|
|
|
|
Khon Kaen Province
|
| |
|
| |
Khon Kaen (Thai ???????) is the second-largest of the north-eastern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Nongbua Lamphu, Udon Thani, Kalasin, Maha Sarakham, Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Phetchabun and Loei.
Kaen is located in the heart of the Khorat Plateau. The Chi River flows through this province.
first city of the area was established in 1783 when Rajakruluang settled there with 330 people.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Khon Kaen Province' Start a new discussion about 'Khon Kaen Province' Answer questions from other users |
Encyclopedia
Khon Kaen (Thai ???????) is the second-largest of the north-eastern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Nongbua Lamphu, Udon Thani, Kalasin, Maha Sarakham, Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Phetchabun and Loei.
Geography
Khon Kaen is located in the heart of the Khorat Plateau. The Chi River flows through this province.
History
The first city of the area was established in 1783 when Rajakruluang settled there with 330 people. King Rama I made Rajakruluang the first governor of the area when establishing tighter connections with the Isan area. The main city was moved six times until in 1879 it reached its modern location at Nuang Kaw. Khon Kaen became the administrative centre in the beginning of the 20th century.
Symbols
|
| The seal of the province shows the stupa (tower) of Phra That Kham Kaen, which is believed to contain relics of Buddha. Two trees are depicted on both sides, one is a banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis), the other a Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula). The Thai name of the golden shower means providing support and preventing a decline, and it is also the provincial flower. The provincial tree is the pink shower tree (Cassia bakeriana), the Thai name of which translates as "wishing tree". |
Administrative divisions
The province is subdivided into 26 districts (amphoe). The districts are further subdivided into 198 subdistricts (tambon) and 2139 villages (muban).
There are plans to split off the northwestern part to form a new province centered at Phu Wiang. The other districts which will belong to this new province are Nong Ruea, Chum Phae, Si Chomphu, Phu Pha Man, Nong Na Kham and Wiang Kao.
Tourism
Transportation
Road system
Road connect to Bangkok and central region by national highway No.2
Road connect to Northern region by national highway No.12
Road connect to Vientiane (Laos) via Udonthani and Nong Khai by national highway No.2
Public bus at Khonkaen city
2 Public bus station (locals bus and inter-province bus).
Hourly public bus to Bangkok.
Daily public bus to Major city in northern, central,eastern region.
Railway
Railway system to Bangkok available at Khonkaen railway station.
Air transportation
Air transportation to Bangkok available at Khonkaen airport Khon Kaen Airport(KKC).
Sights
City Pillar Shrine (????????????????????????????) A famous monk and former governor of Khon Kaen placed a stone inscription from an ancient site in Amphoe Chum Phae here for a Buddhism rite and set up the city pillar shrine.
Khon Kaen National Museum (????????????????????? ???????) The museum exhibits antiques and precious art pieces from pre-historical to historical periods as well as a skeleton of the New Stone Age man and tools found at Ban Chiang.
Bueng Kaen Nakhon (??????????) The lake is in the municipality of Amphoe Mueang. By the lake is a monument of Chao Phia Mueang Phaen, founder of Khon Kaen.
Treasure Hall (?????????????????????) Established to strengthen the local identity and serve as a study centre, the local museum exhibits the history of the city as well as the people’s lifestyle from the yesteryears through the contribution of senior citizens.
Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon or The 9-storey stupa (????????????????? ??????????? ? ????) The Phra Mahathat houses relics of the Lord Buddha and important Buddhist scriptures. Murals within the stupa feature history of the town. The top floor, on the 9th storey, houses relics of the Lord Buddha.
Khon Kaen University (??????????????????) The university is the largest education centre in Isan, particularly on the areas that directly involve and benefit Isan people.
Art and Cultural Centre (??????????????) Located in the compound of Khon Kaen University, the Isan barn-style building features local knowledge in different areas; namely, arts, geography and history through a modern display.
Sim Isan (Wat Pa Saeng Arun) (????????) The Sim Isan’s outstanding features lie in its typical shape and style, solidity, shelter as well as beauty of the murals of Mudmi patterns of the province’s famous tie-dyed silk. This has been intended for later generations to learn, treasure as well as conserve local architecture.
Wat Chai Si and Its Murals (????????????????????????) The temple being of archaeological, historical as well as social environmental importance, was declared a national ancient monument on 20 August, 2001. The ordination hall – Sim or Ubosot – of this temple houses magnificent mural paintings, both inside and outside, by a folk artisan from Maha Sarakham known as Thong Thipcha.
Huean Lao (????????) The private museum features Isan lifestyle, typical house, local wisdom, native arts and culture in the past.
