Chan Sen Ancient City and Chan Sen Museum is in Mu 2 in Tambon Chan Sen. It is believed that in the Thawarawadi period, the city was surrounded by a moat with an earth mound. The city had a square shape but with rounded corners almost like a circle. The moat was about 20 meters wide. The area is now a waterlogged valley but traces of the moat can still be seen. The city is about 800 meters long and 700 meters wide with an area of about 480,000 square meters. As the part within the moat is higher than that outside, locals call it “Khok Chan Sen.”
A number of artifacts have been discovered in the ancient city; earthenware items like amulets, dolls, lamps; stone items like pedestals, Buddhism wheels, and axes; metal objects like earrings made of lead or tin, spearheads, and iron; and bronze objects like Buddha images in the Man Wichai posture. All of the objects are now kept at Chan Sen Museum in Chan Sen Temple. It is open on weekends. Those wishing to visit the site on weekdays can request permission from the temple. Youth volunteers from Chan Sen School can guide you around the city and take you on a tour of the museum. For more details, please contact tel. 66 5633 9116.
Getting There : There are several routes, as follows:
From Bangkok, use the Asian Highway and turn left into In Buri (Highway No. 11), then turn right into Road No. 3196. From there, turn left at the Wat Chan Sen sign for about 1 kilometer, go across the railroad and turn left into Wat Chan Sen. Chan Sen Museum can be seen inside the temple compound.
From Nakhon Sawan, take Highway No. 32 (Asian Highway) to Chai Nat for about 52 kilometers and turn left onto Highway No. 1 to Amphoe Takhli for 7 more kilometers. Then turn right into Road No. 3196 for about 28 kilometers and turn right at the Wat Chan Sen sign for about 1 kilometer and go across the railroad into Wat Chan Sen.
|