Beitou (北投) is a district of Taipei City at the foot of Yangmingshan (陽明山 or Yangming Mountain), a collection of mountain peaks that make up Yangminshan National Park. These include Seven Star Mountain (七星山 or Qixingshan), a dormant volcano that last erupted around 700,000 years ago.
Xinbeitou (新北投), the hot spring village around Xinbeitou MRT station, occupies a lush valley that is home to 1200 species of plants, 110 species of bird, and 160 varieties of butterflies.
Beitou Thermal Valley (also called Beitou Geothermal Valley or Hell Valley) is a second, highly acidic “green sulfur” hot spring that is a major tourist attraction in Beitou and the source of the hot creek running through Beitou Hot Spring Park.
The spring water is high in radium, which in the past underwent a corrosive reaction with the andesite rocks on the river bed about 150 meters downstream, creating layers of cream and white diamond-shaped crystals named Hokutolite or “Beitou stone”, ...
Buriram’s Walking Street night market, also known as Soh Grao, So Krao, or Sarok Krao Walking Street, transforms Rom Buri Road into a lively pedestrian zone every Saturday and Sunday evening, setting it apart from the daily Night Bazaar nearby. It stretches from Chira Road toward the Buriram Night Bazaar intersection close to Khlong La Lom and about 500 meters from the railway station, creating a relaxed riverside atmosphere perfect for strolling. Starting around 4 or 5 PM and running until roughly 10 or 11 PM, the market features an array of affordable Isaan-style street food like grilled seafood, pad Thai, local snacks, desserts, fresh fruits, and vegetables, alongside stalls selling clothes, OTOP handicrafts, souvenirs, and small trinkets. Visitors often enjoy the chill vibe with live music elements, family crowds, and opportunities to relax by the water after grabbing a meal, making it an authentic local experience for discovering Buriram’s flavors and community energy on weekends....
Wat Nangnong is an ancient monastery. The styles of objects at the temple date back to the Ayutthaya era. A large scale restoration project during the reign of king Rama III (1824-1851). After this restoration the temple was granted the designation of being a royal temple. The king himself came to this temple by boat in 1841 to perform a ritual over the boundary stones in and around the ordination hall (Ubosot).
The principal Buddha image in the ordination hall is seated in the subduing Mara (Satan) posture, representing the Sukhothai art style. Inside the ordination hall that are many different art techniques, like the gilded lacquer paintings of figures from Chinese literature known as romance of the three kingdoms.
The temple collection includes a number of objects created in the styles of European and Chinese art. These heritage resources are considered valuable property of the Thai people.
This temple is away from the tourist areas and you will only find the locals here. The temple ...
Wat Phu Man Fa is a massive temple being built in Buriram Thailand. This temple has caused some controversy due to its resemblance to Angkor Wat.
Construction started several years ago on a piece of land covering 200 Rai (roughly 100 acres). It features several stone buildings built in the Khmer style. Its resemblance to Angkor Wat has caused a great deal of controversy and the #SaveAngkorWat hastag.
The head Abbot that is the vision behind the project said the styling came to him in a dream. He believes that he was a soldier that was part of the construction of the original Angkor Wat and now is continuing now after entering the monk hood.
The controversy drew the attention of Cambodian officials that were invited to inspect the site. It’s been agreed that it has design elements of many different sites like Phimai and others and is not a direct copy of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
The temple construction continues and is really amazing to see. It’s being built on a scale that is ...
