Front Palace (Bangkok)
The Front Palace (
Most of the Front Palace was built under
History
In 1782, the general Chaophraya Chakri overthrew
The new Front Palace was built north of the Grand Palace, near the junction where the inner city moat (
Like the Grand Palace, the Front Palace compound was divided into three areas. The outer court to the east and front of the palace was home to administrative offices and military facilities. The middle court (to the west) contained the main residences and audience halls. The inner court, occupying the southwest part, served as the living quarters of the women of the prince's household. Also within the palace grounds, in the northern corner, was the royal temple or chapel, Wat Bowon Sathan Sutthawat.[1]
Occupants and construction history
Most of the main royal buildings in the middle court were built during the tenure of Surasinghanat. The Siwamokkhaphiman Hall, originally built of wood as an open-air pavilion, served as the first throne room. It was followed by the main residence building, a group of eleven connected halls known as the Phra Wiman, built around 1789. The Phutthaisawan Hall was probably built around 1795, when Surasinghanat led a campaign defending Chiang Mai against Burma and brought from the former the Phra Phuttha Sihing Buddha image, which was then enshrined in the hall.[1]
Surasinghanat ruled the palace until his death in 1803. It is said that prior to his death, he had his retinue take him on a tour of the palace, and, lamenting that he would not live to enjoy the architecture, cursed anyone but his descendants to be unable to live there in peace. Word of the curse appeared to have been taken seriously, as when Rama I named his son Prince Itsarasunthon (later King
Later occupants of the palace also actively attempted to avoid the curse. When Rama II became king in 1809, the new viceroy,
When King Mongkut (Rama IV) acceded to the throne in 1851, he named his brother Pinklao the "Second King", equivalent in rank to himself. By this time, the Front Palace had again badly fallen into disrepair. The fortifications were in ruins, and its lawns had been turned into orchards and gardens. Religious rituals were performed prior to Pinklao's taking up residence at the palace, with the Phra Phuttha Sihing moved back to the Front Palace and enchantment pillars buried at the gates and turrets. During Pinklao's time, several new buildings and pavilions were built, including the Western-style Itsaret Rachanuson Hall, which Pinklao used as his main residence.[4]
Pinklao died in 1865, though Mongkut continued to visit the palace, ensuring its upkeep.
Conversion
With the palace now vacant, Chulalongkorn had the Royal Museum (the country's first public museum, previously established at the Concordia Hall in the Grand Palace) moved into the Siwamokkhaphiman, Phutthaisawan and Itsarawinitchai halls in 1887.[6] The outer court was razed, in part to create the newly landscaped royal field of Sanam Luang in 1897.[1] The Ministry of Public Instruction was built in its northern area in 1905.[7] The inner court originally remained as the residences of the remaining wives and daughters of the Front Palace. As it became depopulated, the area was later dedicated for military use, and barracks were built.[8]
In 1926, King
Today, the remaining buildings of the palace, along with a few newer structures, house the Bangkok National Museum. Part of the palace's southern wall remains as the boundary of Thammasat University, and foundations of the river-facing city walls (which were shared by the palace) are visible beneath the 60th Anniversary Thammasat Building.[8]
Architecture
The architecture of the Front Palace consists of an eclectic mix of styles reflecting the changing times over which the buildings were built, as well its owners' tastes. They range from the traditional Thai style of the original buildings to the Chinese- and Western–influenced structures built nearly a century later as the country was opening up to the Western world and beginning its modernization. The traditional architecture of the Front Palace bears distinct differences in style from that of the Grand Palace, reflecting the subordinate status of its owner. Most notably, none of the original buildings were built with the multi-tiered roofs with pointed spires known as prasat, a common element in the buildings of the Grand Palace. This changed during Pinklao's time, since he shared equal stature as the king, and the Khotchakamprawet Pavilion was accordingly built with a spire.[1]
Gallery
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Siwamokkhaphiman Hall
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Phutthaisawan Hall
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Itsarawinitchai Hall
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Phra Wiman
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Phra tamnak Daeng
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Mangkhalaphisek Pavilion
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Khotchakamprawet Pavilion
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Itsaret Rachanuson Hall
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Keng Nukitratchaborihan
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Ubosot of Wat Bowon Sathan Sutthawat
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i เด่นดาว ศิลปานนท์; นัยนา แย้มสาขา; ยุทธนาวรากร แสงอร่าม (2015). "พระราชวังบวรสถานมงคล (วังหน้า)" (PDF) (in Thai). Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ แพร ปุโรทกานนท์ (10 May 2018). "ย้อนอดีต 'วังหน้า' หนึ่งในพระราชวังที่รุ่งเรืองและสำคัญที่สุดแห่งกรุงรัตนโกสินทร์". The Standard (in Thai). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d ศันสนีย์ วีระศิลป์ชัย (5 October 2019) [December 2011]. "คำร่ำลืออาถรรพ์ "วังหน้า" กรุงรัตนโกสินทร์ เมื่อกรมพระราชวังบวรฯ ตรัสสาปแช่ง". Silpa Wattanatham (in Thai). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ ISBN 978-616-543-257-3. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ISBN 0-415-29725-7.
- ^ Yupho, Dhanit (1990). The Development of National Museums in Thailand. Thai Culture, new series. Vol. 24. Bangkok: The Promotion and Public Relations Sub-division, The Fine Arts Department. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ "แนะนำกระทรวง: ประวัติ". www.moe.go.th (in Thai). Ministry of Education. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
- ^ a b กรณิศ รัตนามหัทธนะ (29 June 2018). "ตามรอย 'วังหน้า' ทำความรู้จัก 'พระราชวังบวรสถานมงคล' ฉบับละเอียด". The Cloud (in Thai). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ "เปิดแฟ้มเอกสาร 82 ปี "ธรรมศาสตร์" เผยจดหมาย-ลายมือบุคคลสำคัญ พร้อมภาพชุดสุดตราตรึง". Matichon Online (in Thai). 28 June 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
- ^ "โรงละครแห่งชาติ". ศูนย์ข้อมูลเกาะรัตนโกสินทร์ (in Thai). Silpakorn University. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
External links
- The Front Palace: Wang Na – Wang Na Naruemit exhibit by the Fine Arts Department, at Google Arts & Culture