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It is no secret that for centuries the Chinese have been movers and shakers far beyond the bounds of their Celestial Empire. In Southeast Asia, they’ve wielded enormous economic influence, and the symbols of their power — China Towns, shrines, temples, dragons — can be found in a dozen cities, but these potent symbols are normally distinct islands within a sea of indigenous architecture and traditions.
While Thailand exhibits the same compelling evidence of Chinese presence, what sets Bangkok apart and makes for the visitor a fascinating journey of discovery is that subtle Chinese elements have also been blended into traditional Thai architecture. Like finding a Thai Buddhist temple tucked in a quiet lane behind a modern corporate glass tower, the evidence is there for the active traveller and the rewards for perseverance are a multitude of beautiful images that give an extra dimension to a visit and an insight into how Thais view themselves.
Wandering through Bangkok’s nineteenth century wat (monasteries), one becomes aware of something different from the stalwarts of Thai architecture like Wat Phra Kaeow (Temple of the Emerald Buddha).
On many temples, the pediments (the triangular end area below the roof) are covered in ceramic flowers – no roof shelters them, and the chorfa (often called the “sky tassel”), which reach into the air from the roof ends, is missing. Then there are the stone sculptures in the courtyards. These aren’t Thai historical figures, they are distinctly Chinese: generals, gods, demons, horses, pagodas, and more.
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Wat Pho
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Wat Chalerm Prakiet
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Wat Suthat
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Wat Arun
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| Wat Raja Oros |
These unique temples include some of the city’s largest such as Wat Pho, Wat Suthat, Wat Chalerm Prakiet and Wat Arun, although the most notable examples — Wat Raja Oros, Wat Khruawan, Wat Nang Nong, and Wat Bangkhunthian Nai — are tucked away along canals on the Thonburi side of the river.
These temples were built or restored during the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851). But why Chinese and not some other artistic influence?
The Chinese have been a force in Thailand since the dawn of the nation’s history in the thirteenth century when junks carried ceramics from the kilns in Sawankhaloke to Chinese port towns. A century later, Chinese travellers and traders were living in the royal capital of Ayutthaya (1351-1767), marrying Thai women, and rising to become major fixtures in the courts. They were valued for their financial acumen, their trade ties with the outside world, and for their wealth which enabled them to finance Thai public works.
Seventeenth-century French journals counted tens of thousands of Chinese living in the royal capital. King Taksin (1767-1782) had hundreds of Chinese in his army. Many Chinese were employed in government service, mainly attached to the Krom Tha Sai (Department of Left Ports i.e. for eastern, or Chinese, trade).
Many merchants settled in Bangkok, across the river from Thonburi (Money Town), which served as the Customs port for Ayutthaya. When, in 1782, King Rama I moved the capital from Thonburi to the Bangkok side of the Chao Phraya River, he asked the Chinese to re-locate their homes and warehouses just downriver to what is now China Town. On the land they vacated, Rama I built the core of his new royal capital, including Wat Phra Kaeow and, later, the Grand Palace.
By the reign of Rama III (1824-1851), the Chinese played a significant role in the Thai economy. The most prominent were given noble titles and many of their daughters became courtier’s wives. There were also many Chinese women among Rama III’s 242 wives and consorts — further cementing their relationship with the Thai court. Ordinary merchants took Thai names and blended into the fabric of Siamese society. Many of present-day Thailand’s leading families trace their ancestry back to humble beginnings in China and subsequent elevation in Thai society.
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Three Kingdoms Theme Park
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There was also a vogue for things Chinese. Courtiers wore Chinese slippers and jackets, Chinese furniture found its way into noble mansions and temples, and Chinese classics like The Three Kingdoms were translated into Thai and quickly became popular reading.
With royal encouragement, many Chinese financed the construction and restoration of Thai Buddhist temples. And there was no shortage of projects for them to fund. Rama III had embarked on such a construction frenzy that by the end of his reign in 1851 there were nine new temples built and 60 restored, including Wat Pho, an Ayutthayan period temple, and the raising of Wat Arun to its present height of 69 metres.
Rama III also employed many Chinese artisans and materials for the work, so it is unsurprising that Chinese designs found their way into the architecture and décor. And it is these touches that distinguish the temples of his reign. Dragons replaced Thai naak (the serpent king) on the roofline; cranes, chrysanthemums, and scenes from Chinese legends were inscribed on doors and interior walls.
He commissioned the construction of a meeting hall at Wat Yannawa in the shape of a junk to commemorate the glorious role of these vessels in promoting trade prior to the emergence of tall ships.
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| Wat Kanlayanimit |
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Wat Arun
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The use of ceramics is another distinguishing feature. At first, crockery broken on long sea voyages was shaped into petals and assembled into floral decorations, most notably at Wat Arun. This technique had been employed before at Wat Thepthidaram, near the Golden Mount; Wat Prayurawong and Wat Liep at the two ends of the Memorial Bridge; Wat Anongkharam; the riverbank Wat Kanlayanimit; and Wat Sam Ngam. While the technique had also been used during the latter part of the Ayutthayan period (at Wat Phra Mongkol Bophit, Wat Mahathat, Wat Mai Chaiwichit, and Wat Phutthaisawan), but in Rama III’s reign, whole ceramics were designed, crafted and fired in China to decorate Thai temples.
Rama III’s set piece is Wat Raja Oros, located on Khlong Sanam Chai, a branch of Thonburi’s better-known Khlong Bangkok Yai. Its name means “Temple of the Royal Son”. Inspired by Chinese designs, the prince created a unique circular wooden entry door, representative of the best of Chinese architectural styles. The upper part of the outside wall is covered in marble slabs inscribed with medical prescriptions for sick villagers.
This half-Thai, half-Chinese hybrid exhibits the best of what was called the “royal model”. The pediment, normally dedicated to events from the Buddha’s life, is filled with brightly coloured flowers, animals, dragons, and hills — all reminiscent of Chinese temples. The outside of each window displays a mixture of Thai and Chinese design, with the dragon as the predominant element. The four main doors of the chapel boast perhaps the most beautiful mother-of-pearl inlay in the country.
The interior is equally unique. Murals and paintings depicting Chinese subjects cover the upper walls; on the lower part of the wall near the marble floor are rectangular paintings of colourful flowers and birds. Spread across the ceiling are Chinese landscapes of mountains and rivers.
Three life-sized Chinese figures in full costume stand at each end of the chapel verandah, guarding the entrance doors. Each is said to represent three sacred words of a Chinese blessing. To one side is a small open Chinese pavilion and behind the main buildings is a six-metre-tall Chinese stupa.
All these elements are found to varying degrees in the aforementioned temples as well as in others along Khlong Saman Chai.
In the courtyards of all, but especially at Wat Pho and Wat Suthat, are stone images of Chinese subjects. The statues were sent from China to Thai merchants aboard empty rice junks, where they conveniently served as ballast. Once in Bangkok, they were normally donated to the temples where they stand today. Wat Suthat, itself, has lovely bronze horses.
These small elements incorporated into traditional Thai structures represent the subtle ways in which Chinese influence has infiltrated Thailand. They also reveal something important about the Thai response to the outside world: a confidence in their own culture that has enabled them to assimilate rather than reject alien influences, blending them in a way that makes them uniquely Thai.
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