Upon his returm from Europe in 1897, King Rama V
( 1868-1910) used his personal money to purchase orchards
and paddy fields between Padung Krungkasem Canal and Samsen
Canal for the construction of a royal garden which he naned
"The Dusit Garden" The first permanent residence
in the Dusit Garden was Vimanmek Mansion, built in 1900
by royal command of king Rama V.
The
King had the Munthaturattanaroj Residence in Chuthathujrachathan
at Koh Sri Chang, chonbudismantledandrebuilt in the Dusit
garden under the superbision of HRH Prince Narissaranuwaddhiwongse.
The celebrationfor the completion of Vimanmek Mansion was
held on March 27, 1901. King rama V then moved his residence
from The Grand Palace to stay permanently at Vimanmek Mansion
for five years until the completion of Amporn Satarn Residence
in 1906 where he lived until his death in 1910 Vimanmek
Mansion was then closed down and members of the royal family
moved backto the Grand Palace Near the end of his reign,King
rama VI (1910-1925) gave permission to Her Majesty Indharasaksaji
to stay at Vimanmek Mansion and the Mansion was closed.
King
Rama VII (1925-1934) renovated the Mansion several times.
For example, he ordered the installation of newelectrical
wires and the repair of cotumns of the main pier at the
artificial lake in the garden. But staring in 1932, Vimanmekansion
was used only as a storage place of the Bureau of the Royal
Household.In 1982, on the auspicious occasion of the Bicentennial
Anniversary of Bangkok, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit who had
discovered that Vimanmek Mansion, with its elaborate architectural
style was still intact, asked permissionofHis Majesty King
Rama IX to renovate the Mansion for use as a museum to commemorate
King Rama V by displaying his photographs,personal art and
handicrafts,and to serve as a showcase of the Thai national
heritage for future generation. Vimanmek Mansion is the
world's largest golden teakwood mansion with its elaborate
architectural style refecting a western influence. The building
has two right-angled wings, each wing 60 meters long and
meters high, and is three-storied except for the part where
King Rama V resided, which is octagonal and four-storied.
Although the ground floor is brick and cement, the uypper
floors are built of beautiful golden teakwood. Altogerher
there are 31 exhibition rooms, with the bedrooms, the throneroom
and the bathrooms maintaining the atmosphere of the Thai
past. Some display rooms house exhibitions of Thaiart including
silverware, ceramics, crystalware, and ivory.Besides Vimanmek
Mansion and Amporn Satarn Residence in the compound of Dusit
Garden (or Dusit Palace -as it was later Rama V ), King
Rama and other wives.
He
also named gardens, canals, gates and roads after ancient
chinese ceramics ( commonly called "Khrueng Kim Tung"),
which were very popular at the time. Thus, the residence
that belonged to to HRH Srisawarindhira was named Suan Hong
Residence ( swan Garden Residence). These residences located
north of Vimanmek Mansion Have been turned into museum buildings
and a hall for royal coaches on show to the public.
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