Phrathat Kham Kaen (??????????????) The Phrathat is believed to be the origin of Khon Kaen city since ancient times. Phrathat Kham Kaen can be date the 20th century A.D. The Phrathat is now well renovated and landscaped. A celebration is held annually on the full moon day of the 6th lunar month.
Ku Prapha Chai or Ku Ban Na Kham Noi (??????????? ???? ???????????????) According to archaeological finds, the Khmer ruins were hospital built during the reign of Jayavarman VII in the 13th century. The principal tower has a square plan with a front porch, with a rectangular building known as ‘Bannalai’- a library – in the southeast. These two laterite buildings were surrounded in by a stone wall with a single front entrance on the east.
King Cobra Village (???????????????) Ban Khok Sa-nga in Tambon Sai Mun is famous for its strange pets, king cobra, kept at every house.
Prem Tinsulanonda Military Fort aand Hall of Honour (??????????????????? ?????????????????????? ????????? ???????????) The hall of honour features the biography and achievement of statesman Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda who devoted himself for developing Thailand in different areas.
Ubolratana Dam or Phong Nip Dam (??????????????? ???? ?????????????) Ubolratana dam plays significant roles in generating electricity, fishery, irrigation, flood prevention, transportation, and recreation for the people of Khon Kaen.
Wat Phra Phutthabat Phu Phan Kham (????????????????????) The temple has a white gigantic Buddha image called Luangpho Yai or Luangpho Khao, of 14 m in height.
Bang Saen II and Hat Chom Thong (?????? 2 ????????????) As part of the lake over Ubolratana Dam, the beaches are quite picturesque particularly when the sun sets behind the mountain ranges.
Phu Kao-Phu Phan Kham National Park (????????????????????-???????) The park acquires a total area of 320 square kilometres or 201,250 rai, in Amphoe Ubolratana and Amphoe Non Sang of Nong Bua Lam Phu province. Most area is deciduous dipterocarp forest, which always changes its hue by early November.
Nam Phong National Park (????????????????????) The deciduous dipterocarp and dry everygreen forests in this mountain range are a major source of herbs. There are viewpoints in the park. ‘Hin Chang Si’ is a group of rocks, where wild elephants use for scratching their flanks. This point has a scenic view of the Uboltatana lake and Khon Kaen city.
Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum (??????????????????????????) is part of the Phu Wiang Dinosaur Fossil Study and Research Centre. The museum building is divided into three sections: service, academic, and exhibition. The exhibition room displays the Earth’s origin, rocks, minerals, fossils, dinosaur models, etc.
Phu Wiang National Park (?????????????????????) This national park always reminds tourists about dinosaurs. Besides fossils of dinosaurs, there are also traces of ancient civilizations in this area including a high relief of the reclining Buddha on the cliff, at the crest of Phu Wiang Mountain.
Non Mueang Ancient Town (??????????????????) Archaeologists have found sandstone Sema boundary markers in Dvaravati style in the town and nearby. Archaeologists found that there used to be a human settlement here since the late pre historic period.
Phu Pha Man National Park (??????????????????????) The obvious natural landmark of this park is the towering limestone cliff that looks like a huge curtain. Lush jungle and mixed forest keep this place cool almost all the year round.
Tham KlangKhao The cave’s entrance is some 100 metres above ground level. Inside is the habitat of millions of bats, whose accumulated droppings cause a strong smell.
Tham Phra Near to Tham Klangkhao, this cave has a natural tunnel sloping up to the crest of Phu Pha Man, but it is quite difficult to get through. The cave houses beautiful stalagmites, stalactites, and big stone pillars.
Tham Pu Ta Lo (??????????) The cave is in Ban Wang Sawap, 17 kilometres from downtown Amphoe Phu Pha Man.
Namtok Tat Fa (???????????) Tat Fa creek, natural borderline between Amphoe Phu Pha Man of Khon Kaen and Amphoe Nam Nao of Phetchabun, cascades through five steps to form this waterfall. The last step is the most impressive one with a height of 80 metres.
Namtok Tat Yai (????????????) The big waterfall originate from Tat Fa Creek. The creek cascades through small waterfalls before going through a big cliff at 80 metres high. Namtok Tat Yai is the highest waterfall in the park.
Namtok Tat Rong (????????????) With a height of 60-70 metres, the waterfall originates from Phong River that runs from Phu Kradueng. A folk tale says the waterfall can sing as water runs upon a piece of thin stone, the falling water veers off into different rock holes nearby and fills the forest with strange sounds.
Tham Phaya Nakharat (????????????) As winding as a giant naga, the one-kilometre long cave is naturally decorated with glittering curtain-like stalagmites and stalactites.
