Lopburi is a historic city situated roughly 150 kilometers north of Bangkok, Thailand. The city is currently inhabited by humans and long-tailed macaques. Everyone shares the very same public spaces day by day.
Thanks to this unusual phenomenon, Lopburi gained its famous nickname “Monkey City”.
The monkeys here don’t live in cages in zoos or in isolated wild forests. Instead, they move completely freely in the course of the town’s infrastructure.
They could be easily spotted hanging from electric cables in the town center. They also hang around on shop roofs and walk past pedestrians on the sidewalks.
Cultural tradition
In most countries, authorities would immediately reply to a wild animal invasion of a city. For public convenience, animals were caught or driven back into the forest. However, in Lopburi, exactly the other is going on.
Lopburi monkeys enjoy a special social status among the many local population. It is deeply rooted in local traditions.
Locals consider monkeys to be direct descendants of Hanuman, the sacred monkey god. The historical center of this monkey colony is the traditional Thirteenth-century temple of Phra Prang Sam Yod.
The presence of those primates is believed to bring fertility and cosmic happiness to the region. Therefore, harming them or violently chasing them away is a strict taboo.
Everyday life in Lopburi
Everyday life in the middle of Lopburi brings unique visual experiences. Modern urban activities go hand in hand with the chaotic antics of 1000’s of primates.
Monkeys don’t have any fear of humans. They casually use pedestrian crossings, block the road and sit on the seat of a motorbike.
The real atmosphere on the streets shows a really free interaction between people and animals. Dozens of monkeys sit quietly on concrete road dividers and sidewalks as cars and motorcycles pass just inches away.
Overhead power cables and utility poles are completely stuffed with monkeys crawling on them as if on their very own private highway.
They also climb concrete partitions, water pipes and tin roofs of local shops to look at traffic from above. Local residents walk past them without panic as they’re all already accustomed to this shared environment.
However, shop owners proceed to shut their doors tightly to guard their stores from being looted. On the a part of pedestrians, they have to maintain protected interaction to avoid injury from the monkey.
Local security officers operate near the middle of Lopburi. They help regulate the world to maintain the monkeys from causing trouble.
A special festival for monkeys
Despite their each day troubles, the people of Lopburi often reward the monkeys with an annual festival. Every last Sunday of November, the town hosts the famous Monkey Buffet Festival.
The celebration serves as each a type of cultural recognition and a highly effective tourism strategy. Local hotel businessman Yongyuth Kitwattananusont first began this festival in 1989.
Locals arrange tables with food within the courtyard of the Phra Prang Sam Yod temple. Many volunteers spend hours washing and cutting food beforehand. They serve loads of fresh fruit akin to watermelons and corn, in addition to vegetables and traditional snacks.
Thousands of monkeys come down from the rooftops to eat. Locals are glad to do it because this unique monkey attraction attracts thousands and thousands of foreign tourists yearly and drives the town’s economy.
