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was built on the new road and this became the main entrance. The ubosot , dating back to
the renovations of Rama I , was originally the front of the temple with the later junk wiharn
looming behind it: now, the huge Chinese junk obscures the view of the bell tower and
ubosot to the rear. Built of concrete, the junk chapel measures 43 metres (141 ft) from end
to end and is 5 metres (16 ft) high in the centre. Two chedis stand on the deck, represent-
ing the masts. These structures have given the temple its local name, sampaochedi , which
means “junk with chedis ” (the word “junk” entered the English language in the sixteenth
century via the Portuguese word junco ). Narrow stone steps inside the hull lead up to the
deck, and the wheelhouse at the rear is the altar.
On the northern side of Wat Yannawa, right up against the red-painted iron fence of
the temple, is an area of riverbank that has played a significant role in Bangkok's history,
and in particular that of the Chinese community. Labelled prosaically as “Soi 52”, it is
known to the locals as Soi Wang Lee. When the southern half of Charoen Krung was built,
this stretch of the road between the legation district and the Western residential district
at Bang Kolaem became an extension of Chinatown. Consequently, many Chinese im-
migrants landed at the pier next to the temple, and were absorbed into the community.
The landing was not without its hazards. A ship sank here and many were drowned. The
wreckage remained a danger to navigation for several years, Captain Loftus noting the po-
sition on his map and commenting that “several anchors have been lost here”. Near to this
spot the Jiew Eng Biew shrine was built by Chinese immigrants for a group of Hainanese
who had set sail from their homeland bound for Bangkok, only to be mistaken for pirates
of the coast of Vietnam and slaughtered.
In 1908 a group of Chinese merchants formed the Chino-Siam Steam Navigation
Company in an attempt to break the Western monopoly on passenger and cargo shipping
between Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shantou and Haikou, and they made their port
at the land around the Chinese jetty. It became known as May Cheen Port, after the Thai
name of the company. Three rice mills were founded in the immediate vicinity, adding
their smoke and clamour to the din from the sawmills and the general hubbub of com-
merce, and this became one of the most congested parts of Bangkok. It also became an
area noted for its revelry, particularly after the Wang Lee family, successful Chinese im-
migrants who made a fortune from rice mills, acquired the land and, in 1927, erected two
rows of elegant shophouses at right angles to the river, flanking the port. The development
included the Prasitiphon, a bar with Thai and Western hostesses, a band playing dance
music, and the raucous atmosphere of a portside saloon. After World War II it faded, and
became a noodle shop. Sadly, in a controversial piece of vandalism, this area has recently
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