Yarang District: Ancient Cities and Regional Discoveries
Accommodation in Yarang District
Ancient Cities with Distinctive Character
An ancient city more than 1,000 years old, clearly defined urban forms and a distinctive pomelo-growing area give Yarang District a unique historical and agricultural character. Yarang Ancient City covers 7.5 square kilometres and extends across three subdistricts of the district. During the Langkasuka Kingdom, the ancient city was a centre of Mahayana Buddhism. Visitors interested in history will find a tangible starting point here: a sprawling ancient settlement with a history spanning more than a thousand years.
The ancient settlement of Yarang comprises three ancient cities. Ban Chalae Ancient City is one of them; Ban Wat Ancient City is considered the settlement’s first community. Ban Prawae Ancient City is the northernmost of the three. These distinct names help avoid treating the sites as a single complex: they represent separate parts of the ancient settlement, each with its own historical associations.
The layout of Ban Prawae Ancient City is particularly distinctive: it is diamond-shaped and measures 470 by 510 metres. Its described features include a moat, an earthen rampart and four corner fortifications. At the same time, the area within the ancient city is now inhabited and used for agriculture. The old urban layout thus exists alongside a landscape in current use. Archaeological finds indicate that Ban Prawae was built during the same period as the early Ayutthaya period.
Ban Chalae Ancient City can also be described by its boundaries. Moats surround it on three sides; on the east, a natural watercourse forms part of the boundary. The archaeological sites Ban Chalae 2, Ban Chalae 3 and Ban Chalae 8 are registered and have defined site boundaries. This was announced on 22 January 1999 in the Royal Gazette, Volume 116, Special Issue 7 Ng. Highways 410 and 4016 are relevant for travelling to Yarang Ancient City.
Agriculture, Pomelo and Handicrafts
Another distinctive feature is the Puko Yarang pomelo. This pomelo may be grown exclusively in Yarang District in Pattani Province. The designated growing area comprises twelve subdistricts: Sadawa, Prachan, Sano, Yarang, Rawaeng, Pitumudi, Khlong Mai, Wat, Krado, Mo Mawi, Kolam and Khao Tum. The fruit’s name links a regional product to a precisely defined place of origin. Travellers interested in agriculture and regional produce as well as ancient cities can include this aspect in their trip planning.
Sri Wangsa Farm is an OTOP tourism attraction and a learning centre for the sufficiency economy in Ban Yuerare. Five agricultural learning stations focus on fermenting fertiliser, growing aromatic coconuts, making compost, cultivating bananas and growing Puko pomelo. Several specific topics are covered: cycles in compost production, different crops and fertiliser processing. This offers a clear contrast with the archaeological sites when planning your holiday.
Crafts are also part of the area’s history: axe-making in Binyamanees originated in Ban Binyamanees, Sano Subdistrict, Yarang District. The Ban Yuerare Suspension Bridge, in turn, is one of the attractions of the Ban Yuerare OTOP lifestyle tourism community. It is more than 50 years old and crosses a canal between agricultural fields along a stretch of the Pattani River. The bridge, canal and fields give this attraction a different focus from the outlines and fortifications of the ancient cities.
When choosing a holiday rental in Yarang District, your preferred focus for the trip can be a useful starting point: ancient city layouts and history, agricultural learning, pomelo or handicrafts. The region offers these different themes without reducing them to a single attraction. If archaeology is your main interest, the three ancient cities take centre stage; for those interested in present-day agriculture, the learning stations at Sri Wangsa Farm offer a separate point of interest.
For the general travel overview: Pattani.
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