Day 5, Tuesday 4 April - Mukdahan

Where to Start?.......Waking this morning at Mukdaview Hotel we have breakfast provided for a change although for the price, I'm not expecting anything fancy such as a full American breakfast especially here. However, with coffee and toast and a choice of Thai style breakfast it's still most welcome.
My attention now turns to exploring this new province although to be fair I've been here before but only on a stopover from Savannakhet in Laos. Therefore, I have a blank sheet to work with. As I begin to compile a visit list, it just seems to get longer and longer and my first thought is OMG where do I start? I then start to carve the list up into districts and soon realize that many of the attractions are cantered in the city itself with a good number more located close to the Mekong River. I also note a good number of attractions lie to the north of the city as far as the border with Nakhon Phanom province. As we are already in the city there seems to be attractions all around us so let's just start here and work onwards.
It means we won't have to change location or even hotel but we do end up changing rooms as it appears that our current room is receiving direct sunlight all day and takes time to cool down when we return.
Wat Si Bun Rueng.......Wat Si Bun Rueng is within walking distance of Mukdaview Hotel. It is one of the older temples located near the Mekong to the south of the city centre. The ordination hall houses a bronze Buddha image called Phra Phutthasing Song, which is 1 metre wide and 1.2 metres high. When Mukdahan was completed, Chao Kinnari took this Buddha image from Vientiane and placed it at Wat Si Mongkhon Tai. Later, a new temple was built at Ban Si Bun Rueang and the image was moved to be placed here until now. During the Songkran Festival of each year, the people of Mukdahan always carry the Buddha image on a float around the town for people to bathe it.
Wat Si Mongkhon Tai (south)....... Wat Si Mongkhon Tai is located near the Mekong River south of the city. Its main ordination hall, or ubosot, houses a concrete Buddha image, considered a sacred item in Mukdahan. The Buddha image is 2.2 metres wide and 2 metres high. The history of this ancient Buddha image remains vague; however, legend says that two Buddha images were found in 1767 by a seven-branched sugar palm tree when Chao Kinnari was constructing Mukdahan city. The large image was cast from concrete, while the smaller one, found underneath a Pho or Bodhi tree, was made from steel. A temple was built to house both Buddha images.
Mukdahan Street Art.......Street art is a common feature in towns and cities all over Thailand. In Mukdahan this can be found near the Indo-Chine market and features scenes of local culture.
Wat Si Mongkhon Nuea (north)....... Wat Si Mongkhon Nuea was built in the reign of King Rama V. Since there was already a temple in the city called Wat Si Mongkhon the two temples were designated north and south. They are just 650 metres apart on the bank of the Mekong River.
Saint Peter's Church Mukdahan....... Saint Peter's Church is a modern build Catholic Church near the riverbank north of the city centre.
Phaya Anantanakharat....... Phaya Anantanakharat, a giant Naga statue wrapped around a golden pillar is located at the 2nd Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge viewpoint on the Mekong River Legend has it that this area houses a cavern which is connected to a mythical underground city. According to the tale, the Naga is considered the king of all serpents and lord of the ocean. The body of the serpent figure has black scales which contrast with gold panels, while his head turns towards the Mekong River. This Naga statue is one of a trio of enormous serpents of Mukdahan.
The location of Phaya Anantanakharat is next to a shrine that not only serves as a place where the first stone was laid to build the bridge but also as a memorial to those who died constructing it. Just a short distance away under the bridge is Ruean Jomphet Museum and souvenir shop. We now move north into Wan Yai district where we locate another temple, Wat Pho Sai which has an interesting colourful multi-headed serpent statue in front of the ubosot. However, no information about this temple can I find.
Haad Manao Phiram.......Hat Mano Phirom, situated in Ban Chanot, 16 kms metres north of the city is a sandbar beside the Mekong River that emerges only during the dry season from March-May. Visitors can walk on the sandbar or even play in the water. On the sandbar, there are restaurants and food stalls looking like riverside rafts. During the Songkran Festival, a joyful Songkran Festival at Haad Manao Phirom is held. From here, the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge can also be seen.
Nouhak Phoumsavan Museum....... The Nouhak Phoumsavan Museum is a traditional Thai/Lao wooden building. It's associated with the life of Nouhak Phoumsavan who was born here. Nouhak Phoumsavanh or Phoumsavan (9 April 1910 – 9 September 2008) was a longtime Pathet Lao revolutionary and communist party official who was the 3rd President of Laos from 1992 to 1998. He was considered to be the No.2 figure in the ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary Party from the late 1950s into the 1990s.
Wat Manao Phiram.......Wat Mano Phirom is an Isan-style temple which is most rare these days. It is a treasure trove of arts and crafts from the vernacular architecture tradition. Combining excellent wood-carving, glass inlay work and stucco, it is a very impressive example of a folk temple.
Wat Phra Si Mahapho.......Wat Phra Si Maha Pho is the old national temple over 100 years old. It is located in the heart of the town of Khong. Inside the temple is the historical site called Sim I-san (the hall). The Sim was built in 1916 with a combination of western, Thai, Vietnamese and French art. There are three walls in the hall decorated in Hup Taem style. The mural narrates the story of Vessantara which was painted by local artists. The painting is stunningly beautiful and hard to find nowadays. It's time for a late lunch.
Wat Ban Song Khon.......Wat Ban Song Khon or Our Lady of the Martyrs of Thailand Shrine is a huge Roman Catholic Church in modern architectural style and the largest church in Southeast Asia. The church won the architectural design award 1996 from the association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage. Many Catholics make pilgrimage to Wat Song Khon to commemorate the seven martyrs who sacrifice their lives to proclaim their belief in God at the time of the Franco-Thai dispute early in World War II.
The new Church of Our Lady of the martyrs was completed in 1995 to replace the old more decorated church. There is a display of wax figures of the seven martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect their religion. Commemorative ceremonies of the martyr are held on the 22nd of October and 16th of December every year. The former date is when a spiritual leader refusing to denounce his faith was executed by police under a proclamation made by the government as an example to those who refused to apostatise. The latter day is when the six remaining martyrs we shot by police in front of their church. The group consisted of only women and children.
Wat Song Khon is one of the most important Catholic religious sites in Thailand on account of its history. The late Bishop of Bangkok is commemorated here on account of his visits. the story of seven martyrs who died here is troubling to followers of the faith. A plaque at the church reads:

