Yaowarat is one of the oldest Chinese communities in Thailand. Known internationally as Bangkok’s Chinatown, its history started in the late 17th century, after Chinese immigrants were requested to move outside the city wall when King Rama I established his new capital in the area where the Grand Palace is today. Known for their arduous work and entrepreneurial skills, these formerly impoverished immigrants worked their way up to become the key players the country’s economy. Yaowarat became Bangkok’s major center of trade and commerce and thus attracted people from different countries, especially from China. It has thus become an important cultural melting pot, where Chinese art, culture and traditions from different regions in China are passed on from generation to generation among descendants of Chinese immigrants as well as co-exist and mix with local and foreign culture.
As one of the largest and oldest Chinese communities in Thailand, Yaowarat is home to an impressive number of Chinese temples and shrines dotted along the busy roads and alleyways. The largest and most important Chinese temple in Bangkok is Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (or locally called Wat Leng Noei Yi). Built in 1871 on Charoen Krung Road, this Southern Chinese-style Mahayana Buddhist temple consists of several courtyards, statues and shrines, where Thai-Chinese come to pray and burn incenses. The temple becomes liveliest during the Chinese New Year and the annual Vegetarian Festival.
Just a few minutes’ walk from Wat Mangkon, tucked in the middle of the bustling Trok Issaranuphap, is Leng Buai Ia Shrine. The shrine is considered the oldest Chinese shrine in Thailand, based on a plaque contained inside with a Chinese inscription stating that it was built in 1658. This shrine is an impressive example of Teochew style, originating in Chaozhou, a city in the eastern Guangdong province, where most of the Thai-Chinese population trace their ancestry to.
At first glance, most Mahayana Buddhist temples in Yaowarat look similar on the exterior. However, if looking closer at details, you will realize that some of them are not Chinese, but Vietnamese. Wat Kuson Samakhon, built in 1841, is the busiest and most important of the four Vietnamese temples in this area, as it serves as the head office of Anam Nigaya of Thailand, a sect of Mahayana Buddhism that runs the Vietnamese temples and monasteries throughout Thailand.
In addition to the Chinese and Vietnamese temples and shrines, Yaowarat also has temples in a traditional Thai style that attract local devotees and tourists alike. One of the highlights is Wat Traimit, which houses the world’s largest solid-gold Buddha image, situated in a new four-story marble structure. The temple is also home to the Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center, a small but charming museum with multimedia exhibits, providing a good introduction to the history of Yaowarat. Not so far from Wat Traimit is Wat Pathum Khong Kha, a hidden gem for aficionados of Thai temple art and architecture on Song Wat Road. The temple’s traditional Thai style is blended with Chinese elements, for example, stone statues of Chinese guardian gods and door gods on wooden panels of the temple gates.
In the old days, when Yaowarat was Bangkok’s major commercial hub, the lack of a mosque caused difficulties for foreign traders who followed Islam. Thus, Luang Kocha Itsahak Mosque was built in the late 19th century on a private land donated by a Siamese government official with Malay roots. As the only mosque in Yaowarat, it has been the place of worship for visitors and Malay and Indian Muslim traders working in the warehouses and trade companies, who are still living in this neighborhood until today.
Situated on the periphery of Yaowarat by Chao Phraya River, the Holy Rosary Church, also known locally as Kalawar (from Portuguese Calvario), has been the main place of worship for the Thai-Chinese Catholic community in the Chinatown and its neighborhoods. Originally established in 1786 by descendants of the early Portuguese traders in Ayutthaya, the current church building in Gothic Revival style was built in the late 19th century on the site of two previous structures.
Yaowarat’s architectural heritage is not limited to religious places of worship only. The district is packed with historical buildings, many of which are registered as National Monuments and exemplify the cross-cultural mix of architectural styles, particularly from Europe. Worthy of note are the Bangkok Bank Building and Tang Toh Kang Gold Shop, the oldest goldsmith in Thailand founded during the period of King Chulalongkorn. The two architectural gems are located amidst the busy Sampheng Market. The mix of Thai, Chinese and European style manifest itself in the exterior. For neoclassical architecture, head to the S.A.B. Intersection, named after the Belgian import company Société Anonyme Belge (S.A.B.) which established its office and store here in 1912. Facing each other at this busy intersection are two well-conserved heritage buildings, which were originally department stores of Western tradesmen in late King Chulalongkorn period. Nowadays, they house the office of Sing Sian Yer Pao, a leading Chinese newspaper in Thailand, and Siam Commercial Bank Chaloem Nakhon Branch.
Despite its compact size, Yaowarat has a rich architectural heritage: from a Gothic Revival church, a cream-colored mosque in a European style to Chinese temples filled with clouds of incense and sounds of chanting. These monuments reflect its character as cultural melting pot for centuries. Nevertheless, the places listed above are just examples of the architectural marvels in Bangkok’s Chinatown. There are much more places hidden in the web of tiny alleyways waiting to be explored. We have marked the location of each place in the interactive map below, as a starting point for planning your own exploration.
Text and photos by Athikhom Saengchai
