Fieldwork and Documentation

University Scholars Programme

Day 3

On Day 3 we had the pleasure of visiting one of Chiang Mai’s most famous temples, Doi Suthep.

This temple is apparently very popular amongst locals and tourists alike, where many go there to pay their respects and pray for blessings for their health or business. The popularity of the temple was evident based on the sheer number of people who were there when we visited. There were so many people in every corner of the temple.

People were all around the temple, snapping pictures and talking loudly which somehow made me feel uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable not with the noise and disturbance that the tourists were making, but by the fact that such a revered place of worship has become so commercialised. I can’t seem to imagine myself being able to appreciate the serenity of a temple with so many people around the area, cameras snapping and people chattering all around. There were photographers stationed all around the temple ready to take professional pictures of tourists that made the environment feel more like an attraction than a place of worship. I guess that the revenue from tourism does help in the upkeep of the temple, however I feel that something more should be done to preserve the temple. What I fear, is that more and more traditional monuments will be increasingly commercialised not only in Chiang Mai but in other places of the world.

Doi Suthep

Doi Suthep

Joyce Lim • January 11, 2016


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