Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Also called Boeung Tonle Sap, it has one of the world’s most vibrant ecosystems. There are different species of wildlife in and around the lake, which helped to sustain and grow the ancient Khmer civilization. It's also famous for its fascinating local communities and their floating villages.
Located in Siem Reap, the massive lake is 250 km in length and 100 km across at its widest point, making it seem like an inland ocean because it is impossible to see the opposite shore from ground level. It's fairly shallow, with a maximum depth of only 10 meters.
There are several floating villages in and around Tonle Sap Lake and they are all somewhat different. Naturally, many of these villages depend on the lake for the natural resources it provides.
The best time to visit Tonle Sap Lake is during the rainy season (June to October). Water in the Mekong causes the Tonlé Sap River to reverse its flow which, combined with with ...
Wat Phra Non - Monastery of the Reclining Buddha
Wat Phra Non is situated off the city island in the eastern area of Ayutthaya, within the Khlong Suan Phlu Sub-district. It is positioned adjacent to Wat Chumphon to the west and Wat Kradok to the east.
Access to the site was historically provided by the nearby canals: Khlong Suan Phlu, Khlong Dusit, and Khlong Phra Non, with the latter running south of the three monasteries.
The monastery lies on the southern edge of what historians believe was a Khmer baray—an ancient artificial water reservoir from the pre-Ayutthaya period, dating back to the Khmer rule of the region from the early 11th to mid-13th century.
This area was part of an outpost known as Ayodhya Pura, centered around a Khmer sanctuary likely on the site of the present-day Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon.
The exact construction date and historical details of Wat Phra Non remain unknown, but the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya offer a potential reference. In 1659 (the year of the boar), a group of 2,214 Cambodian ...
Fo Guang Shan (FGS) is an international Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist organization and monastic order based in Taiwan. It was founded in 1967 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, with its headquarters at Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Dashu District, Kaohsiung—the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan.
The organization practices Humanistic Buddhism, rooted in the Linji school of Chan Buddhism, and aims to disseminate Buddhist teachings in daily life through education, service, and modern approaches like technology integration. It is considered one of the “Four Great Mountains” of Taiwanese Buddhism and has over 1,000 monks and nuns, more than 1 million followers worldwide, and branches in 173 countries as of 2017.
The temple in Bangkok, commonly known as Fo Guang Shan Thaihua Temple (also referred to as Wat Fo Guang Shan, Fo Guang San Temple, or the “Buddhist Light of Mount Tai Hua Temple”), is a Thai-Chinese Mahayana Buddhist temple and a branch of the main Fo Guang Shan organization in Taiwan. ...
Pak Khlong Talat ปากคลองตลาด, literally meaning “market at the mouth of the canal,” is Bangkok’s oldest and largest flower market, located in the Phra Nakhon District near the Chao Phraya River and Memorial Bridge. Its origins trace back to the late 18th century during the reign of King Rama I (1782–1809), when the site operated as a floating market where vendors sold goods from boats along the canals.
By the reign of King Rama V (1868–1910), it had evolved into a major fish market. The strong odors from the fish trade eventually prompted changes, and in the mid-20th century (around the 1950s–1960s), the market transitioned to selling produce, fruits, vegetables, and increasingly flowers. This shift occurred as wholesale produce moved to larger peripheral markets like Talat Thai, allowing flowers to become the dominant focus. The current flower and produce market has operated in this form for over 60 years.
In 2016, as part of Bangkok’s urban cleanup efforts, ...
