THE TREASURES OF NAN
A province rich in culture and nature
Far from the beaten tourist path, Nan province is nearly 670 kilometres due north of Bangkok. Visitors relish its remoteness, natural beauty and beautiful old architecture. Its relative isolation gives it a tranquillity and tropical lushness no longer found in many popular northern provinces. Visitors are rewarded with unique Buddhist monasteries set amid the tree-clad hills that make up three quarters of the province’s topography.
Nan town, the provincial capital, lies on the right bank of the Nan River, Thailand’s second longest. It is best known for its longboat races each October.
Nan evokes a feeling of rootedness, of an unbroken link with the land and its bounty. This is evident in the proximity of rural areas to the city, and the many shops that serve the needs of farming families, selling tools and objects used in daily life. Its inward focus is reflected in its art, especially its murals, which depict life’s quiet moments – unique microcosms that owe little to the outside world. Some outsiders would call it provincial; others would recognize it for what it is: the quiet, refreshing, timeless confidence found in farming populations everywhere.
The town’s electric trolley transports visitors around the key sights.
Exploring the Nan provincial centre begins with an environmentally-friendly tour by electric tram of several renowned temples clustered in the old historical district. On the journey, one discovers Nan’s cultural underpinnings. Its temples and their stunning murals suggest that Nan orbits its own sun. Its art and architectural styles depict settings, costumes, faces, and a fierce pride instantly recognisable as coming from Nan.
Wat Phumin with its naga balustrades.
The first stop is Nan’s centrepiece, Wat Phumin, unique in Thai architecture for its Naga (serpent king) balustrades. Built in 1696, its mural paintings are among the most beautiful in Thailand. The scenes from the Chadok — tales of the former lives of the Buddha and folk stories – were painted in an intriguing variety of styles by a handful of Tai Lue artists. The Tai Lue had emigrated from southern China, and the great quality of their murals lies in the charming portrayal of Nan lifestyles. They also depicted Europeans who arrived in the early 1890s to occupy the then eastern Nan region that is today part of Laos.
Cross the street to one of Nan Buddhism’s holiest sites, Wat Chang Kham Woraviharn. Completed in 1458 to house a huge seated Buddha image, it is renowned for having the largest scripture hall in Thailand.
The exterior decoration of Wat Ming Muang which holds the city pillar, an auspicious symbol.
North of Wat Phumin, the snow-white Wat Ming Muang shelters the city pillar, Nan’s spiritual centre and place for ancient agrarian fertility rites. In the adjacent temple are murals of antique Nan life painted in bright hues.
Nan National Museum | In front of the museum is a statue of Chao Suriyapongparitdej, the last ruler of Nan.
On display in the museum is a rare black elephant tusk said to have been offered to a Nan king over 300 years ago by the lord of Chiang Tung in northern Burma. Held aloft by a wooden krut (garuda), it measures 97 cm long and 47 cm in circumference.
Nan National Museum (Haw Kham) occupies the original palace built in 1903 of the last two hereditary rulers of Nan. Its exhibits provide insights into lives from past to present, with dioramas of ethnic groups and the essentials of their daily lives, including costumes, ceramics and utensils. These are complemented by archaeological artefacts, old photos and religious objects. The object that may inspire most local pride is a curious black elephant tusk.
Cross the Nan River to the hilltop Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, second only to Wat Phumin in beauty and, like it, featuring a long, undulating Naga leading to the main entrance. Its principal claim to fame is its 55 metre-high golden chedi containing a holy relic from nearby Sukhothai, ancient Thailand’s first kingdom (1238-1350 AD).
It is the small details of the temple that arrest the eye. Scattered everywhere are statues of rabbits, the symbol of the temple and of the Chinese year in 2011. Over the main building's door and on its roofs are intricately rendered Naga designs in plaster. The site exudes antiquity, tranquillity and beauty, and one can spend long hours meditating here.
Nan is a compact town with a population of only 24,000 people in a province of nearly half a million. Crossing the river by bicycle is easy, and one is immediately plunged into farmland. Tours begin downtown. This educational journey takes one through a cross-section of Nan rural society and the livelihoods of its people. The dirt road running alongside the Nan River threads its way through fields of maize and peanuts. Farther on, men mould clay into blocks that are fired in a simple kiln to produce bricks.
At a nearby house, mung beans are soaked in pots for three days to produce the sprouts used in kuay tieow (noodle soup) and phad Thai. Down the road is Wat Saengdao, famed for its boat racing teams. A shed there shelters a 25-metre-long craft that takes 50 paddlers to power.
Mr Fhu deftly carves toys from the spines of banana leaves.
