Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Phra Sumen Fort, located at the junction of the second moat and the river.
Around the base of Phra Sumen Fort is a garden, Santichai Prakarn Park, and growing
at the water's edge are two lamphu trees, the only ones left of the thick outcrops that once
grew so prolifically at the mouth of the canal that gave this district its name. The lamphu
tree,
Duabangagrandilora
, is indigenous to a swathe of Asia running from northeast In-
dia across Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, and as far down as Malaysia.
Often found next to waterways, it can grow to a great height, its weight supported by large
buttresses that grow at the base of the trunk that provide a broad base and allow the tree
to flourish in soft, muddy ground. The flowers it produces are attractive, and the wood
makes a robust building material, but perhaps the greatest claim to fame for the lamphu
tree is that it is the preferred home for fireflies. Incidentally, if this green little corner at
the northern tip of Rattanakosin Island seems unusually lively with birdsong, it is because
a renowned owner of songbirds lives on the opposite bank of the canal, and the courtyard
of his small timber house is filled with birdcages. He is a regular participant in songbird
competitions and as his son shares the same interest it seems likely this area behind the
fort will remain melodic for many years to come.
