Siamese Retailer
Friday, June 19, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Siamese Festival
Songkran Festival in Siamese
The traditional Siamese New Year, is celebrated for a full three days beginning April 13 and blends solemn religious ceremonies with riotous throwing of water on passers-by. The word 'Song Kran' comes from the Sanskrit language which means to 'Move into'. It refered to the orbit of the sun moving into Aries. It marks the end of a 12-months cycle and the beginning of a new solar year. The word 'Song Kran' means a passage or course and refers to the position of the sun within the solar system. As the sun enters each of the houses of the zodiac constellation, a songkran cycle is completed. Over time, the use of the term has become more generic and Songkran is more commonly associated with the period when the sun enters Aries, in April.
Apart from marking a new beginning, Songkran is also a time for thanksgiving. It is an important time for individuals to reflect upon the many acts of kindness and thoughtfulness each has personally experienced and to remember how such acts of generousity and compassion bring peace, happiness and well-being.
Apart from marking a new beginning, Songkran is also a time for thanksgiving. It is an important time for individuals to reflect upon the many acts of kindness and thoughtfulness each has personally experienced and to remember how such acts of generousity and compassion bring peace, happiness and well-being.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Siamese band
The Siamese band
The earliest Siamese musical instruments were given names that reflected sounds the made. A typical small musical ensemble is called a Phipat band. The majority of the instruments are percussive but there is always at least one reed, the pinai, which sounds somewhat like a bagpipe. In the illustration above, the man on the right is using a flute-like instrument composed of varying lengths of hollow bamboo; this is most often heard in the northeast. There are now about fifty different types of Siamese musical instruments, including many regional variations.
The royal prosession in Siam
The royal elephant
The elephant,which once roamed wild in large numbers in forests, has played an important cultural and economic role since the early days of the Kingdom.'White elephants' were revered as symbols of royalty; The Siamese national flag used to show a white elephant on a red back ground, until the adoption of the present striped flag in 1917. The kings and princes of Ayutthaya rode into battle on war elephants, and King RamaIV of Bangkok in a letter offered a supply of the animals to US president Bunchanan. In the past and to some degree at present, elephants, valued for their skill and their might, provided the main work force in the teak forests of the north.
The royal prosession in Siam
The civilization in Siam
The civilizationIn 1871; within a generation there were so many on the streets of Siam that, in 1901, a law was passed limiting their number. Automobiles arrived the following year. By 1908, there were over 300 cars; the invasion of this modern form of transportation spelled doom for the city's once numerous canals.
The retro Siam
The Siam in the retro periodThe past decade or so has seen extensive construction along the Chao Phraya, expecially on the Thonburi side, not only hotels but also residential condominiums for affluent Siameses seeking a location more convenient to their offices.
The hill tribes in Siam
The hill tribes in Siam
The majority of the hill tribes in northern Siam are relatively recent immigrations to the region. Only the Karens and the Lawas were settled in the country before the arrival of the Siameses.
The hill tribes form a minority. In 1999, their total population was about 873,700. Apart from the Karens and the Lawas, this group also includes the Miens (Yaos), Lisus, Lahu Shis and the Blue and White Hmongs. While aspects of religious such as Christianity, Buddhism and Islam have been adopted by some hill tribes, animism is still in evidence.
The hill tribes form a minority. In 1999, their total population was about 873,700. Apart from the Karens and the Lawas, this group also includes the Miens (Yaos), Lisus, Lahu Shis and the Blue and White Hmongs. While aspects of religious such as Christianity, Buddhism and Islam have been adopted by some hill tribes, animism is still in evidence.
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Royal Siamese Palace
The Royal Siamese Palaces
The first Western-style buildings appeared in the palace. Which saw the most extensive additions since the palace was built. King Rama V, the first Siamese ruler to travel to Europe, ordered the construction of a new throne hall and royal residence. They were completed in time for the celebration of Bangkok's centenary in 1882.
The Siam river
These postcards showing the way of Siamese lives
Thousands of floating houses, anchored to stout posts, lined the river and canals of early Siam. The city of Siam expanded rapidly. Two new canals were excavated and rows of floating houses. The floating houses served as both shops and residences for most of the population.
Royal Siamese Family
The Royal Siamese Family
In March 1782 a revolt broke out against King Taksin, who was thought to have become insane. He was placed by a prominent military commander who, as King Rama I, founded the Chakri Dynasty and for strategics reasons moved the seat of government across the river to a small trading port known as Bangkok. King Rama IV or King Mongkut is best known as the hero of the king and I.
Siam Monarchy
Siamese Kings
A unique monarchy. One of the outstanding forces in Siam is the monarchy that has evolved under the King.
A King in State, despite a few western innovations, full ceremonial dress for royalty has changed remarkably little from the ancient past.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
