L et’s Go,
HOT MAGAZINE RECOMMEND
Kanchanaburi
P
aris has the Eiffel Tower, London its Clock Tower, New York the Empire State Building, Sydney an Opera House, Seattle has the Space Needle and in Kanchanaburi it’s a bridge. In 1942 during World War II, Kanchanaburi was under Japanese control. It was here that they forced Asian labourers along with Allied POWs to build the infamous Burma Railway. It was nicknamed the Death Railway because almost half of the prisoners working on the project
38
HOT Magazine
died from disease, maltreatment, or accidents. While working on the railway in Kanchanaburi the workers were forced to build a bridge, a bridge that became world famous due to the 1957 Hollywood movie classic The Bridge on the River Kwai. The Hellfire Pass Memorial documents the history of how the Japanese army forced Allied prisoners to build a railway through Burma and western Thailand. The museum is situated at the site where
prisoners labored night and day, often with torches that resembled the fires of Hell. The city is also home to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. But Kanchanaburi, 123 km west of Bangkok, is so much more, especially for nature lovers. Our HOT Magazine research team spent a few enjoyable days in this historic city and here are their sightseeing suggestions in addition to the museum’s and mustsee bridge.