Join the revelry
This weekend is Chinese New Year when the area around Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown will be teeming with revellers wanting to make merry and some to say prayers and make merit, wishing for an auspicious start to the Year of the Pig.
There are several shrines in Chinatown and surrounding areas that pull in devotees: Wat Mangkorn Kamalawat, Chao Poh Sua Shrine, Wat Kalayanamit and others where starting February 17 the air will be thick with smoke from joss sticks as Chinese people converge to offer prayers and food to their ancestors and holy spirits.
For the visiting tourist wanting a taste of the Chinese way to celebrate the new year but wary of the throngs of crowds, these temples present a quieter alternative from the chaos on the street.
Gold has always held a special place in the hearts of Chinese people who associate the precious metal with good omen. For these people there is no better way to kick off the year than by visiting the shrine of Lord Buddha cast in gold at Wat Trimit on Trimit Road.
Called Luang Por Thongkham or the Golden Buddha, it is probably the heaviest Buddha statue in the world cast from gold weighing about five and a half tons.
Brought from Sukhothai Province cast in plaster centuries ago, the image remained neglected at Wat Phrayakrai, its former home for several decades and for another 20 years at its present home, without any one showing any interest since it's heavy and difficult to move around.
Then one day in 1954 as workers tried to move it to the pavilion by chance they found codes at its base which unlocked the secret inside the plaster cast. Following the instructions the cast was disassembled - into nine parts to facilitate its moving - unveiling the gold statue.
From Wat Trimit, it is a short walk past the Odeon Circle to Thien Fah Foundation on Charoen Krung Road, the oldest foundation in Thailand set up over a century ago. It has a unique sculpture, that of Bhothisattva Avalokitesvara, a deity in Mahayana Buddhism.
Bhothisattva Avalokitesvara, or Guan Yin in Chinese, was originally depicted as Buddha when still a prince and therefore is seen wearing matching chest-revealing clothing. But in China and in Thailand Guan Yin is usually depicted as a woman. But in the sculpture at the foundation Guan Yin is a man with broad chest in loose-fitting attire and prominent feet.
Steps from the foundation is Yaowarat Road that packs numerous gold shops. If gold attracts you, visit Tang Toh Kang and the museum on its upper floors. Tang Toh Kang is the the first goldshop in Bangkok that opened 130 years ago.
Although modern technology now plays a major role in making gold ornament, the shop has refused to completely break with the past. Tools it used in the old days and delicately hand-crafted ornament are exhibited at the museum.
If you need to catch your breath, stop by Eah Sae coffee shop that has been selling the freshly roasted brew for 80 years. It is a favourite haunt of old Yaowarat hands who meet to catch up with the gossip and reminisce days long gone. Besides coffee and tea, it also serves roasted toast with a dash of custard, butter or chilli paste.
Wat Trimit (02-623-1227) is on Trimit Road.
The Tang Toh Kang goldshop (02-224-2422) welcomes visitors to its museum but advance permission must be obtained, while Eah Sae coffeeshop on Padsai Road is off Yaowarat.
Bangkok Post.
