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”, ...
Wat Pathum Wanaram Rachaworawihan, commonly known as Wat Pathum Wanaram or simply Wat Pathum, stands as a tranquil Buddhist sanctuary nestled in the vibrant commercial heart of Bangkok. Located along Rama I Road in the Pathum Wan district, between the bustling shopping centers of Siam Paragon and CentralWorld and opposite the lively Siam Square, this royal temple offers a striking contrast to the surrounding modern urban landscape, earning it the affectionate nickname of a peaceful oasis amid the concrete jungle.
King Mongkut, or Rama IV, established the temple in 1857 as part of his development of the area around Sa Pathum Palace, his royal retreat. At the time, the site consisted mainly of rice fields along the Khlong Saen Saeb canal, and the king had lotus ponds excavated there, inspiring the name Pathum Wan, which translates to “lotus forest.” The temple was constructed in connection with this royal palace complex and carried associations with Queen Debsirindra, the king’s consort and mother of...
Prasat Yai Ngao, also known as Yai Ngao Castle or Lonely Grandma’s Castle, is a small but captivating ancient Khmer sanctuary located in Ban Phon Chai, Ban Chop Subdistrict, Sangkha District of Surin Province in northeastern Thailand.
Situated about four kilometers from the Sangkha district office along Highway 24, with a short dirt track leading to the site, it stands as a testament to the far-reaching influence of the Khmer Empire in the region. The temple was constructed in the first half of the 12th century during the reign of King Suryavarman II, the same monarch responsible for the grand Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It exemplifies the classic Angkor Wat architectural style, characterized by its elegant prang towers and intricate detailing.
The complex consists of two main square brick towers with recessed corners, each measuring about five meters on each side. Evidence suggests a third tower was originally planned but never completed, giving the site its intimate scale compared to larger Khmer ...
Prasat Sikhoraphum is a well-preserved Khmer temple complex located in the district of the same name in Surin Province, northeastern Thailand, approximately 30 to 35 kilometers east of Surin town. Built primarily during the 11th or 12th century as a Hindu sanctuary, it reflects the architectural and religious influence of the Khmer Empire that once extended into this region.
Historians often associate its construction with the reign of a Khmer king such as Suryavarman I, Udayadityavarman II, or Suryavarman II, though the precise ruler remains uncertain, with stylistic evidence pointing toward an earlier period in some analyses.
The temple was originally dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, evident in its carvings and overall design. It features a distinctive quincunx layout of five brick prangs, or towers, arranged on a single square laterite platform, with the central prang rising about 32 meters high and the four smaller ones surrounding it. This arrangement is relatively uncommon in Thailand but ...
