A clearer eye on Sukhothai

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/A-clearer-eye-on-Sukhothai-30173133.html

CHULARAT SAENGPASSA January 5, 2012 1:00 am

The communities around the old capital’s historical park have a past to share as well

The future will be better if we understand our past, so the wisdom has it. Call Sukhothai very wise. It continues to learn and prosper in the lingering glow of its glory as Siam’s capital 700 years ago.

In a project backed by the Thailand Research Fund, Jirawat Phirasant – director of Naresuan University’s Institute of Mekong-Salween Civilisation Studies – mined the venerable knowledge of 12 Sukhothai communities that will be useful in modern education and tourism.

“The idea is to promote tourism that’s based on the local lifestyle and wisdom, and using their traditional skills to create community products,” Jirawat explains.

The dozen communities of Tambon Mueang Kao surround the Sukhothai Historical Park. Jirawat visited them all to gather oral histories and record local expressions, social practices, rituals and festivals. He studied their performing arts and traditional craftsmanship, and even noted how nature and the universe are perceived.

The result: 4,000 pages of cultural documents and 1,800 pieces of information in various other formats, collectively representing the largest-ever compilation of data about Sukhothai.

The province’s educational authorities then distributed this trove to the schools so that teachers and students could do further research.

The Sukhothai Tourism Association used the findings to enhance its culture-based attractions, such as with a pilot project involving the worship of Buddha statues. The province has hundreds of them, so they’ve revived an old merit-making tradition at Wat Trapang Ngern.

The Sukhothai Cultural Office updated its database on performance arts and funded further studies, and the tambon set aside money for tram tours.

Motorcycle and bicycle tours have been organised around the old city that let visitors experience the classic lifestyle. Hotels and restaurants are incorporating the province’s unique characteristics into their planning.

Jirawat’s research is spinning out ideas for new tourist attractions, refurbished landscaping and tour-guide training, all linking the historical park and its adjacent communities for mutual benefit.

Crucially, he says, the citizens are more aware of the importance of their neighbourhoods and cultural heritage – and thus more interested in conserving the past. The items they produce for sale provide not only personal income but also funding for that preservation.

Visitors need only look for signs bearing a lower-case “i” for information. They can now find ready help in a much wider area than just the designated historical park.

“This is why we want the park tourism linked to the surrounding communities,” Jirawat says, “because many generations of people have lived around here and the visitors should know about the communities as well as the park’s history.”

Following are profiles of the 12 communities of Tambon Mueang Kao.

BAN MAI TRAPANG THONG

Many generations here have applied their hands to creating finely textured clay pottery and porcelain, and particularly pieces with distinctive “cracked” green glaze. The items remain popular and a solid source of income.

Also made here are Buddha images with intricate detailing that accord with the 10 rules of traditional Thai craftsmanship.

RAM LEK

Carved wooden statues of the Buddha have been made here for more than 50 years, earning international admiration for their outstanding beauty.

Craftsman Rungreung Srikrajan learned the trade not from school but by “absorbing” it, starting with carved animals before developing the skills to create a Buddha from a photograph. But his talents are harder to come by these days – as are the attention to detail and the love of sculpting – so Rungreung is setting up a learning centre for children.

The community also has Bang-ern Tuichan’s Reun Noppamas museum, which displays pottery pieces from the Sukhothai Kingdom’s glory days.

RAM YAI

If you’re interested in lovely wood furniture, picture frames, signs and partition screens, head to Ram Yai. The furniture is handmade in European forms from 20-year-old teak, and engraved with classical Sukhothai patterns.

PA MAMOUNG

The Wang Kao Noodle Shop here serves truly amazing boat noodles, and at Narong Reungsri’s house you can get a great traditional massage.

BAN NEU

Ban Neu citizens produce both beautiful home-decor items and assorted Thai sweets like khao daek nga, made with glutinous rice, toasted sesame seeds and coconut.

TRAPANG THONG LUANG

Famed for its wonderfully ornate birdcages, this community also makes Otop-standard ornaments, especially those decorated with the indigenous metallic mineral khaotok phra ruong and Sukhothai Period enamel patterns.

LI THAI

The miniature traditional wooden houses of Li Thai have long been popular souvenirs among foreign tourists because they perfectly capture our cherished culture – in a size easy enough to carry home and put on show. Many Li Thai residents also build wooden oxcarts.

BAN TAI

Ban Tai is a real find for decorative statues and Thai-pattern paintings on canvas. Sculptor Prasart Jairak learned his craft from his grandfather, whose work still adorns temples.

SUKHOTHAI NAKHON 1

A community with more delightful miniatures, this one with tiny ships of various designs, assembled from cabinet-makers’ leftover scraps.

SUKHOTHAI NAKHON 3 AND MAE RAMPAN

These two neighbourhoods sell home-d’cor items like animals carved in teak and jackfruit wood.

SRI CHUM

Stretched out in front of Wat Sri Chum, the community offers beautiful crocheted products.

Guided tours

• Make arrangements for a volunteer tour guide at Sukhothai Historical Park by calling (084) 989 0246 or (082) 397 7578.
• The latter number is also good for renting bicycles. It’s a pleasurable ride that provides a glimpse of the past and a fresh perspective on history as it shapes the future.