life   • TRAVEL

Bangkok Post | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | 5

JOURNEYS OFNORTHERN ART

AWAYPICHAYA SVASTI

Farming fair in Ang Thong

Visiting handicraft villages in the
North of Thailand provides opportunities
and hands-on experiences for tourists to learn
about another aspect of cultural tourism

T

STORY AND PHOTOS: PICHAYA SVASTI

ravel is fun, especially when it canbe carried out under uncommon
themes. The North is charming
for the beauty of its nature, art andculture. Visiting the North to learn
and appreciate traditional craftsmanship is aninteresting idea, inspired by the ongoing exhibition “Tracing The Fading Legacy: Stories Of
Living Legends” at Raya Heritage, Chiang Mai,that will run until the end of March as a tributeto handicraft masters and teachers.
The art installation of khong, a creel for catching fish, and piat, a basket or hamper, on view atthe exhibition, can inspire tourists to visit Ban
Pa Bong Luang Weaver Cooperative (Mae KhieoKhong Luang) in tambon Pa Bong, Saraphi district of Chiang Mai.

Indigo-dyed fabrics and ethnic textiles.

Buakhieo and Dee Kaewsamut, an 86-yearold couple, are the founders of the co-operative.
Buakhieo, or Grandma Khieo, has been conserving the creel weaving tradition by adding
new and unique designs, artistic touches andcommercial value to the craft. Also, she has beenpromoting and upgrading Ban Pa Bong’s traditional woven basketry from household supplies
into unique decorative art.
“In the old days, every family in Ban Pa Bong
knew how to weave creels. Since I can remember, I have always been making my own creelbaskets, hampers and other personal wares,”she recalled.
In the same tambon, basket weaver Butr
Tamsri, or Uncle Butr, has spent most of his freetime weaving baskets for personal use and salesince he was a little boy.
The display of eid, a tool for separating seeds
from cotton fibres, and fuem, a traditional
wooden loom, have sparked visitors’ interestin the Ban Na Dao community, Soem Ngam
district of Lampang province. There, cotton
weaver Fun Tuntui, or Grandma Fun, 80, still
spins cotton at home to make yarns for younger
weavers to turn into finely handwoven textiles.
The simple beauty of indigo-dyed fabrics
shown at the exhibition has attracted a numberof Thai and foreig interest in Toob Kaew Ma
Learning Centre, Soem Ngam district of Lampang. Master Phon Kaewma and his wife,
Junkham, founded this centre for producing
hand-spun and natural colour-dyed textiles fordomestic sale and export and also providing
training in this field of art. Interested persons
can learn the whole process from cultivating
cotton and indigo trees, dyeing cotton threads
with natural colours, creating patterns andweaving fabrics in old styles.

The ‘Tracing The Fading Legacy: Stories Of Living Legends’ Exhibition.

Northern lacquerware (khruang khuen).

Couple Sa-ngiam and Charal Panwai foundedBan Hong Kok Yaeng Mat Weaving Group.
“All masters inherited the art from ancestors.
They make these arts and crafts ... with loveevery day and wish to forward the knowledge
to all of us. We admire and are proud of themand want to see them continue what they do,”Chatchawan Thongdeelert, founder of Lanna
Wisdom School in Nakhon Chiang Mai Municipality, said.
The school is where visitors can enjoy northern art and handicrafts by more than 100 participating masters who teach the art at their own
houses in over 30 northern communities. It isa perfect choice for them to visit for observing
the teaching of local cuisine and handicraft
making, such as cotton dyeing with natural
colours, pottery, basketry, northern auspicious
flags (tung), lanterns (khom) and kite making,umbrella painting, traditional flower arranging
and metal carving.

Another guru, Duangkamol Jaikumpan, or
Mae Kru Duangkamol, was acclaimed by theSupport Arts and Crafts International Centreof Thailand for her conservation of northernlacquerware (khruang khuen) making. Tourists
can visit Wat Nantharam community in Tambon
San Sai, Chiang Mai’s Fang district, to observe
the art of making lacquerware.
Old-style mats and contemporary-style products made from yaeng, a kind of wetland shrub
from Ban Hong Kok in tambon Umong, Muang
district of Lamphun province, is also interesting.

The “Tracing The Fading Legacy: Stories
Of Living Legends” exhibition will be onview until March 31, 10am-7pm, at Raya
Heritage Hotel, Mae Rim district, Chiang
Mai. Admission is free. Contact the hotel byemailing info@rayaheritage.com or dialling053-111-670-3.
The Lanna Wisdom School is locatedon Rattanakosin Road in tambon Wat Ket,Muang Chiang Mai. It is open TuesdaysSaturdays. Email sslanna@hotmail.com ortel 053-244-231.

Until Feb 14, the “Farm Produce And
Prized Products Of Ang Thong Fair” willtake place at Wat Khun Inthapramun in
Pho Thong district, Ang Thong province,from 8.30am-4.30pm.
The objectives are to promote
farming, food safety and local products,
introduce new farming technology andboost cultural tourism. Activities include
exhibitions on agriculture, the display of
a 100m-long vegetable tunnel, the saleof local products and food, a light andsound show on the history of the temple,
cultural performances, dragon and lion
dances and singing and buffalo contests.
Contact the Tourism Authority ofThailand (TAT)’s Suphan Buri Office at
03-553-6030 or 03-552-5880.

Straw bird Fair

From Feb 8-17, the annual Straw Bird
Fair and Red Cross Fair will be held at
the sports stadium and in the Khuan
Riang Hin area in front of the provincial hall in Muang district, ChaiNat province.
Visitors can view straw figures ofbirds, buy One Tambon One Productgoods, try local food and watch cultural
performances, straw bird and beauty
contests and concerts. On Feb 8, theopening ceremony will begin at 4pm
with parades of straw birds.
Contact the provincial administration
office at 05-641-1234.

Yoga by the sea

From Feb 8-10, the TAT Prachuap Khiri
Khan Office will host the Hua Hin Yoga
Festival 2019 on the stretch of Hua Hinbeach near Soi 75/1 from 5-6pm.
Participants can attend yoga workshops on the beach free of charge if theyregister in advance. However, they mustwear proper sportswear and bring yoga
mats with them.
Contact the TAT’s local office at 03-2513885 or Shakti Yoga at 061-289-1928.
Email pichayas@bangkokpost.co.th
if you have any news to share.