MUANG SING Historical Park

Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park, Kanchanaburi

The ancient site is 43 kms out of Kanchanaburi on the bank of the Kwai Noi River on Highway 323. The principal structure, the Khmer Prasat Muang Sing (Tower of the City of Lions), is believed to have been the western most outpost of the Angkor-centere Khmer empire. A wide range of artifacts including temple carvings, religious statues, implements, and pottery shards indicate the once-thriving city must have been inhabited from approximately the 12th to14th centuries. The park is daily open for tourists from 09.00 a.m. to 04.30 p.m.

Today was a beautiful Thailand day and just right for a day trip with the sun shining as always , but a very nice cool breeze blowing up from the Famous River Kwai,and all around the valley we call Sai Yok. We had been to the Muang Sing Park  6 years ago , but we were traveling with other folks and  history was just not their thing  soooo we were rushed  to look and and hurry as they were hungry, and were more interested in where and when they were going to eat , than relaxing and walking around the beautiful Park  with all it's beautiful flowers and well kept walking paths and so many huge trees that provided the best canopy of shade that you could ask for .
Well we decided that we would go alone this time and spend as much time there as we wanted . I have to say from the start that , If you want to see old Thai history from the Khmer period , and art from that period as well , then this is a must see place .There are 4 Monuments as they call them , I call them Temples and Mini temples and as of this date only 2 have been really excavated and laterite  blocks stacked back up to show what it looked like 2,000 years ago, I am just amazed that this stuff (art and history)  made it this long with out being totally lost or destroyed. Lots of artifacts and treasure have been found and I'm sure there is more just buried beneath the paths and trails we were walking on. They have found many traces of habitation,such as iron tools,ornaments ,glazed ceramics Khmer ware, Chinese celadon of the Sung period (12th--13th century)  now that's old stuff.There were a lot of Stucco Decorations for the sanctuaries made from limestone and crushed shells mixed with glue from animal skins even juice from sugar cane was used to make the stucco dry slower so that they could shape it easier.They found several religious sculptures at each monument and lots of Images of Budda.

 In 1985  while digging around the wall( close to the river bank) to clean and restore it they uncovered what they now know to be  evidence of a prehistoric burial ground.They have excavated two skeletons and lots of grave goods such as whole pots beaded bracelet's ,and bronze artifacts. They have come to conclude that the whole area around the river bank is a burial ground  there fore all construction in that area has come to a halt  (good for them ).
 We really enjoyed our half day there and could have stayed longer , but like the friends of a few years ago my stomach was crying for food., We had already made plans to eat at a favorite little road side restaurant of mine , but if you don't have plans they have food and snacks and a few gifts for you to buy there too..
 They have several great picnic areas and the solitude of the Park is a great relaxer, in fact  one of the comments from Ciejay as we were walking around was that it was a "Sad" place and that if she believed in ghost this was a perfect place for them to live  .  I thought that was funny to hear her say that , and I was feeling it myself too.
  If you are ever In the Kanchanaburi area and have at least a half a day to spend  this place will not disappoint you .We enjoyed ourselves and we're sure you will too.
History, History, History ,  it don't get any better than this , and it's just another reason why we're Retired In Thailand and Loving It.