By / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team, compiled and reported
Mayor Ko's Southeast Asia visit has reached its second stop, Bangkok. In the morning, he visited the important Thai attraction, Marble Temple, where the ashes of King Chulalongkorn, the fifth monarch of Thailand — known as the driving force behind modern Thailand — are enshrined beneath the temple. Chulalongkorn is also the young emperor taught by Anna in the famous movie "Anna and the King," and the temple featured on the back of Thailand’s 5-baht coin.
Mayor Ko's Southeast Asia visit has reached its second stop, Bangkok. In the morning, he visited the important Thai attraction, Marble Temple, where the ashes of King Chulalongkorn, the fifth monarch of Thailand — known as the driving force behind modern Thailand — are enshrined beneath the temple. Chulalongkorn is also the young emperor taught by Anna in the famous movie "Anna and the King," and the temple featured on the back of Thailand’s 5-baht coin.
The Taipei mayor was deeply moved by the statue of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha who attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree. (Photo provided by Taipei City Tourism Bureau)
This morning, temple representatives specially presented a Buddha statue to Mayor Ko and gave a guided tour for the mayor and Taipei delegates. As the temple was conducting a birthday blessing ceremony for Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand, Mayor Ko said after his visit to Marble Temple that what impressed him most was the statue of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha who attained enlightenment under the tree. Though gaunt, the essence and purpose of Buddhism were born from such austerity.
Representatives of Thailand’s Marble Temple present a Buddha statue to Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je as a blessing for Taipei. (Photo provided by Taipei City Tourism Bureau)
Mayor Ko said Thailand is the Land of a Thousand Buddhas. On this trip, he has visited two major Asian tourist cities, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, and also welcomes Thai people to visit Taipei for a temple tour to experience the city’s blend of retro and innovative culture. What he experienced along the way reflects the multicultural aspects of tourism, and also made him reflect on Taiwan’s current challenges, reaffirming once again the importance of developing tourism. Southeast Asia is a key economic bloc in the world and the most important strategic hinterland for Taiwan’s economic and social development. He hopes to open up the “acupoints” of tourism through visas and flights, making Taipei the top choice for Asian travel.
Taipei Mayor Ko and a delegation including an advisor to Thailand’s Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs take a group photo in front of Marble Temple. (Photo provided by Taipei City Tourism Bureau)
Kuala Lumpur is striving to become a gateway city for Muslims entering Asia, while Thailand welcomes over 25 million tourists a year, promoting Thai cuisine tourism, massage, and ecological tourism. Both Malaysia and Thailand leverage the ASEAN 10-member framework to facilitate faster and more convenient tourism visas. These are all worth learning from by Taipei. During this trip, not only were flight-plus-hotel promotional measures proposed, but the goal is also to actively prepare Taipei’s tourism resources through the upcoming Universiade. The Tourism and Travel Bureau has proposed twelve recommended tourism routes, such as offering VIP judges and distinguished guests: tea culture experiences, classic Taipei landmark tours, a journey through Taoyuan’s time tunnel, a retreat from the hustle and bustle in Hsinchu, a puppet show relaxation trip, and a reverse-timeline journey through Taipei. In addition, Taipei’s luxury shopping and duty-free values are very attractive, and in the future, the central government is hoped to assist in increasing the number of foreign tour guides to enhance Taipei’s tourism strength.
The largest shopping mall in Southeast Asia, Central Plaza WestGate, in Bangkok
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