The Roles of Saranrom Park as a Historic Garden

Abstract

"Saranrom Park" is a historic park with a long-standing history, established in 1866 during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV). Today, Saranrom Park serves as a public park for recreation, exercise, and leisure. While the site of Saranrom Palace was designated as a historical site in 2002, the area where Saranrom park, formerly part of the royal Saranrom Park, is situated has yet to be included in the historical site registry. Furthermore, the deterioration of its landscape elements, coupled with a general public lack of awareness of the park's cultural significance. This research aims to demonstrate the importance of Saranrom Park as a historic garden through the study of both tangible aspect and intangible aspect of cultural heritage. The methodology includes a review of relevant literature and studies, preliminary site analysis, field data collection, and an evaluation of each component’s cultural heritage significance, authenticity, and integrity, according to international standards. The findings reveal that while some tangible aspect of Saranrom Park remain, many have deteriorated over time, necessitating a conservation plan to preserve these physical features that contribute to the park’s historical identity. This approach should evoke historical memory without introducing new elements that conflict with the park's original design concepts. Regarding the intangible aspects, such as social activities and land use, changes have occurred, potentially leading to public forgetfulness about Saranrom Park as a historic garden. To preserve the cultural significance of the park, activities that encourage historical memory should be promoted. Additionally, conservation and interpretation efforts could be enhanced through public outreach, positioning Saranrom Park as a cultural learning resource. The findings from this research may inform the study of other historic parks in the future and raise public awareness about the importance of cultural landscapes, particularly historic gardens, in Thailand.