Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/73581
THAILAnD NORTH-EAST THAILAND The vast, sandstone Khorat Plateau dominates the country's north-east. The plateau is around 200 metres above sea level and takes up almost one-third of the country's land mass, and is home to around one-third of its population. Since the uneven rainfall of the region causes floods and droughts, the cultivation of a rice crop happens just once a year. North of Khorat lies the bustling town of Khon Kaen, home to the largest university in the north-east, and its own television studios as well as shopping complexes and modern hotels. Roi Et is a growing provincial capital with a modern skyline dominated by an immense brown and ochre image of the Lord Buddha, situated in the grounds of Wat Buraphaphiram. Still further north, Ban Chiang is 50 kilometres from Udon Thani. Ban Chiang is the place where 5000-year-old remains have been unearthed. It is now thought to be one of the first areas in the world where rice growing, bronze making and silk weaving were pioneered. Silk production has flourished again and visitors are drawn to modern day weaving villages where a range of exquisite silk and cotton goods are available. East of Khorat are the region's Khmer temples, impressive Cambodian, Lao and Thai influences can be seen througout the region's architecture, creating a unique experience for visitors. structures which were built during the Cambodian rule of the 9th-13th centuries. The magnificent stone temples at Phanom Rung and Phimai, which once stood on a road linking the plateau with the Khmer capital of Angkor, have been restored. Nearby is Ban Ta Klang, where the elephant village in Surin is famous for its round-up each November. Elephants are paraded in old Siamese battle regalia and perform various skills for visitors. On the Mekong, near the Laos border, are Nakhon Phanom and Phra That Phanom, the most revered shrine in north-east Thailand, venerated by Thais and Laotians alike. Believed to be 1500 years old, the monument has been restored many times, most recently after devastating rains in 1975. Its decorative top is made from 110 kilograms of gold, and the multi-leafed lotus flower represents the path to enlightenment. The provincial capital, Ubon, was founded by Lao immigrants, and the Lao influence can still be seen in some of the city's religious buildings. The modern Wat Phra That Nong Bua was built in 1957 to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the death of the Lord Buddha. It has two four- sided whitewashed towers that are decorated with standing Buddha images in niches, and reliefs that depict tales of the Buddha in his previous lives. www.paradisesonline.com 159