Tham Lai Thaeng (?????????) whose wall has ancient paintings on some two-square metre area. The paintings contain some 70 pictures of humans, animals, and others, mirroring culture and life in the pre-historical period dating back to over 2,000 years ago.
Tham Pu Lup (??????????) Its five chambers are all decorated with glittering stalagmites and stalactites. The cave contains water the year round.
Pha Nok Khao (????????) The towering cliff of black rock by the Phong River looks like an owl or Nok khao in Thai.
Chang Kra (???????) Having grown wild over a century ago in Wat Pa Mancha Khiri over 4,000 Chang Kra orchid-Rhyncostylis gigantean (Lindl.) Ridl.-are in full bloom on the branches of some 280 trees every year during January and February. These wild orchids always fill the whole area with their mild fragrance.
Tortoise Village (????????????) The villagers keep a large amount of tortoises as their mutual pets. The brownish yellow shelled tortoises, called Tao Phek in local dialect, always travel around in the village to be fed.
Sim (ubosot of Wat Sa Thong Ban Bua (??? ????????????????) This Sim, ordination hall, is architectural heritage of Isan with outstanding local characters. The Sim houses a rare Isan-style sandstone Buddha image. In 2002, the Sim was awarded a precious architecture, heritage and cultural conservation of the Asia Pacific by UNESCO.
Wat Udom Khongkha Khiri Khet (??????????????????) Good for meditation practicing, the temple is located deep in lush forest in Tambon Ban Khok. Luangpu Phang, a Buddhist monk famous in meditation, once lived here.
Sala Mai Thai (??????????)
Sala Mai Thai is part of the project to celebrate the 60th birtday anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen (August 12, 1992). The centre feature the silk production process from dyeing to weaving, tools for silk production and rare equipment, and different ancient silk textiles various pattern.
Prasat Pueai Noi or Phrathat Ku Thong (??????????????? ???? ?????????????) Prasat Pueai Noi was built in the 11-12th century in a mixed style between Baphuon and Angkor Wat as a shrine honouring Hindu Gods. The Naga was delicately carved on the gable of the main prang whose stone lintel featuring a reclining Narayana or visanu remains in good condition.
Wat Sa Bua Kaeo (?????????????) Crouching guardian lion replicas are on both sides of the stairway leading up to the Ubosot, ordination hall, with sculptures of men stretching their legs in front in front. Luangpho Phui, preceptor of the temple, created all of these sculptures. Murals on four walls of this concrete ordination hall, both exterior and interior, feature the people’s lifestyle, history of the Lord Buddha, heaven and hell and folklore.
Scientific Centre for Education, Khon Kaen Province (???????????????????????????????????????????) The 2-storey building has various exhibitions regarding science and environment as well as the Scientist Princess Room which features history and performances of Prof. Dr. Princess Chulabhorn and the Primeval World Room which features dinosaur and fossils.
Local Products
Mudmee Silk of Chonnabot (????????????? ?????????) Handed down from generation to generation, Mudmee is a unique technique of Isan in creating textile pattern. Silk threads are tied and dyed in particular patterns, resulting in beautiful textile patterns.
Mudmee Cotton at Ban Mueang Phia, Amphoe Ban Phai (?????????????? ????????????? ????????????) In most households, weaving a Mudmee cotton and mudmee silk tube skirt is quite a common business here.
Natural-dyed hand-woven cotton (??????????????????????????) The cotton textile is a famous product by the Art Centre for Developing Isan Women.
Culture
Festivals
The Festival of Dok Khun Siang Khaen and Khao Niao Road (????????????????????????????????????) The provincial festival of Khon Kaen is held annually during 13-15 April to celebrate the Songkran festival or water splashing. Around Kaen Nakhon Lake and on Si Chan Road, the people of Khon Kaen always start their celebration with donation of food to the monks, ritual bathing of a Buddha image, and blessing elders. Local performances will be held to entertain all fair goers.
Phrathat Kham Kaen Fair (????????????????????????) The fair takes place at Wat Chetiyaphum where Phrathat Kham Kaen is situated on the full-moon day of the sixth lunar month. The fair is intended for the people of Khon Kaen to pay homage to the much revered Phrathat as well as for them to have something to rely on spiritually and make merit.
Silk Festival, Phuk Sieo Tradition and Red Cross Fair (??????????????? ???????????????????????????) The annual fair is held during 29 November to 10 December of each year right in front of the city hall. Besides growing rice, silk production is a main source of extra income among people in the Northeast, and Khon Kaen today can be called a major silk production centre. ‘Phuk Sieo’ is a native tradition of Northeast to tighten friendship. vi
Sister cities
External links
|
| |
|
|
