ล้ง 1919

Lhong 1919 stands by the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, a restored nineteenth-century Chinese mansion turned cultural and commercial hub. A large shrine to Mazu, the Chinese goddess of seafarers, sits at its heart, and incense fills the air. The courtyard and rooms around it display period fixtures and artefacts, giving a sense of life in the mansion's earlier days.

The grounds began as a pier and a trading centre for Chinese immigrants and merchants. A member of the Bisanputra family developed the site, which later worked as the Wanglee Pier. In time, the Wanglee family chose to preserve the place as heritage, keeping its original state intact. Khun Rujiraporn Wanglee, an interior designer, led the work and held the historical character of the grounds steady.

Boutique stores on the ground floor sell home furnishings, candles and scented items, with Karmakamet among the featured brands. More shops offer plants, homeware and fashion, and a souvenir shop waits at the entrance. For food, a Thai restaurant and a coffee shop sit by the riverside, with stalls nearby offering snacks and smoothies. Take a coffee to the water's edge and you sit where the merchants once landed.