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Bangkok (Thailand)
The ancient ruins of Ayutthaya are a short day trip from Bangkok
It"s worth putting up with the traffic jams, pollution, annual floods and
sticky weather to experience one of Asia"s most exciting cities. Bangkok has
dominated Thailand"s urban hierarchy, as well as its political, commercial and
cultural life, since the late 18th century. Although the late 20th-century
boom(迅速发展)is over - you can still shop in air-conditioned comfort in
Western-style malls(设在郊区的大规模购物中心).
Bangkok proper seethes(沸腾，热闹)on the east side of the Chao Phraya River. The
city is reportedly sinking at a rate of 90cm (36in) every year, but there"s too
much happening in this vibrant city for anyone to get that sinking feeling for
too long.
Metropolitan Bangkok covers 1569 sq km (612 sq mi) of southern Thailand,
sitting in the middle of the most fertile rice-producing delta in the world. A
network of natural and artificial canals crisscross(纵横交错地分布于) the city, feeding
to and from Thailand"s hydrological lifeline - the broad Chao Phraya River -
which snakes through the city providing transport for passengers and cargo.
A dancer in traditional Thai costume
Bangkok is divided in two by the main north-south train line. Old Bangkok,
where a large proportion of the city"s temples and palaces and its Chinese and
Indian districts are found, lies between the river and the railway. East of the
railway, comprising the main business, tourist and sprawling residential
districts, is "new" Bangkok. Of course, outside of these general
classifications, Bangkok sprawls in all directions with a mixture of commercial,
industrial and residential areas.
Jim Thompson"s House, the former abode (此指住处) of mystery man and silk
entrepreneur Jim Thompson is a great spot to visit for authentic Thai
residential architecture and South-East Asian art. Thompson was a New York
architect who served as a spy in Thailand during WWII. After setting up house in
Bangkok, he gradually built up worldwide clientele(顾客)for a craft that may
otherwise have died out. Each wall of Thompson"s house has its exterior side
facing the building"s interior, exposing the wall"s bracing(支撑)system to
residents and guests.
Bangkok is a cultural melting pot and there"s no better evidence of this
than Pahurat, on the edge of Chinatown. A wide variety of Indian goods are
available in this small area, ranging from an astonishing array of silks to Thai
shoulder bags. The choice is amazing, the haggling is fierce and the bargains
can be unbelievable - if you"re good enough, that is. Head down little alleys
into the "bowels" of this area and you"ll find foodstuffs, household items and a
thriving culture that might ordinarily pass by unnoticed. Pahurat lies west of
Chinatown towards the river. |
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发表于 2016-7-9 23:19:14