THE PRIVATE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE RENOVATION WAS CREATED TO THE NEW TOURIST ATTRACTION CASE STUDY “LHONG 1919, 19TH CENTURY CHINESE MANSION” BANGKOK THAILAND

Abstract

              This paper tries to focus on the renovation conceptual design to turn the old private architectural heritage to the public mixed-use space and create a new tourist attraction. There are many reasons to renovate the significance architectural heritage and one among the others is a tourism attraction purpose. Lhong 1919 Bangkok, a 19th century Chinese mansion, is a good example that has been fully renovated and opened as a tourist attraction. It mixes Bangkok heritage with shopping, dining and lots of interesting photo opportunities – it ticks all the boxes for a fun day out in Bangkok. The center point of this old Chinese manor is the large shrine to Mazu, the Chinese goddess of seafarers. The air is heavy with the scent of incense and smoke and many people will kneel to say a prayer. As you walk around the courtyard and rooms, you will be able to see period fixtures and artefacts displayed for visitors to see. In parts, it feels a little like a theme park recreation of what a 19th century Chinese mansion should be, but it’s still wildly popular with locals and visitors. The Wang Lee family, an old Thai Chinese family, has transformed the original pier buildings into a shopping, entertainment, live stage and restaurant complex. Many original features have been preserved, and Lhong 1919 has a lot of regular events attracting mainly the locals, and transformed to the new tourist attraction on the left bank of Choa Praya River.