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City of Royal Palaces, Buddhist Temples, Serpentine Canals and Street Bazaars
If you are looking for the excitement that only an Asian city can offer, come to Bangkok. Few cities in the world fire the imagination with exotic images like Thailand's capital. Ornate palaces that host royal processions, Buddhist temples that witness monks chanting ancient sutras, serpentine canals that lead to a maze of water markets, bazaars that never sleep - all have long proved a powerful magnet for travelers.
It is said that Bangkok's history was written on its waterways. The magnificent Chao Phraya River branches into a network of klongs (canals), which for hundreds of years acted as the boulevards and avenues of the city. If you are looking for an intimate glimpse of traditional Thai life, rent a hang bao (long-tailed water taxi) and venture deep into the heart of these floating neighborhoods.
Wats, the Thai term for Buddhist temples, offer equally intriguing insights into the cultural makeup of Bangkok. The meditative world of these religious enclaves provides a respite from the city's busy streets and bustling night markets. Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and Wat Po (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) are stunning examples of Buddhist sculpture, architecture, painting and decorative crafts. Besides paying homage and receiving blessings from a monk, you can consult astrologers and palm readers here and have your future told.
For exquisite treasuries of art and architecture, you must visit the Grand Palace, Vimanmek Mansion Museum, the National Museum and the Jim Thompson House - all delightful gems overflowing with antiques. More low-brow, but just as extraordinary, are the popular past-times of Thai boxing, cockfighting and kite flying, which have consumed many a traveler to the same degree as the city's risqué nightclub scene.
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