Suan Hong Residential Hall – preserving royal ceremonies

Suan Hong Residential Hall
preserving royal ceremonies

The Swan Garden

Suan Hong Residential Hall, a traditional two story wooden building, is the first residential hall a visitor passes on entering Dusit Garden through the northern gate. Suan Hong or Hong Garden, named after the legendary swan that Brahma rode on, was the residence of Queen Savang Vadhana, grandmother of King Rama V.

The visitor passes a beautifully kept lawn before entering the residential hall where photographs of royal ceremonies performed by King Bhumipol and the Crown Prince are displayed.

In the balcony are two scaled models of the entire Dusit Garden palace grounds and buildings. Rows of mannequins dressed in the traditional royal court uniforms line the hallway downstairs.

The majestic Royal Barge Procession is depicted in the room downstairs with elaborate models and pictures of the various royal barges used in the Royal Barge Ceremony.

A video in the background records the last procession in October 2003, when the royal barges sailed down the Chao Phraya to honor the world leaders attending the APEC Conference in Bangkok.

Moving on upstairs the first room displays the Royal Ordination Ceremonies of King Bhumipol and the Crown Prince. Photographs show King Bhumipol ordained as a monk in 1956, an important event in the lives of all Thai males. King Bhumipol has his head shaven by the Princess Mother, enters the monkshood and collects alms like any other monk.

The second room displays photographs of the Royal Ploughing Ceremony to mark the start of the agricultural year. The royal oxen are brought out to Sanam Luang for a ceremonial ploughing and thanksgiving to Mother Nature. Seeds are symbolically sown and later distributed to the farmers.

Other photographs include the Royal Swing Ceremony, Royal Investiture Ceremony and Royal Tonsure Ceremony when the topknot is shaved off.

Suan Hong Residential Hall preserves a record of the milestones in the lives of King Bhumipol and the Crown Prince, a historical record that would be a legacy for generations to come.

Bookmark this royal legacy in Dusit Garden