Wat Ban Tham, just south of Kanchanaburi in West Thailand, illustrates two local practices at once: the ancient tradition to build monasteries in natural caves and the relatively new fashion in monastic communities to experiment with cement and paint.
In this case, to reach the cave, one has to pass inside the body of a psychedelically colored dragon.
An impressive Buddha statue dominates the main hall of the cave. But, the side chamber contains something unusual: a stalactite said to house the spirit of Bua Kli.
She was one of the many consorts of Khun Paen, a legendary governor of Kanchanaburi, an epic hero known to have been invincible in battle, irresistible in love, and skillful in magic. When Bua Kli died in pregnancy, Khun Paen extracted the unborn child to make a gumanthong, a powerful talisman that renders its wearer immune to all weapons.
Some of the locals say her spirit had become a ghost as a side effect, and now resides in this cave. Worshipers have wrapped the ...
The Trans-Siberian Railway is the world’s longest single continuous rail line, spanning about 9,289 kilometers from Moscow to Vladivostok across eight time zones, vast taiga forests, steppe, mountains, and 16 major rivers.
Construction began in 1891 under Tsar Alexander III, with Tsarevich Nicholas II laying the first stone in Vladivostok. The project aimed to unite the Russian Empire, boost trade with Asia, and develop Siberia’s resources.
Built in sections from both ends amid harsh terrain and permafrost, the full Russian route (avoiding earlier Manchurian shortcuts) was completed in 1916. It later supported Soviet industrialization, World War II logistics, and remains a key passenger and freight corridor operated by Russian Railways.
The premier service is the Rossiya train number 001/002, a comfortable firmeny train with renovated carriages featuring air conditioning, power outlets, USB ports, and showers in some cars. It offers first-class (two-berth), second-class kupe (four-berth), and...
The Trans-Siberian Railway is the world’s longest single continuous rail line, spanning about 9,289 kilometers from Moscow to Vladivostok across eight time zones, vast taiga forests, steppe, mountains, and 16 major rivers.
Construction began in 1891 under Tsar Alexander III, with Tsarevich Nicholas II laying the first stone in Vladivostok. The project aimed to unite the Russian Empire, boost trade with Asia, and develop Siberia’s resources.
Built in sections from both ends amid harsh terrain and permafrost, the full Russian route (avoiding earlier Manchurian shortcuts) was completed in 1916. It later supported Soviet industrialization, World War II logistics, and remains a key passenger and freight corridor operated by Russian Railways.
The premier service is the Rossiya train number 001/002, a comfortable firmeny train with renovated carriages featuring air conditioning, power outlets, USB ports, and showers in some cars. It offers first-class (two-berth), second-class kupe (four-berth), and...
The Trans-Siberian Railway is the world’s longest single continuous rail line, spanning about 9,289 kilometers from Moscow to Vladivostok across eight time zones, vast taiga forests, steppe, mountains, and 16 major rivers.
Construction began in 1891 under Tsar Alexander III, with Tsarevich Nicholas II laying the first stone in Vladivostok. The project aimed to unite the Russian Empire, boost trade with Asia, and develop Siberia’s resources.
Built in sections from both ends amid harsh terrain and permafrost, the full Russian route (avoiding earlier Manchurian shortcuts) was completed in 1916. It later supported Soviet industrialization, World War II logistics, and remains a key passenger and freight corridor operated by Russian Railways.
The premier service is the Rossiya train number 001/002, a comfortable firmeny train with renovated carriages featuring air conditioning, power outlets, USB ports, and showers in some cars. It offers first-class (two-berth), second-class kupe (four-berth), and...
