Category: Sculpture

Bridge over the River Kwai

Posted in History, Sculpture, Thailand, travelTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
Train moving slowly over the bridge on the River Kwai

Kanchanaburi is the beautiful town made famous by the classic 1957 movie, Bridge on the River Kwai.  It’s still a brilliant film which has aged well with time. The film was based on a true World War 2 event: the building of a railway bridge by Allied prisoners when they were held captive by the Japanese.  Anyone going to Thailand should consider visiting the town, to see the bridge itself, the many moving memorials dedicated to those who died building the bridge, and to simply enjoy the area’s tranquil, natural beauty.  Of all of Thailand’s many tourist spots, this is the one you should not miss.

There are many Bridge over the River Kwai tours available in Bangkok.  We chose independent travel and took the 7.45 am train to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok’s Thonburi station.  It is a leisurely two and half hours journey which passes through some of Thailand’s most fertile countryside.  At just 100 baht each way it’s excellent value.  

Thonburi railway station seating area showing the train track on the left and the road on the right.
Monks in their orange robes and people walking across the railway track at Thonburi railway station

On board the train we sat on wooden seats.  The windows open all the way down so that you can lean out and take photos if you wish.   Vendors join the train at various points to sell snacks and drinks. It all adds to the day’s sense of adventure.

A woman walking through the train carriage selling snacks and drinks to passengers

The train stops just before the bridge to let passengers and tourists off to take photos.  Photographs having been taken, those that wish to, can realight the train.  With its passengers back on board, the train then begins a very, very slow crossing, enabling people standing on the bridge to take photos as the train passes only inches away. We got some great photos at this moment. The train then proceeds on its journey towards Nam Tok and the stunning Erewan waterfalls.  If you decide to get off at the bridge, then you will have a few hours to explore the area, visit the war museum and cemetery, before catching the train on the return journey to Bangkok.  This is what we did.  

  • Train moving slowly over the bridge on the River Kwai
  • Train halfway across the Bridge on the River Kwai
  • People standing chatting on the train tracks on the Bridge on the River Kwai
  • Prisoner of War Camp sign near the bridge
  • Image showing an old rusting military vehicle near the bridge
    Military vehicle

The beautiful Buddhist shrine to the Goddess of Mercy, the Guam Im Sutham Temple, is visible from the bridge and only a couple of hundred metres walk away.  Definitely worth a visit.

Beautiful view from the bridge over the river Kwai looking at the river and Chinese temple called Guam Im Sutham Temple

There are a number of restaurants nearby where you can have some lunch and enjoy the riverside views.  We ate a Thai curry washed down with an iced coffee at the floating River Kwai restaurant.  Delicious.

  • Image showing the floating restaurant in the River Kwai.
  • View of the bridge and river from the river bank. The floating restaurant can be seen behind the bridge.

We then hired a tuk-tuk costing 100 baht for the short ride to the: Death Railway Museum and the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.  Even though the world war ended over 70 years ago, looking at the exhibits in the museum was a powerful, emotional experience. The photos here show just a little of what you can see at the museum.

  • Image showing the outside of the Death Railway Museum in Kanchanaburi.
  • Image showing a sculpture inside the museum of three prisoners of war. The man in the middle is being held up by the other two.
  • Inscription of the sculpture. Last paragraph reads: The man with cholera was limp between them, with his head on his chest, hanging like a crucified man. His knees were buckled and his feet lifeless. As the others dragged him along with their slow shambling gait, his ripped trousers, unbuttoned at the waistband, kept falling about his knees.
  • Image of an exhibit showing a black and white photo of a man with malnutrition on a stretcher.
  • An image from a noticeboard inside the museum about how the railway was planned.

Just across the road from the museum is the cemetery.  Walking amongst the immaculately maintained gravestones is an equally emotional experience.  Though the majority of graves are of Commonwealth soldiers, a large number of Dutch soldiers are also buried in the cemetery.  So though you will meet many Australians and New Zealanders paying their respects to those who have died, you will also meet many Dutch visitors paying their respects.  Even though the cemetery represents an appalling period of history, there is an intangible beauty about it.  It is heartening that people who died so long ago are still remembered.

  • Kanchanaburi Commonwealth War Cemetary sign showing a plan of the graves and a history of the cemetary.
  • Image of a sign inside the cemetery honouring the fortitude and sacrifice of those that perished while building the railway from Thailand to Burma.
  • Image showing an example of one of the war graves in the cemetary. This one is for W McKay who died on 25 May 1945 aged 25
  • Image showing lots of Commonwealth War Graves in the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

Kanchanaburi railway station is just a five minutes walk from the cemetery.  On our journey back to Bangkok we discussed all that we had done and seen during the day.  One thing we decided on.  We would visit Kanchanaburi again, but this time stay longer.  

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Please share with anyone you think may be interested. See you again soon!

The Knife Angel

Posted in Coventry, Sculpture, travel, UKTagged , , , , 1 Comment

The Knife Angel is a 26 foot tall sculpture made from knives, Samarai swords and martial arts weapons. It is dedicated to victims of knife crime. Some of the knives are inscribed with the names of people lost to knife crime. It was very moving reading the comments written about the people who had been affected by this sad violence. People came from far and wide to view the beautiful and powerful sculpture.

Behind the statue to the left, on the wall of Coventry’s new cathedral you will see the equally powerful statue of St Michael defeating the devil. It was an evocative backdrop for the knife angel and symbolic of good defeating evil.

The knife angel was made in the British Ironwork Centre, in Shropshire and took over 2 years to make. Thousands of people visited the sculpture when it was in its temporary location outside of Coventry Cathedral. It has now moved from Coventry and is touring the UK. It’s definitely worth going to see if you get the chance.

  • This is the back of the Knife Angel
  • This is a close up of some of the knives used in the sculpture

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Please follow and share with anyone you think may be interested. See you again soon!