One of the latest major tourist attractions to open in Thailand is the “Dragon Descendants Museum” in Suphanburi Province. Like the Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan that is shaped like a three-headed elephant, this museum is also a “Wonder of Thailand”. One of those rare places where perhaps the building itself is more interesting and beautiful than the artifacts it holds within. In the case of this museum, the building is in the shape of a giant dragon. It dominates the landscape as you drive towards the city pillar shrine. The brightly coloured dragon, which is made of fiberglass, is 135 meters long and 35 meters high. It is 18 meters wide.
The museum was designed to showcase the unique history of the Chinese people together with their culture and wisdom. Khun Weerasak told me that they decided to build the museum in the shape of a dragon as it is a symbol of China and recognizable around the world. It is also not the normal kind of museum where you wander around by yourself. You have to join tours that leave on the hour and every hour between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The multimedia experience is unique as it takes you through the history of the Chinese civilization though the use of light and sound shows. We started at the cradle of the creation of the world and then as we walked from room to room, we passed through various dynasties covering a period of 5,000 years. The final room told us of the origins of the Thai-Chinese people and how they have integrated with the people of Thailand. Chatting afterwards, Khun Weerasak told me that he hoped that the museum would inspire people to try and learn a bit more about the Chinese culture.
I think Suphan Buri is starting to have enough tourist attractions now to warrant a visit. Maybe even an overnight stay.
