Gubyaukgyi Temple and Myazedi Pagoda
The Gubyaukgyi (alt. Kubyauk-gyi) temple, located just south of Bagan, Myanmar, in Myinkaba Village, is a Buddhist temple built in 1113 AD by Prince Yazakumar, shortly after the death of his father, King Kyansittha of the Pagan Dynasty. The temple is notable for two reasons.
First, it contains a large array of well-preserved frescoes on its interior walls, the oldest original paintings to be found in Bagan. All of the frescoes are accompanied by ink captions written in Old Mon, providing one of the earliest examples of the language's use in Myanmar.
Second, the temple is located just to the west of the Myazedi Pagoda, at which was found two stone pillars with inscriptions written in four, ancient Southeast Asian languages: Pali, Old Mon, Old Burmese, and Pyu. The inscription on the pillar displayed by the Myazedi Pagoda has been called the Burmese Rosetta Stone, given its significance both historically and linguistically, as a key to cracking the Pyu ...
Wat Ratchaburana วัดราชบูรณะ is a Buddhist temple (wat) in the Ayutthaya Historical Park, Ayutthaya, Thailand. The temple's main prang is one of the finest in the city. Located on the island section of Ayutthaya, Wat Ratchaburana is immediately north of Wat Mahathat.
Wat Ratchaburana was founded in 1424 by King Borommarachathirat II of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and built on the cremation site of his two elder brothers. The two brothers had fought to their deaths in a duel for the royal succession to their father Intha Racha.
This is the story about the three brothers:
King Intharacha had three sons being Chao Ai Phraya, Chao Yi Phraya and Chao Sam Phraya. Following the death of their father, the first and the second born, led their armies to Ayutthaya in order to claim the throne. Both princes engaged each other in personal combat, mounted on elephants; on or near the “charcoal market” bridge (Saphan Pa Than). Both were severely wounded, their throats slashed open at the same time ...
The Chatuchak Weekend Market, often called JJ Market, stands as one of Bangkok’s most iconic attractions and the world’s largest weekend market. Its story begins in the early 1940s when the Thai government, under Prime Minister Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, initiated a policy to establish local markets in every province to boost trade and make goods more accessible to people.
Bangkok’s first such market opened in 1942 at Sanam Luang, the grand open field near the Grand Palace, initially serving as a place for everyday items and fresh produce.
Over the following decades, the market relocated several times—to Sanam Chai briefly, then back to Sanam Luang in 1958—adapting to changing urban needs and government priorities.
By the mid-1970s, when General Kriangsak Chamanan shifted Sanam Luang toward recreational and ceremonial use, authorities allowed merchants to move southward to land adjacent to Chatuchak Park, made available through the State Railway of Thailand. This transition culminated ...
Bang Saen Beach, known locally as Hat Bang Saen, lies in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, just about 14 kilometers from Chonburi city and roughly 100 kilometers east of Bangkok. This makes it one of the most accessible coastal spots for a quick escape from the capital, often drawing weekend crowds of Thai families and day-trippers rather than large numbers of international tourists.
The name Bang Saen originates from a poignant piece of local folklore involving two young lovers from Chonburi named Saen and Sam Muk. According to the legend, their love was unrequited or forbidden, leading them to tragically throw themselves off a cliff into the sea together in despair.
Their story gave rise to several place names in the area, including the nearby Khao Sam Muk hill, which features a shrine dedicated to the tale, and the beach itself carries the enduring echo of this romantic yet sorrowful narrative.
Historically, Bang Saen began as a modest fishing village along the Gulf of Thailand. Its ...
