Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Attractions


Khon Kaen has many notable attractions which we would like to recommend as follows.

Phu Wiang National Park.
Amphoe Phu Wiang, Changwat Khon Kaen


     The national park covers the area of Phu Wiang ,Si Chomphu and Chum Pae Districts. It was declared by a national government on 8 December,1991. The total area is 325 square kilometers. The park is surrounded by mountains. In the valley there are various kinds of plants, trees, numerous kinds of wildlife, beautiful waterfalls, dinosaur fossil sites and the reclining Buddha on the cliff at the crest of Phu Wiang Mountain. Many places are accessible by vehicles, and the closest point is only 4 kilometers from Phu Wiang.
                                                                                                                                      







Phuwiang Dinosaur Museum.
          It is part of the Phu Wiang Dinosaur Fossil Study and Research Centre which was founded by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Khon Kaen Province, and the Department of Mineral Resources, with an aim to study and publicize knowledge on mineral resources. The museum is divided into three sections: service, academic and exhibition. The exhibition room displays the Earth’s origin, rocks, minerals, fossils, dinosaur models, etc. The working hour is 9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. daily, except Wednesday. To get there, take Highway No.12 to ChumPae district and then turn right to Phu Wiang district on Highway No.2038. The museum is about 3 Kilometers from the national park.




        The first piece of dinosaur bone of Thailand was discovered in the Phu wiang national Park of Wiang Kao district, Khon kaen province as a result of from a uranium exploration carried out by the Department Of Mineral resources. The exploration found uranium in sandstone togehter with the piece of dinosaur bone but the cestain taxon of dinosaur was unknow at that time. The bone was later sent to France for further research. The result was that the bone belonged to the distal part of a Sauropod dinosaur.

         In 1980, Thai and French paleontologists conducted an excavation for dinosaur bones at pit No. 1 on the Phu Pratu Teema and discovered up to 21 pieces of bone of a large Sauropod dinosaur.
The discovery of dinosaur bones made the Phu Wiang valley an important area with a great interest by general people. In 1987, geologists from the Department of Mineral resources in cooperation with Frence experts discovered pit no. 2 of which 7 pieces of dinosaur bones were found and arranged in complete conditions. In the same year, up to 68 small footprints of Coelurosaur were found in Lad Pa Chad area. The Coelurosaurs were small Bipedal Carnosaurs hunting in groups.
        In 1989,Her Royal Highness Princess – Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited pit no.2, followed by Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana – Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra in the year after. The dinosaur sites and Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum had been developed after then.
 (Photo from: Phuwiang Dinosaur Museum.)




Ubonrat Dam
Nampong District, Khon Kaen



The weather is very nice at Ubonrat dam.

   
Scenic view on the other side of the dam
A peaceful walking path


The map of Ubonrat dam which gives some detials of the tourist spots
King Cobra Village
Kok Sa Nga village, Nampong district.

  
King Cobras are kept in cage. They are fed with smaller snakes brought for sale by dwellers .

Crocodiles are member of King Croba villege. They lie still all day and like to open their mouths widely for suppression.
Tourist drop coins into the pond, then the staff  keep those coins to buy them some food.

                                     
There are several monkeys at King croba village. Tourist can feed them with corns, breads, apples, crackers, etc.

A fight with a King Cobra:
This guy was trying to kiss the King Cobra's head , he had to gaze its eyes in order to face it.

Isan Style Dancing:
In the picture, the girls were dancing in Isan style,
then two girls who had a King Croba around their necks put the sneak head into their mouths.

A boy  fighting with a King Cobra
Several  men at King Cobra village can fight with King Cobra. They were trained since their childhood like the boy in the picture.


                                     
Dancing with King Cobra
Same above,  the show demonstrated the relationship of Kok Sa Nga's villagers and the King Cobra.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

About Khon Kaen


Coat provincial : the relics are located on a stool tamarind with tree-lined brace.




Provincial flower : Cassia fistula.



Map of Khonkaen


Khon Kaen is the 3rd largest in population of northeastern which is vice from Nakhon Ratchasima and Ubon Ratchathani. Khon Kaen locates in the Friendship Highway, Highway no.2 (East) and 12 (West).
Neighboring provinces from north clockwise are Nongbualamphu and Udon Thani Province, north; Maha Sarakham and Kalasin Province, east; Buri Ram and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces, south; Chaiyaphum and Phetchabun provinces, west. The province is subdivided into 26 districts : Mueang Khon Kaen ,Ban Fang,
Phra Yuen, Nong Ruea ,Chum Phae, Si Chomphu, Nam Phong, Ubolratana, Kranuan, Ban Phai , Pueai Noi, Phon , Waeng Yai , Waeng Noi , Nong Song Hong , Phu Wiang , Mancha Khiri , Chonnabot,Khao Suan Kwang, Phu Pha Man, Sam Sung, Khok Pho Chai, Nong Na Kham, Ban Haet, Non Sila ,Wiang Kao.



Nightlife at Khon Kaen


Shrine of the guardian spirit of the city



Triumph arch


Sunset at Kaen Nakorn Lake




Wat Phra That Kham Kaen



Phrathat Khamkaen's  located in Chetiyaphm temple.
Back in the time of the Mori King, more than 2,500 years ago,
9 senior monks were assigned to take the Lord Buddha’s relics
to be placed in Phratat Pranom( pagoda), Nakorn Phanom Province.


The caravan was spending a night here (at Khon Kaen) nearby the heartwood of
dead tamarind tree. Then they reached the destination (Nakhon Phanom) just to be
informed that the pagoda was already completed.
They had to head back to their hometown.


Therefore, they decided to build Phrathat here and placed the relics
and Buddha images inside, naming Phrathat Kham Kaen which
means the stupa of tamarind heartwood.



They passed by the place that they had spent a night again.
They were surprised that the heartwood was lush.
They decided to build a pagoda to place the relics of
the Lord Buddha. The Pagoda’s named Phratan Kam Kaen,
the pagoda of tamarind heartwood.

                                       

There’s an annual celebration held on the full moon night
of 6th lunar month. The pagoda’s about 30 kilometers away from
downtown via High way no. 209, KhonKaen – Kalasin route. Go across
Nam Pong River then turn left and keep going for another 14 kilometers.



We  drop coins  into a bowl  and  pray. Then, you will hear a 
sound of monk sermon from the box behide the bowls. The sound was tape recorded.