The City Pillar Shrine of Korat

City Pillar is at the corner of Chom Phon and Prachak roads. This Chinese-style shrine houses the city pillar that is worshipped by Thais and Chinese. Built in the reign of King Narai the Great during 1656-1688, the shrine and city pillar are made of wood.

 The inner eastern wall is covered with fired clay tiles with raised designs of the battle of Thao Suranari and the way of life of Thais in ancient times.

ศาลหลักเมือง โคราช ตั้งอยู่บริเวณสี่แยกหลักเมือง ถนนจอมพล

ศาลหลักเมือง  มีลักษณะเป็นศาลเจ้าแบบจีน ประดิษฐานเสาหลักเมืองนครราชสีมาซึ่งเป็นที่สักการะบูชาของชาวไทยและจีนในเมืองโคราช ศาลหลักเมืองนี้สร้างขึ้นในสมัยสมเด็จพระนารายณ์มหาราช ระหว่าง พ.ศ.2199-2231 ตัวศาลและเสาหลักเมืองทำด้วยไม้ ผนังศาลโดยรอบศาลหลักเมืองทางด้านทิศตะวันออกเป็นกระเบื้องดินเผาปั้นลวดลายนูนต่ำ แสดงเรื่องราวเกี่ยวกับการสู้รบของท่านท้าวสุรนารี และวิถีชีวิตความเป็นอยู่ของคนไทยในอดีต

source : Tourismthailand.org

A day trip to Phanom Rung Historical Park

Phanom Rung Historical Park is located in Burirum Province, a neighbor province of Nakhon Ratchasima. A day trip drive from Korat City took around 2 hours for us with some stops along the way.

Phanom Rung or ปราสาทหินพนมรุ้ง Prasat Hin Phanom Rung (Phanom Rung Stone Castle), is a Khmer temple complex set on the rim of an extinct volcano at 1,320 feet above sea level, in Buriram province in the Isan region of Thailand. It was built in sandstone and laterite in the 10th to 13th centuries. It was a Hindu shrine dedicated to Shiva, and symbolises Mount Kailash, his heavenly dwelling. Thailand's Department of Fine Arts spent 17 years restoring the complex to its original state from 1971 till 1988. On 21 May, 1988, the park was officially opened by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in 2005, the temple was submitted to UNESCO for consideration as a future world heritage site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phanom_Rung_historical_park

Sai-Thong Thep Nimit

Nak Rop Thai Foundation - Sai Thong Thep Nimit

Pak Thongchai road, Tambon Ta Ang

Amphoe Chok Chai, Nakhon Ratchasima

(next to Korat Resort)

มูลนิธินักรบไทย ไทรทองเทพนิมิต

ถ. ปักธงชัย ต. ท่าอ่าง อ.โชคชัย

จ. นครราชสีมา (ใกล้โคราชรีสอร์ท)

http://www.nakropthai.com/index.php?lay=show&ac=article&Id=432487

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Phimai Historical Park

As I'm living in Korat, going to Phimai is about an hour drive from my home (60 kms). My Phimai trip usually combine with a visit to Sai Ngam (Abundance of Banyan tree) where is 1-2 kms from Phimai Historical Park. In November every year The Phimai annual festival take place, you will see Phimai as a lively town. Boat race, cultural performance, Korat cat contest, light and sound in Phimai Historical Park.. As I used to go to Phimai in different times, I like better when it has no event, I love a peaceful atmoshphere and see real local life. All these photos taken several years ago, my visit in the week-day, quite nice!

Phimai Historical Park is located in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province.

The temple marks one end of the Ancient Khmer Highway from Angkor. As the enclosed area of 1020x580m is comparable with that of Angkor Wat, Phimai must have been an important city in the Khmer empire. Most buildings are from the late 11th to the late 12th century, built in the Baphuon, Bayon and Angkor Wat style. However, even though the Khmer at that time were Hindu, the temple was built as a Buddhist temple, as Buddhism in the Khorat area dated back to the 7th century. Inscriptions name the site Vimayapura (which means city of Vimaya), which developed into the Thai name Phimai.

The first inventory of the ruins was done in 1901 by the French geographer Etienne Aymonier. They were put under governmental protection by announcement in the Government Gazette, Volume 53, section 34, from September 27, 1936. Most of the restorations were done from 1964 to 1969 as a joint Thai-French project. The historical park, now managed by the Fine Arts Department, was officially opened by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on April 12, 1989.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phimai_historical_park

Prasat Hin Phanom Wan

Prasat Hin Phanom Wan - Ancient Khmer site just in Muang Korat

I haved live in Korat all of my life but just last year I made a first time visiting to this ruins of ancient Khmer site. It is another Prasat Hin of Korat, you may have heard only the famous one Prasat Hin Phimai and that is 60 kms away from Korat City.

Prasat Hin Phanom Wan is located at the edge of the city, around 15 min drive. I drove up there, very easy route. No visitors at all by the time I was there, only locals in the community nearby walking pass to the local temple.

Prasat Phanom Wan, believed it was built in the 15th Buddhist century. Even thought it's small place but I enjoyed take a stroll inside and the area all around, temple and local living area.

To get there, take highway no 2, when pass Jho ho junction, then drive another few kms and turn right into Tumbon Ban Pho, drive up for 5 kms you will see the site.

ประสาทหินพนมวัน

Historical Site in Sung Noen District

Sung Noen is only 35 kms from Korat City. It's worth a day trip from Korat City even you are not into history, go and get some fresh air and enjoy nice country-side.

Sung Noen is a hidden place, there is some small historical sites influenced by Khmer culture, scattered throughout the district, particularly in Tumbon Sema and Tumbon Korat.

We have been first to Tumbon Sema, the historical sites are in the area of Wat Thammachak Semaram Temple. IT's about 4 kms from central of Sung Noen.

Wat Thammachak Semaram Temple

Nearby the temple, we went into the House of The Large Reclining Sandstone Buddha image. Picture above shows the entrance.

Within the area of The Large Reclining Sandstone Buddha image

The Large Reclining Sandstone Buddha image

The Large Reclining Sandstone Buddha image or local call Phra Non, it’s the most ancient and largest a Reclining Buddha image that made from red sand stone.

The image was built around 1200 B.E. The length of the Buddha is approximately 13.30 metres. The image is located in Thammachak Semaram Temple, part of Muang Sema Historical Site.

Sandstone bai-sema (leaf-shaped stones), pieces of ancient sema stones (that mark the sacred area of a Buddhist temple)

The pavilion of Sema Thammachak

Sema Thammachak

Within the area, there are more various other evidences of archaeology such as bronze Buddha images, Buddha terracotta printing images, glass beads and inscribing stone.

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After visit Tumbon Sema, we drove to Tumbon Korat(or Korat sub-district) where's not far.

There are some more small historical sites were built in the same period of Sema.

1) Prasat Muang Kaak

2) Prasat Muang Kao

3) Prasat Non-gu

Prasat Muang Kaak

Prasat Muang Kaak

Prasat Muang Kaak

Prasat Non-gu

This was a small traffice circle in Tumbon Korat.