Slow boat from China – Bangkok’s Chinatown

[snoop1130]

Slow boat from China – Bangkok’s Chinatown

by Leonard H. Le Blanc III

 

 

It is both ironic and amusing to think of the original Bangkok most probably always had a Chinatown. It is believed Chinese traders were living in the small trading post and later customs port from the 15th century. Originally, the Chinese settlers had congregated where the Grand Palace is located today. Following the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, King Taksin established his new kingdom with his capital at Thonburi (‘Wealth Fortress‘). He received aid from the local Teochew merchants who shared ethnic ties with him. They supplied his new capital with rice and provisions. In return, he granted them many favours, including land on the East bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite his palace and enclosed by city walls, on which to settle their community. The Teochew prospered under King Taksin, at the expense of the previously influential Hokkien, whose community was located in the area of Kudi Chin on the West bank South of the city. 

 

When King Rama I decided to move the capital from Thon Buri across the river in 1782, he asked the Chinese to move to a swampy, uninhabited area just to the sSoutheast further along the Chao Phaya River to free up the site of the proposed new palace. He had the palace moved to the East bank of the river, which was more strategically secure. This necessitated the relocation of the Teochew community, a move probably motivated by the fact that the Teochew had been supporters of King Taksin, while Rama I had ties to the Hokkien. This new ‘Chinatown’ was called Sampeng or Sampheng. The Chinese simply replicated the community they knew in China: two -storey shop houses with residences on the second floor, narrow alleyways, good sellers were all tightly clustered together by type or trade. There was one simple dirt thoroughfare called Sampeng Lane.

 

As wars, famine, and civil strife wracked China, Thailand became a safe haven for more and more Chinese immigrants from the Southern part as the decades passed. As Thailand became stable, trade dramatically increased between the two countries. Every day saw more and more junks appear. Due to a devastating fire that destroyed much of the area 1890, due to the inability of fire trucks to enter the narrow lanes to combat the conflagration. Soon the area was rebuilt with a broader road built in 1891 called Yaowarat.

Began to grow between the two countries. Every single day, more and more Chinese junk boats were bringing goods to Thailand and it was because of these boats that the Wat Yannawa, or the Boat Temple, was built during the Ayutthaya era. The main road weaving through Bangkok’s Chinatown is Yaowarat Road, built in 1891. This 1.5 kilometre road is often referred to as being dragon like, weaving in and out of Chinatown’s historical neighbourhood.

 

Bangkok’s Chinatown is one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. It was founded in 1782 when the city was established as the capital of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and served as the home of the mainly Teochew immigrant Chinese population, who soon became the city’s dominant ethnic group. Originally centred around Sampheng, the core of Chinatown now lies along Yaowarat Road, which serves as its main artery and sometimes lends its name to the entire area, which is often referred to as Yaowarat (Thai: เยาวราช). Chinatown’s entire area is roughly coterminous with Samphanthawong District and includes neighbourhoods such as Song Wat and Talat Noi along the Chao Phraya River, and Charoen Chai, Khlong Thom, and Nakhon Khasem along Charoen Krung Road.

 

Originally a wilderness area outside the city walls, Chinatown grew to become Bangkok’s commercial hub throughout the late 19th to early 20th centuries but has since declined in prominence as commercial activity moved elsewhere following the city’s expansion. It now serves as a hub of Chinese culture, with numerous shops selling traditional goods, and is especially known as a gastronomic destination.

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/travel-and-leisure/slow-boat-from-china-bangkoks-chinatown-2/

 

-- © Copyright Expat Life in Thailand 2020-12-07

 

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[Venom]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

he asked the Chinese to move to a swampy, uninhabited area just to the sSoutheast further along the Chao Phaya River

He asked? ????