The neighborhood on
the bank of the Chao Phraya River is coming back to life. The scene is
reminiscent of the city over a century ago, when Bangkokians still relied
heavily on the river for transport.
Recently, an old Thai-Chinese family Wanglee have transformed their old family estate into creative retail space known as Lhong 1919, a new tourist attraction built in celebration of history.
Cultural heritage as
asset
Lhong 1919 transforming old
riverside mansion into creative space
In the past, residents
along the Chao Phraya River relied predominantly on the river for daily life
activities, including for transport and accommodation. With the arrival of the
modern age, roads and cars replaced rivers, canals, and boats. As roads became
more and more important, old riverside buildings lost their significance. Some
were totally abandoned or were repurposed into condominiums or hotels.
But in the past few years, riverside communities have slowly been coming back to life. This was reflected in the arrival of The Jam Factory, a creative community in Khlong San, followed by the remodeling of the General Post Office into Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC). A number of art galleries subsequently emerged, including the creative hub known as Warehouse. Most recently, the Wanglee family remade a historic mansion along the Chao Phraya River that remained dormant for over a hundred years into a new creative space in the heart of Bangkok.
Lhong 1919 was, back
in the day, a historic Thai-Chinese pier on the Chao Phraya River. Lhong comes from “Hui Zhong
Lhong”, which in Chinese means steamship terminal. The place later became known
as the Wanglee warehouse. Located on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya
River, opposite Talad Noi – Chinatown, it was built in 1850 by Phraya Phisansuppaphol
(Chuen Phisanbutra), a Siam-born Chinese.
The pier had been a
steamship terminal accommodating passenger and cargo traffic and a major stop
for Chinese nationals – both merchants arriving for trade and immigrants
wishing to settle in Thailand. In 1919, the Wanglee became the owner of the
terminal, renovating it into the family’s office and warehouse.
Historic architecture
Hui Zhong Lhong was built in the
Chinese style popular during the reign of King Rama III, with bricks and
cement, wooden floor boards, and ceramic roofs. This type of traditional
Chinese architecture is called San He Yuan, where buildings are arranged in a U
shape with a large space in the middle. The buildings are lined with
167-year-old murals of auspicious drawings and those depicting daily life
activities from a famous ancient Chinese novel.
Renovation of Hui Zhong Lhong pier
The
Wanglee family, who owned the Hui Zhong Lhong pier, having recognized its
historic value, invested a huge sum of money to remodel the pier long left to
decay into Lhong 1919, a heritage-style tourist spot. The renovation was
overseen by Rujirapohn Wanglee, owner of PIA Interior, a member of the
Wanglee family herself.
The
land of more than 9,600 square meters has been developed into a mixed-use space to
host activities, parties, and outdoor events. Here, you will also find
fine-dining restaurants, Chinese food, street food, cafes, shops selling arts
and crafts by young artists, and space for relaxation. Part of the property is
also reserved for the study at Thai-Chinese history, through traditional Chinese
architecture and murals of ancient Chinese painters.
Location: 248 Chiang Mai Road, Khlong San Subdistrict, Khlong San
District, Bangkok 10600
For more information: Call 091-187-1919 or contact through its Facebook page LHONG 1919.
English Translation: Suchanart Jarupaiboon