'In 1940 the Thai government was at war with their Indi-China neighbours. To achieve unity on the home front the government expelled foreign missionaries and sought to pressure its Catholics into apostasy. The persecution was particularly severe specially at Song Khon, a Catholic village.
Living in Song Khon where two Sisters of the congregation of Lovers of the Cross. They were Sister Agnes and Sister Lucia together with an excellent catholicist, Philip Siphong. Since their pastor had been ousted on November 29th 1940 these three people felt responsible for the Catholic community.
Philip Siphong, a married man with five children gave moral and spiritual support by speaking words of encouragement and strengthening their faith. The police decided to frighten other parishioners into submission by executing him. On December the 16th 1940 they took him outside the village and shot him dead. So, Philip Siphong died for his faith and became the first of the Seven Blessed Martyrs. His death strengthened rather than weakened the faith of the parishioners.
On December 23rd 1940 a policeman ordered the Catholics to assemble in front of the church. He then told them that he had been commanded to suppress Christianity: Therefore, he gave them a choice between apostacy or death. At that moment, 16-year-old Cecilia Butsi spoke out, 'die only one time for the faith I am not afraid.' Actually, she was ready to accept death but the policeman did not seem to hear her.
On Christmas night Sister Agnes wrote letter in her own name and the name of all those resident in the convent, declaring that they would rather die than abandoned their faith. In the note she prayed, 'we asked to be your witnesses O Lord our God'. Sister Agnus gave the letter to Cecilia Butsi to deliver to the policeman.
On December 26th the police called at the convent and addressed the sisters and layfolk present. All reiterated their resolution not to apostatise.
They were all escorted to the cemetery, walking in line singing hymns and praying. As they arrived at the cemetery, they now knelt beside a fallen tree trunk and prayed fervently and then Sister Agnes addressed the policeman saying, 'we are ready! do your duty.' Immediately the policeman opened fire and left a cemetery.
As soon as the church was granted freedom, the community began setting up a canonical investigation on the case of these Seven Brave Servants of God. On Sunday October the 22nd 1989, the Feast of the Propagation of the Faith was fixed by the Most Holy Father for the Solemn and Official Proclamation of the Beautification organized outside Saint Peter's Basilica. Deeply touched by their fidelity the Most Holy Father quoted sister Agnes's letter to the policeman.
'We rejoice in giving back to God the life that he has given us. We beseech you to open to us the door of Heaven. You are acting according to the orders of men but we act according to the commandments of God'.
The feast of the Seven Blessed Martyrs of Song Khon takes place on December 16th which is the anniversary of Philip Siphon's death and it is the Thai Catholics' Day as well.
The names of seven blessed martyrs of Song Khon are: 1. Blessed Philip Siphong, Catachist, 33 years old. 2. Blessed Sister Agnes Phila, 31 years old. 3. Blessed Sister Lucia Khambang, 23 years old. 4. Blessed Agatha Phutta, 59 years old. Blessed Cecilia Butsi, 16 years old. 6. Blessed Bibiana Khamphai, 15 years old. 7. Blessed Maria Phorn, 14 years old.'

Finally, close to the provincial border with Nakon Phanom we locate our last attraction for the day.
Kaeng Krabao.......Kaeng Krabao is an islet that parallels the Mekong River. A wide rock plateau on the bank is popular for villagers seeking relaxation. Islands and beaches emerge in the middle of the river in the dry season, making the area more picturesque than in other seasons. Kaeng Krabao attracts many visitors to the park and Naga statue – officially known as Phaya Si Phuchong Mukda Nakkharat Naga.
At gone 4pm it's now become a long and tiring day so we need to head back as in any case we can proceed no further without leaving the province. Unlike on previous evenings we decide to gather some street food and go for a quiet evening which I desperately need to catch up with my notes.
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