.00 hours
The Anthropological Museum
13.00 – 14.00 hours
Cultural presentations and activities
- The preparation of ‘kalamae’, a specialty Thai dessert, an activity that involves community participation. Residents in the village community take turns stirring a large pan of molasses.
- A demonstration of grounding rice and textile weaving
- Live music is performed by ‘ponglang’ log xylophone bands and also features ‘can’ bamboo flute solos
- A demonstration of the traditional I-san ‘Serng Kathip’ and ‘Fon Phu Thai’ folk dances
- Traditional folk sports competitions and other activities
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THE FLOATING MARKET
08.00 – 16.00 hours
The lively traditional floating market continues to be an integral element of rural life, particularly in the agricultural communities of the Central Plains of Thailand.
The floating market within the Ancient City offers glimpses of the traditional way of life in riverside communities. Vendors in long-tail boats earn their livelihood by plying the rivers and waterways selling an assortment of goods, including food.
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Activities featured / 14.00 – 15.00 hours
- Merit-making by presenting food offerings to monks
- Making merit by releasing captive birds and fish
- Traditional Thai water sports such as water-boxing and boat races
- Long-drum performance
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NORTHERN REGION
Ho Kham, The Northern Village, The Viharn of Wat Chiang Khong temple
08.00 – 16.00
Ho Kham |
The Viharn of Wat Chiang Khong temple |
Activities featured / 15.00 – 16.30
- Sports activities such as relay running race, tug-of-war, pole climbing, eel fishing, toting sandbags-to-temple race and boxing
- Northern-style Songkran celebrations
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SONGKRAN IN SAMUT PRAKARN
08.00 – 20.00 hours
Songkran festivities celebrated in Samut Prakarn province are showcased in the form of a colourful temple fair with games stalls, food stalls and OTOP handicraft and souvenir stalls.
Mon Saba
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Activities featured
Stage performances 17.00 – 20.00
- Mon Saba – a traditional Thai ‘pitch-and-toss’ game played with beans
- Community participation in the preparation of a traditional Thai dessert called ‘galamae’. Participants help to stir a pan of molasses.
- Temple Fair games and folk games such as skeet shooting, kite-flying, ‘Rap Bua’ lotus-blossoms-throwing contest, game of human chess and other folk games
- Ferris wheel
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Temple Fair Highlights
- Cultural performances from the four regions of Thailand
- A wide selection of delicious cuisine
- Shopping for OTOP handicrafts, souvenirs and gift items
- Merit-making activities such as filling oil lamps for luck
- Floating lanterns
- Fireworks display grand finalé
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Admission Fee
Free admission for children under six years old.
Children 6-12 years old: 50 baht
Adults: 100 baht inclusive of all-day tram rides with the Ancient City
Contact information:
Bangkok Office:
78/1 Democracy Monument cycle, Ratchadamnoen
Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand.
Tel: +66 (0) 2224 1057, 2226 1936
Fax:+66 (0) 2226 1227
Samut Prakan Office:
KM 33 (old) Sukhumvit Road,
Bangpoo, Muang District,
Samut Prakan Province
Tel: +66 (0) 2323 9253
Web site: www.ancientcity.com
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