WAT NANG CHI 2 (วัดนางชี) |
Wat Nang Chi or the Monastery of the Lady Nun as it was translated by Cushman, was located off Ayutthaya's city island on the eastern main land in present Hua Ro sub- district. The temple stood at the confluence of Khlong Wat Pradu and the old Front City Canal, which became later the Pa Sak River. The monastery stood on Khlong Wat Pradu’s north bank. Wat Krajom was situated north of Wat Nang Chi, while Wat Yom lay south, all on the main river bank. Wat Pradu stood to the east. In situ only traces of scattered bricks were found. Wat Nang Chi is mentioned in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya as the location where the Burmese set up one of their stockades with bastions, in which large guns were fired off on the City of Ayutthaya during the Burmese-Siamese war of 1765-67 after they completed the encirclement of the city. [1] Engelbert Kaempfer, a German medical doctor working for the VOC in the 17th century, mentioned the existence of a monastery off the city island, called Wat Nang Chi, which was situated in a village were monks and nuns lived promiscuously together. "There are also Nuns among them, whom they call Nanktsij, or Bagins, who wear such pieces of cloth like the Monks, but of a white color instead of yellow. These nuns in former times lived among the Priests near the Temples, but it having happened at a place a league above Judia, where the religious of both sexes lived promiscuously together in the same village, that several of the nuns proved with child, they have since been removed from the temples to particular houses, the better to keep their vow of chastity. The temple of that place still bears the name of Wad Nantsij, or the Temple of Nuns." [2] The temple’s period of construction is not known. A market was held near the temple in former times. “Talat Nang Chi” was one of the 32 land markets outside the City of Ayutthaya. [3] During the last Burmese war (1766-1767) the Wat Nang Chi was one of the locations where the General of the Burmese armies, Nemiao, ordered the building of a stockade (fort) with bastions from where with large guns Ayutthaya was fired at, leading to the fall of Ayutthaya in April 1767. [4] "Meanwhile, Nemiao, the general of the armies in the stockade at the Three Fig Trees, thereupon; had the Burmese troops advance to set fire to and burn down that Palace at the Elephant Corrals. Then he had them set up stockades at the Elephant Corrals, at the Monastery of the Holy Red Funeral Monument, at the Monastery of the Three Preaching Halls, at the Monastery of the Spired Building; at the Monastery of the Tent, at the Monastery of the Lady Nun, at the Monastery of the Jubilant Lady and at the Monastery of the Glorious Fig, and he had them erect bastions in each and every stockade, take large; and small guns up into them, and fire them off into the Capital." Phraya Boran Rachathanin wrote in the late twenties of last century that Wat Nang Chi was situated south of the bridge landing of Wat Pradu Rongtham, a still existing landing today. He added that at that time the monastery had collapsed nearly completely. There was a boat ferry between the monastery and a landing close to the mouth of Khlong Ho Ratanachai connecting the city. (1) [5] The monastery is indicated on a mid-19th century map and on Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map drafted in 1926. Wat Nang Chi was located in Geo Coord: 14° 21' 43.63" N, 100° 34' 52.56" E. Footnotes: (1) In Ayutthayan times there were twenty-two ferry routes. In the eastern area, the four other crossings were: Tha Chang Wang Na to Tha Wilanda, north of Wat Khwang Fortress to Wat Taphan Kluea, south of Wat Pa Thon to Wat Phichai and north of Rachakrue Fortress to Wat Ko Kaeo. [4] See "The Boat & Ferry Landings of Ayutthaya". References: [1] The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya - Richard D. Cushman - page 517 / Source: Royal Autograph. [2] The History of Japan, together with a description of the Kingdom of Siam - Engelbert Kaempfer (1690-92). [3] Athibai Phaenthi Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya kap khamwinitjai khong Phraya Boran Racha Thanin - Explanation of the map of the Capital of Ayutthaya with a ruling of Phraya Boran Rachathanin - Revised 2nd edition and Geography of the Ayutthaya Kingdom - Ton Chabab print office - Nonthaburi (2007) - page 94. [4] The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya - Richard D. Cushman (2006) - page 517 / Source: Royal Autograph - Burmese Complete Their Encirclement of Ayutthaya [5] Athibai Phaenthi Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya kap khamwinitjai khong Phraya Boran Racha Thanin - Explanation of the map of the Capital of Ayutthaya with a ruling of Phraya Boran Rachathanin - Revised 2nd edition and Geography of the Ayutthaya Kingdom - Ton Chabab print office - Nonthaburi (2007) - page 90. |
Text, photograph & maps by Tricky Vandenbergh - May 2009 Reviewed April 2011, January 2015 |
(Detail of Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map - Anno 1926) |
(Detail of a 19th century map - map is orientated S-N) |
(Detail of a 2007 Fine Arts Department GIS map - Courtesy of the Fine Arts Department - 3th Region) |
(View of the site) |