曼谷国家博物馆
The National Museum in Bangkok
曼谷国家博物馆，就在美专学校左邻。我们为了争取时间起见，所以一步出美专的校门，便转去博物馆参观了。本来，这博物馆是规定每逢周日才开放，以供市民参观的。好在管理人是美专的教授，所以我们可以不必受到这时间上的限制，并且还得到了许多的方便。
博物馆的外型， 完全像一座寺院。馆里所收藏的古物颇多，历代的文物悉备。分为二十六间的陈列室，把各时代的文化古物，井井有序地分门别类，陈列在各室中，设备可说相当完善。馆里的古物，是由美专考古学系的一位教授负责管理的。今天恰巧他也在场，所以我们可以聆听到许多宝贵的资料。
原来这座博物馆前身，竟是拉玛一世的王宫。到了拉玛五世王朱拉隆功时，才把这座王宫改置为博物馆。经过历年的增添与扩充，直到拉玛七世王以后，才具有了今日的伟大规模，与完善的设备。
在古代的图书室里，我们看到了许多古老的经典书籍，还有许多的古石碑，据说有些还是十三世纪与留下来的古物呢 ！
从古代图书室再走进去。便是佛像陈列室了。这里珍藏着历代的各式各样佛像。有石刻的，木雕的，泥塑的，铜铸的和象牙雕刻的。墙壁上还绘有佛陀成正觉的故事画。我们置身在这佛像陈列室中，触目所及，自有一种满室神佛之感 ！
接着，我们又转入了乐器陈列室。这里除了陈列着暹罗人所用的各种乐器之外，还有爪哇的皮影戏和中国的舞狮等。其中有一种很別致的暹罗古乐器，呈一U字形，乍看之下，宛如一艘小舟，又如一弯上弦月。外围漆上朱红的色彩，还刻上一个金碧辉煌的佛像和精致的图案。沿着那弧形的平面上，还装置了十八个小锣般的铜盘，敲打起来，铿锵作响。 倒是很奇特的一种乐器。据说这种古乐器，主要的是在於宗教方面的用途，名称是叫做「丕 钵」(Pee Bhat)。
我们从乐器室再转入武器室，陶器室与象牙雕刻室去参观。其中以陶器陈列室里的出土古物，以及来自中国的古瓷器，最使我感到兴趣。可惜我们只能走马看花地一瞥既过，又因馆内曲折深邃，光线极晦暗，空气又阴郁，无法摄影传真，只好靠记忆所及，留下一些雪泥鸿而已。
这座博物馆，不但是暹罗古代文化的贮藏所，同时在设备方面来说，还是东南亚数一数二的博物馆呢！凡是要研究暹罗历史与古代文物的人，更是非到这里来搜集资料不可！我们虽是匆匆地巡览一匝，但是对於泰国的历史与文化，也有了更清楚的概念。不过，我们必须谢谢美专的教授们给予我们在参观时的方便与指示呢 ！
The National Museum in Bangkok, located adjacent to the School of Fine Arts, was our next stop. In order to make the most of our time, we headed to the museum right after leaving the school. Originally, the museum was only open to the public on Sundays. Fortunately, the curator was a professor from the School of Fine Arts, so we were exempt from the usual time restrictions and received many conveniences.
The appearance of the museum resembled that of a temple. Inside, it housed a vast collection of ancient artifacts, covering items from various historical periods. The museum was divided into twenty-six exhibition rooms, each neatly categorizing cultural relics from different eras. The facilities were quite impressive. The artifacts in the museum were managed by a professor from the Department of Archaeology at the School of Fine Arts. He happened to be present during our visit, providing us with valuable information.
Surprisingly, the museum was formerly King Rama I's palace. It was only during the reign of King Rama V, King Chulalongkorn, that it was converted into a museum. Over the years, it expanded and grew into the impressive institution we see today, thanks to the efforts of King Rama VII.
Inside the ancient library, we encountered numerous ancient classic books, as well as many ancient stone inscriptions, some dating back to the 13th century!
Next, we entered the room that housed Buddha images. Here, a wide array of Buddha statues from different periods was on display, including stone carvings, wooden sculptures, clay figurines, bronze castings, and ivory carvings. The wall was adorned with paintings depicting the life stories of Buddha. Standing amidst these Buddha images, we were immersed in a feeling of sacredness.
We then moved on to the musical instruments exhibition room, which showcased various Thai musical instruments. There were also exhibits on Javanese shadow puppetry and Chinese lion dances. One particularly unique Thai musical instrument we saw was shaped like a U, resembling a small boat or a crescent moon. Painted in bright red with intricate patterns and a beautiful golden Buddha image, it had eighteen small gongs arranged along its curve, creating a melodious sound when struck. It was indeed a fascinating instrument called the "Pee Bhat."
We proceeded to explore the arms and weapons room, the ceramics room, and the ivory carving room. Among them, I found the archaeological artifacts in the ceramics room and the ancient Chinese porcelain most intriguing. Unfortunately, our visit was brief, as the layout of the museum was intricate, the lighting dim, and the atmosphere rather gloomy, making photography impossible. We had to rely on our memory to capture some impressions.
This museum not only serves as a repository of ancient Siamese culture but also boasts top-notch facilities, making it one of the best museums in Southeast Asia. Anyone studying Thai history and ancient artifacts would find this place indispensable. While our visit was brief, it provided us with a clearer understanding of Thai history and culture. We are grateful to the professors from the School of Fine Arts for their guidance and the conveniences they provided during our visit.