Daily Reflections Day 5 /สี่/

Our trip to Chiang Rai today marks our last chance to collect research data. The journey there was filled with highs and lows, literally. But the bumpiness only made it more memorable as we took turns to be jolted awake during the bus ride.

We visited the famous White Temple, or Wat Rong Khun, first. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. But the feeling I was left with after the time there was mainly confusion. The White Temple felt more like a work of art than a sacred place of worship, or a place that has any religious significance, for that matter. It certainly didn’t help that there were announcements warning tourists against inappropriate behavior blaring from a corner of the temple. The over-the-top prettiness of the whole place felt staged, like it was intentionally seeking the attention of potential visitors. I saw an extravagant display of artistic finesse, but nothing that even hinted at a genuine pursuit of faith.

As I walked around the grounds of the temple, the words of the CMU professor echoed in my head. He talked about the over-culturalisation happening in Chiang Mai. In an attempt to bring in more tourists and revenue, the government adorned many buildings in the country with a set of buffalo horns, which were traditionally believed to bring luck and blessing upon the house. The intention to “intensify” Chiang Mai’s culture backfired, especially in the eyes of the locals, and the professor himself described these horns to be “enormous and gross”. I felt that the same thing was happening in the White Temple. The artist tried to attract more tourists with an impressive building and fancy tapestry in the name of promoting their religion, but the result was, on the contrary, a very much watered down version of their faith.

 

The second place we visited in Chiang Rai was the Black House, which was a splendid display of aesthetic grandeur. Our guide, Thip, shared an interesting tidbit about the local-born artist, Thawan Duchanee. When he was in art school, his teacher deemed his art pieces to be too perfect. There was nothing for the teacher to criticise. This struck me as ridiculous at first. He was complaining about having nothing to complain about! Then I realized that it wasn’t the artistic skills that were in question, it was the skill of creating debate and provoking thought. It would be a waste for art to only present something as uncontentious as facts. It is an avenue for us to represent the world as we see it, to give our two cents worth on the things happening around us. This platform for sharing opinions through our creations should not be undermined. Outside of art, we hold the power to provoke thought in others too. And perhaps that is something we all should strive for. Not all of us may get the opportunity to lead a company, or come in first at a marathon, or direct an Academy Award-worthy movie. But all of us can encourage a little more thought about the way things are in the world, both in ourselves and in the people around us. It is in these little ways that we may contribute to the world.