A royal farewell

摘要

FIRST a symbolic empty urn is placed on a gilded palanquin, and carried from the throne hall to a nearby monastery. There it is transferred to the "Royal Chariot of Great Victory" (pictured), which has been used for cremations of Thai kings since 1796. That carries the urn to the parade ground next to the royal palace and the temple of the Emerald Buddha, where it is shifted to an antique gun carriage. The carriage, in turn, parades in three counterclockwise circles around the royal crematorium, a temporary structure built solely for the occasion.