For centuries Bangkok, Thailand's capital, was a city of boats. To travel from one part of Bangkok to another, Thai people paddled canoes along the Menam river and its canals. But late in the 19th century, the people adopted Western ways and modernized the city.
The new city surrounded by high walls has been laid out around the royal palace and its parks. The modern aspect of Bangkok contrasts strangely with the four hundred Buddhist temples, whose gilded spires and decorated roofs of carved teakwood are found everywhere.
