You have chosen Time for History
THE FIRST ROYAL VISIT TO EUROPE
King Chulalongkorn had expressed his intentions to visit Europe quite
early on in his reign. Two important events led to the decision to do
so in 1897, some twenty-nine years later. In 1891, Siam entertained a
state visitor, the Crown Prince of Russia who later became Czar
Nicholas II. This was an opportunity to become closely acquainted with
a member of the European royalty. Then in 1893, there was the so
called ror sor 112 incident in which the King had to secede his
sovereignty over territories east of the Mae Khong river to be annexed
to French Indochina, as well as vast amounts from the privy purse.
In 1897, the King went to Europe to visit fourteen European countries.
The King and his entourage travelled in the royal yacht Maha Chakri ,
a modern steamer, wore European clothes and conducted themselves
following the European court etiquette in place of the Thai court
tradition. He visited all of the European courts and had his
photograph taken with the Czar Nicholas II of Russia as diplomatic
insurance against further aggression. As a result of this cultural
diplomacy, international tensions ceased and Siam became a buffer
state between the French and British Empires in Southeast Asia.
The first visit to Europe made profound effects on Siam’s cultural
evolution. There was a new order of society which had loosened itself
from the classical devaraja concept. In his effort to westernise, the
King had to break out of the confines of the Tribhumi cosmology with
its rings of enclosure and Mount Meru at its epicentre. He knew that
no further changes could be achieved in the grounds of the Grand
Palace, which was imbued with tradition, sanctity and history. In
1899, he cleared the path for a European style grand avenue and named
it Rajadamnuen (The King’s Walk). It is said that the new avenue was
modelled after the Champs Ellysee in Paris. It served to link the
Grand Palace with a new one situated well beyond the city boundaries.
The new palace was named Suan Dusit (The Garden Palace in Dusita
Heaven). The name also reflected the new order in architecture.
All of the new buildings in the Suan Dusit Palace were built in the
European garden palace style, completely circumventing the rules of
Thai classical architecture. In 1901, he removed Vimanmek, a teakwood
mansion from an island resort, and rebuilt it in the new palace as a
temporary residence. In 1906, the royal residence, an airy and
sprawling structure known as Ampornstan was completed. He also built a
wooden house in the traditional style, a structure unfit for the
devaraja to live in, as a place where he could relax in informality
with friends and acquaintances. Also in 1906, he initiated the
building of the grand audience hall in the European Neo-classical
style, complete with a vaulted dome roof. This was to be the
Anantasamakhom Hall which stands in its marble splendour today, a
major landmark of the city of Bangkok.
While the grand audience hall was being constructed, the King
commanded the building of a temporary one named Apisek Dusit. This
hall related directed to the main open space of the garden palace
where many grand outdoor functions were held. Strangely, the hall was
built in the Moorish Style and is thus unique among all the palace
buildings. Was this the King’s architectural statement relating to the
Thai and European cultural relation’s? Was Apisek Dusit intended to
symbolise the middle ground where East meets West? The social events
taking place there certainly broke all court traditions. Here, male
and female members of the court mixed freely. They rode bicycles and
motorcars through the streets of Bangkok. Wonderful fairs were held.
The King took photographs of his subjects and joined in fancy dress
parties. He sojourned into the rural area unknown as sovereign, or
with an assumed identity, to make friends with the commoners and find
out about their livelihood.
Here was the complete transformation of the devaraja from a demigod,
imbued with magical qualities, to a modern sovereign who lived in
informality with his people. The King revealed himself to his subjects
as a loving person and was beloved by all. Even today, the populace
flock to his memorial statue to pay their respects to a great king.
02. December 2004