Odeon Circle and Chinese gate., 300px Odeon Circle or Wongwian Odeon (, , ; zh, 崇聖牌樓;

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

: ''Chóng shèng páilóu'') is a roundabout in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

. It is the intersection of

Yaowarat Yaowarat Road (, , ; ) in Samphanthawong District is the main artery of Bangkok's Chinatown. Modern Chinatown now covers a large area around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Road. It has been the main centre for trading by the Chinese community si ...

, Charoen Krung, and Tri Mit or Mittaphap Thai-China roads in Samphanthawong district. A red ''

paifang A ''paifang'', also known as a ''pailou'', is a traditional style of Chinese architecture, often used in arch or gateway structures. Etymology The word ''paifang'' ( zh, c=牌坊, p=páifāng) was originally a collective term for the top two le ...

'', which was built by

Thai Chinese Thai Chinese (also known as Chinese Thais, Sino-Thais) are persons of Chinese people, Chinese descent in Thailand. Thai Chinese are the largest mixed group in the country and the largest overseas Chinese community in the world with a popul ...

descents as part of the celebrations of King

Bhumibol Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any Thai monarch, the longest on record of any independent ...

’s 72nd anniversary in 1999, is located at the center of the circle. It is known as a gateway of

Bangkok's Chinatown Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. It was founded in 1782 when the city was established as the capital of the Rattanakosin Kingdom, and served as the home of the mainly Teochew immigrant Chinese population, wh ...

which Yaowarat as a main artery. The circle gained its name from a movie theater in the area, which was demolished in the late 1980s. The roundabout's center originally had a fountain, until it was replaced by the Chinese gate in 1999. The top of the gate is inscribed in both Thai and Chinese letters on both sides, which means that "Gate of Commemorates the 6th Cycle Anniversary of HM the King's Birthday". The gate was officially opened on 5 December 1999 by Princess

Sirindhorn Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Princess Royal () (born 2 April 1955) is a member of the Thai royal family. She is the second daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, and the younger sister of King Vajiralongkorn. Early life Birth S ...

presiding over the ceremony. On the ground floor of the roundabout. There is a brass plate with a Chinese inscription (地; ''de'') that translates to "earth" or "soil" and at the same point. At the top there is another Chinese inscription (天; ''tiān'') means "heaven" or "sky". According to the belief of the Chinese. If anyone is standing at this point, that person will be given the cosmic energy according to faith in

Feng Shui Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' mean ...

. On the side of the gate, there are two lion statues made from white jade, which was given by the

government of China The government of the People's Republic of China is based on a system of people's congress within the parameters of a unitary communist state, in which the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacts its policies through people's congresses. ...

as part of the celebrations of King Bhumibol’s 80th anniversary in 2007. The male lion puts his right foot on a ball, while the lioness puts her left foot on a cub. There is also a rabbit statue made of white jade in front of the gate, it was sent from government of China in 2011 as part of the celebrations of King Bhumibol’s 84th anniversary, because he was born in the year of the Rabbit. Odeon Circle was dubbed "

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

Head" because it was the beginning of Yaowarat, which it was called "Dragon Road". It's a symbolic and one of the landmarks of Bangkok's Chinatown and also an emblem of Samphanthawong district office.

Neighbouring places

* Wat Traimit and Golden Buddha *Samitivej Chinatown Hospital *

Thian Fah Foundation Hospital Thian Fah Foundation Hospital, shortened to Thian Fah Foundation (; Traditional Chinese characters, traditional Chinese: 天華醫院; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 天华医院; pinyin: ''Tiān huá yī yuàn''), is the first ...

and

Guan Yin Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as male in Indian ...

Shrine * Chaloem Buri Intersection

References

External links

* category:Buildings and structures in Bangkok category:Tourist attractions in Bangkok Samphanthawong district category:Road junctions in Bangkok category:1999 establishments in Thailand category:Monuments and memorials in Thailand {{coord, 13, 45, 13.81, N, 100, 30, 47.01, E, display=title