Khmer Temple in the Warhol style.

In an extinct volcano in the east of Thailand topped by the magnificent Phanom Rung. The mountain temple from Khmer times was once a jungle road with Angkor Wat connected - and acts like a miniature edition of the Cambodian national symbol.

 

In the gallery "Mu Mu" by Berlin filmmaker and author Detlev Neufert in Bangkok hangs a large, colorful mosaic. For many small shards of glass in vivid colors, the artist Tree My life in his native Isaan shown that part of Thailand, Cambodia to the border with Laos and the mighty Mekong divides. You can see farmers at work, water buffalo, the typical Isaan houses on stilts with walls and roofs made of braided straw Palm, monks, temples, rice fields, lakes and pastures.

The mosaic is dominated by the colors red, blue and green. Going but in these days by the Isaan, in the fourth well of the 60 million population lives Thailans, brown-yellow dominates the wide, flat landscape. It is dry season, and the hot sun, the fields, pastures and harvested rice fields parched. Only the tapioca plantations set green color in the barren landscape.

So very colorful colors on you but in Isaan even in the hot period October to April do not. Everywhere in the villages blooming in front of the houses in the gardens and flowers in red, yellow and purple, the viewer can speculate that nature had in Isaan, the colors are first invented. The flowers in the village of Ban Prasat, with its dark brown Teakhäusern almost distracts from the main attraction of the village near the metropolis Isaan Nakon Ratchasima from: the prehistoric excavations which show that it is in good Isaan since 4000 years crops were developed long before the Thais about 1500 years after Siam migrated.

"Very old"

On the village square in front of the small museum wait two adolescent boys in blue shirts to visitors. They earn pocket money as a tourist guide. "Come, I'll show 'you our excavations," says one and leads its customers to mine 1st The leaves deep in the story look Isaan. The bottom layer with the broken pots is more than 3000 years, the skeletons in the second and third layer from 2500 to 1000 years old. "Very old," says one of the guys with awesome views, which also has the treasure of the English language guide has been exhausted.

The only places in Nakon Ratchasima, better known under its old name Khmer Korat, are the remains of the old city wall and the statue of Thao Suranari, as Jeanne d'Arc Thailand 1826, an invasion of the Laotian troops under King Anuwong zurückschlug. Korat also has a number of good hotels such as the Dusit Princess, which is a base camp for visits to the ancient Khmer temple in the southern Isaan suitable.

In only 40 minutes by car is about Prasat Phimai achieved, and in Buriram shortly before the border with Cambodia is situated on an extinct volcano, built Prasat Phanom Rung. Those who are in their sight at the temples of Angkor recalls feels, is on the right track. In the first centuries of the last millennium, which governed the Khmer kings of Angkor in Cambodia from a huge empire that today's Thailand and consisted almost entirely in the west to the border of Burma handed.

A Thai-Cambodian team of scientists has by using the latest technology such as geographic information systems discovered a road to the palaces of the gods in Isaan with sanctuaries in Angkor connected. The ancient highway, which is a powerful Heerstraße, religious pilgrimage and picturesque tourist route previously was lined hotels, hospitals and rest areas.

How tedious and expensive it must have been, this temple to build the cosmos, is clearly Phanom Rung, the most dramatic staircase access to all Khmer temple has. 800 years ago, the rectangular stone for the construction of the temple complex from a quarry 30 kilometers away and fetch with man's sheer force the 400-meter-high mountain hinaufgeschleppt, which we can now comfortably on a nice paved road in air-conditioned car can achieve.

Farangs not stop after it rarely Phimai

Once the Hindu gods Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu temples are consecrated today popular pilgrimage sites as tourist religious nature. There are almost only Thais, Prasat Phimai after the pilgrimage, or the steep stairs to the ancient chapels, libraries, and sanctuaries of the Phanom Rung temple mountain climb. Farangs, as Europeans in Thailand is called, is not lost so many in Isaan. In the temples, Buddha is revered today, but it brings some even Shiva & Co. dar. victims safe than sorry. Pong, a Thai officer, says: "Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand, but Hinduism is still very influenced our traditional culture."

How much more of Hinduism from the Khmer-alive time, it might be best for the last weekend of every month in Prasat Phimai experience. Then that will be on the lawn in front of huge blocks of sand built temple wall scenes from the Hindu Gods and Heldenepos Ramayana listed. The two hour spectacle is free. A must buy ticket but who is also the subsequent sound and light show, including a Thaibuffetdinners inside the temple want to experience, in the 11th Century one of the intellectual centers of the Khmerreiches was.

This is an impressive type, like a small version of Angkor Wat Phimai looking to do. Alternately, the towers of the main sanctuary in red, yellow or green light. Time to act before the Dome illuminated star-night sky like a Popgemälde by Andy Warhol, then again as the filigree of a Gothic cathedral tower.

In the region around Phanom Rung, near the Cambodian border, the people by the Khmer culture, while the northern Isaan by the ethnic and cultural heritage of the Lao influenced. This manifests itself in the language that is similar to the Lao, but also the food and the arts. Much of what is considered "typical Thai ', as Klebreis, spicy food and Thai boxing has its origin in Isaan, which also has been the center of the ancient silk production.

This heritage is also in My Trees Isaan mosaic visible. My Tree says: "My art is from the Lao temple painting influenced."