Breathing new life into the river at Lhong 1919
Dilapidated and disused riverside warehouses have been seeing several makeovers in recent months with the launch of Warehouse 30 on Charoenkrung Road and most recently Lhong 1919 on the opposite bank in Khlong San district.
Lhong 1919 is a reclaimed street of old warehouses and a Chinese shrine dating from the mid 19th century remodeled into a niche shopping and eating venue. The new riverfront destination serves as an outlet for upcoming local artists.
TripAdvisor reviews for Lhong 1919 are so far ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’. Bangkok Sachse describes it as a “Beautiful Riverside and Chinese Mall”
“We went there after visiting Wat Arun. Lhong is a beautiful riverside and Chinese Community Mall, nice and clean and with many shops and restaurants. The riverside restaurant offers good food. It is busy on weekends. I recommend going there at sunset.”
VP appreciates the old Chinese culture that has been preserved: “The main part of the Lhong 1919 is right in the centre of the whole community, which is quite amazing. The shops are well designed to blend in with the original building structure. Also there are a couple of restaurants to choose from. To get there, Lhong 1919 provided a boat transfer from Sathorn Pier to Lhong Pier free of charge, however, if you are in hurry to get there, get a taxi, don’t wait for a boat transfer.
“Overall, it was quite an experience and interesting to see what’s going on in the old and new world. I would go back there again to find out more about the history of the building.”
Pierremichel praises the “Amazing Architecture” of Lhong 1919.
“Unlike Asiatique, which lost its original character due to over renovation, Lhong 1919 has been very carefully refurbished, preserving the old vibes.
“The Wang Lee family, an old Thai Chinese family, has transformed the original pier buildings into a shopping, entertainment, live stage and restaurant complex. Many original features have been preserved, and Lhong 1919 has a lot of regular events attracting mainly locals.
“The best way to get there is to take the MRT to Hua Lamphong, then motorcycle to Sawadi pier and cross the river by ferry.”
Monstermina from Bangkok describes the new venue as “amazing, beautiful, historical yet modern”.
“This riverside property just opened and it’s gorgeous! It’s a real historical building that’s been restored to its former glory with some modern touches. There is a lovely restaurant along the river which makes for a nice brunch and artsy shops to view. Great walk arts as well.”
For further information on this new riverfront destination, visit https://www.facebook.com/LHONG-1919-472273323122096/