 Wat
Chalong
Here stands the cast statue of Luang Por Cham, who
helped the people of Phuket put down the Angyee, or Chinese Coolie
Rebellion,
in 1876 during the reign of Rama V. There are also statues of Luang
Por Chaung, and Luang Por Gluam, abbots of the temple during later
times. How to get there: Wat Chalong is about 8 km outside town.
Take Vichit Songkram Road to the Bypass Road and turn left, and
drive
for about 10 mins. Wat Chalong is on the left.
 Old
Phuket
The beginning of the tin boom in the
19th century led to the construction of many fine mansions and
shops that are still
well preserved.
The architectural style, typical of the region, is described
as Sino-Portuguese and has a strongly Mediterranean chracter.
Shops present a very narrow face onto the street but stretch
back a long way. Many, especially on Dibuk Road, have old
wooden doors with Chinese fretwork carving. Other streets,
forming what might be called "Old Phuket," with
similar structures are Phangnga, Yaowarat, Thalang, and Krabi,
and a walking tour of the area is easy and delightful. Some other
old European-style buildings of note are the Provincial Hall
(Sala Klang), the Phuket Courthouse (San Changwat), and Nakhon
Luang Thai Bank.
 Sapan
Hin Mining Monument
A land reclamation project provided abundant new land now used
for parks and public facilities at Sapan Hin, located where
Phuket Road meets the sea in Phuket Town. In the circle
is the Tin Mining Monument, shaped like a large drill bit, dedicated
to the memory of Captain Edward Thomas Miles,
the Australian who brought the first tin dredge to Phuket in
1909.
The monument was built in 1969 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary
of tin dredging in Phuket. A sport center is located in the
park.
 Wat
Phra Tong
This temple enshrines a golden Buddha image that sprang
up from beneath the earth long ago. The story tells of a young
boy who tied his buffalo to what he thought was a post. After doing
so, he fell down in agony
and died. The father of the boy dreamed that the reason his son
had died was for the sin of tying a filthy buffalo to a sacred
object, that what the boy thought was a post was in reality the
golden peak of the Buddha's conical cap. He told his neighbors
the dream and they all went out to dig up the statue but had
no success.
 Other
historical sites
Wat Phra Nang Sang and Thalang National Museum
The information above is courtesy
of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. |