Arriving at a roadside copse of banana trees, our guide, Mr Fhu, pulls out his knife and with a few deft strokes turns banana leaves into a gun and a horse. He then cuts a 15-centimetre length of a thick grass stem. By pressing it above the node, the fibres separate, creating raised slits which encircle the stem. Pursing his lips, he blows into it to produce a duck quack, amusing the children who watch.
“As kids, we didn’t have toys. We made our own,” he explains.
The road winds past rubber and teak trees planted as cash crops. At one roadside house, a family raises silkworms, feeding them on mulberry leaves grown in the garden.
Mr Fhu shows us a mimosa with tiny leaves that fold up to avoid predators. Out comes his knife again, this time to slice through a vine which profusely oozes a clear sap. Forming the stem into an O, he blows gently and soap-like bubbles waft into the air. The three-hour exploration ends back in town.
A drive into the countryside reveals the province’s beauty. North of Nan is Ban Had Pha Khon, a community-based tourism village. This compact settlement of 137 houses on the banks of the Nan River lets visitors plunge into village life with its 14 homestays. They offer simple living, family hospitality and delicious local meals. A suspension bridge leads to a walking trail through the community forest. One can also fish in the river and ride bamboo rafts a short distance down the tranquil Nan.
Nearly 25 kilometres north on Route 1080 is the Rim Nan Arts Hall, a unique art gallery. As its name implies (rim Nan means bank of the Nan), it sits above the river and houses paintings and sculptures. It is the brainchild of Nan artist Winai Prabripoo who erected a spacious hall in a beautiful leafy setting that enhances the works of Nan artists noted for their pleasing variety of genres and treatments.
On the road again, past fields of chillies and tobacco, one is struck by Nan's enduring wildness. For those travelling from the Central Plains, its rugged mountain closeness, untouched nature and cool temperatures are among the main attractions.
Wat Nong Bua dominates a village of Tai Lue. Outside the monastery gate, two musicians play a Lanna (northern) tune on the instruments for which Nan is renowned: the salaw, a three-stringed fiddle and a pin (aka sueng), a type of local guitar. Time has muted the murals inside the temple, but several surviving folk scenes suggest they were rendered by the same artist who painted Wat Phumin.
Behind the monastery, women cook a delicious thin pancake-like khanom, or dessert, called khao khap that is sprinkled with black sesame seeds. Nearby, other women weave cloth with the distinctive Tai Lue design called lai nam lai which resembles waves or stairs.
Looming above Pua, Nan’s former capital Doi Phu Ka is 1,980 metres tall and the centrepiece of the 1,680 square kilometre Doi Phukha National Park, northern Thailand’s largest. It is home to several Htin, Mien, Hmong and Tai Lue tribal villages, as well as caves, waterfalls and long trails for nature walks.
The steep road to its summit is often wreathed in mist during the winter months. The objective is to observe the rare Chompoo Phu Ka (Bretschneidera sinensis Hemsl, Bretschneideraceae), a beautiful pink flower that blooms in February, and giant caryota trees. Both are threatened with extinction and the focus of preservation efforts.
The road west descends into a picturesque valley containing Ban Bo Kluea — (Salt Well Village). For 400 years, its inhabitants have drawn mountain salt from eight ancient wells, in the process adding much to the province’s wealth. Prized because it is sweeter than sea salt, mountain salt was the key commodity in an extensive trade with distant towns. One can watch the brine being lifted from wells near the Mung River, and then wander into homes where the water is boiled away in metre-wide vats to produce salt that the visitor can buy for 25 baht per two-kilogramme bag.
On the hill is the Bo Klua View Resort, eight bungalows set on terraces planted with vegetables. Dinner is often two local specialties: kai makwaen (pepper chicken), and tao huu song khrueang (tofu and vegetables).
The tea plantation at the Phu Fah Royal Project
To the south in hills separating Thailand and Laos, the Phu Fah Royal Project was established five years ago by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to educate local villagers on modern farming methods and to improve their incomes. It straddles a ridge with a superb view of the project’s terraced gardens and fruit orchards. The farm also cultivates and processes a mild green tea one can sip while overlooking the rugged valleys.
The road through the Doi Khun Nan National Park along the Lao border has to be one of the steepest in Asia, running along a knife-ridge with brilliant views down both sides. To the east, one gazes down on the Mae Jarim National Park and the Wa River, the next destination.
The park is the launch point for an exciting three-hour raft trip down the Wa, travelling through deep, beautiful gorges. At stops along the way, one can jump into the clear water from a four-metre-tall rock or enjoy a picnic lunch, a fitting conclusion to a circuit of Nan that finally ends back in town.
Credit: TAT News (www.tatnews.org)
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