Kanchanaburi is located about 130km from Bangkok, Thailand. It is situated on the River Kwai, and is the location of the River Kwai Bridge. It was built by the Japanese during World War II using prisoners of war for labor.
1-2: The River Kwai bridge viewed from different angles. The bridge is part of the Burma Railway, also referred to as the Death Railway. This is due to the high number of human casualties associated with its construction in 1943. The railway was constructed by the Japanese to provide a vital supply line from occupied Thailand through Burma.3: A traditional boat crosses under the bridge. You can also see the tourist train crossing it. The circumstances surrounding the bridge are depicted in a number of movies, including the 1957 classic, The Bridge on the River Kwai. It starred Sir Alec Guiness of Obi-wan Kenobi fame. The rounded sections are original, and the angular sections replaced those destroyed by ally bombing during World War II.4: There is a walkway on either side of the tracks, and a small tourist train takes people back and forth across the bridge during the weekends.5: Multiple covered restaurants as well as a boat dock are near the bridge.6: A Chinese temple can be seen near the bridge. It has a large statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy.7: A plaque memorializing American lives is mounted near the bridge. Plaques from other countries are represented here as well.8: Kanchanaburi War Cemetery is nearby. Almost 7,000 POWs are buried here, out of over 12,000 who perished during the railway’s construction. Most buried here are of British, Australian, or Dutch origin. The remains of the American prisoners were repatriated.9: This cemetery is a good place to spend time and reflect on the atrocities of war, and the potential of humans to perform terrible acts of cruelty. Humans are no less capable in present day.10: A memorial cross covered with the distinctive red remembrance poppies. Thousands of people must have made a pilgrimage here over the years to pay their respects to loved ones lost in the war.
