General informations and travel advices for Lopburi Thailand:
Lupburi is described in Book III of Marco Polo's Travels, where it is called Locach. This came from the Chinese (Cantonese) pronunciation of Lavo, "Lo-huk" The city is referred to as "Lo-ho" in chapter 20 of the History of Yuan, the official history of the Mongol, or Yuan Dynasty of China. Due to a scribal error in Book III of Marco Polo's travels treating of the route southward from Champa, where the name Java was substituted for Champa as the point of departure, Java Minor was located 1,300 miles to the south of Java Major, instead of from Champa, on or near an extension of the Terra Australis. As explained by Sir Henry Yule, the editor of an English edition of Marco Polo's Travels: "Some geographers of the 16th century, following the old editions which carried the travellers south-east of Java to the land of Boeach (or Locac), introduced in their maps a continent in that situation".
After the foundation of Ayutthaya Kingdom in the fifteenth century, Lopburi was a stronghold of Ayutthaya's rulers.It later became a new royal capital during the reign of King Narai the Great of the Ayutthaya kingdom in the middle of the 17th century, The king stayed here for about eight months a year.
Today the city is most famous for the hundreds of Crab-Eating Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) that live in the middle of the city, especially around the Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot, and a Khmer shrine, Sarn Phra Karn. They are fed by the local people, especially during the Monkey Festival in November. Because they are not afraid of humans, they steal whatever food they can find from unwary diners.
Prang Sam Yot, originally a Hindu shrine, has three prangs that represent Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (the Hindu trinity). It was later converted to a Buddhist shrine.
King Narai festival fair:
Offers insight into ancient Thai ways including the changing of the guards at the palace in times past and several aspects of traditional Thai life including traditional Thai homes and way of life, a traditional-style open-air market, demonstrations of folk games, Thai boxing, a song contest by village headmen (kamnan) and village elders, cultural performances by the Lop Buri Fine Arts College, a fashion show of Thai costumes and styles of dress. To complete the plot and recreate the feel of life in Lop Buri in times past, residents of Lop Buri will be dressed in traditional costumes.
The day trip and tour of Lop Buri's historical and archaeological sites culminates in a spectacular mini-light-and-sound and multi-media presentation.