Giant Swing (Sao Chingcha)

The Giant Swing, Sao Chingcha in Thai, is a 21.15-metre red teak frame in the Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok's old town, standing in front of Wat Suthat and close to the Devasathan, the royal Brahmin shrine. It is free to see at any hour and suits walkers exploring the old city between the Grand Palace and Democracy Monument.

Built for a Brahmin festival

King Rama I, founder of the Chakri dynasty, had the swing built in 1784, soon after Bangkok became the capital, in front of the Devasathan. It served the Triyampawai, a Brahmin ceremony welcoming the god Shiva on his yearly visit to earth. Teams of young men rode a swing hung from the frame, going higher and higher to grab a bag of coins placed on one of the pillars. The ceremony drew on Tamil devotional hymns. Under Rama II it paused after lightning damaged the frame. In 1920 the swing was renovated and moved to its present spot to make room for a gas plant, and the ceremony carried on until 1935, when several fatal accidents brought it to an end.

Red teak pillars rebuilt in 2005 and 2006

Only the frame remains: two red-painted teak pillars joined by a carved crossbeam on a stone base. Major reconstruction began in April 2005, the old frame came down in late October 2006, and six new teak trunks were raised by December 2006. King Bhumibol Adulyadej presided over the royal ceremonies that dedicated the new frame in September 2007. The original timbers are kept at the Bangkok National Museum, and the swing is a registered ancient monument.