|
|
Delightful dragon With Chinese New Year approaching, residents of Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, are scrubbing their houses clean to welcome the "Year of the Dog" that ushers in this coming Sunday when people will wear red, while all shops and buildings in the area will be decorated with paper and electric lanterns of matching colour themes. But why red? Preeda Parathachariya, who knows Yaowarat inside out and is a member of a cultural network group set up to preserve and promote traditional values of the largest Chinese community in Bangkok, said the colour is associated with good luck. He is reigning champion of the highly popular weekly Fan Phan Thae television quiz competition on Yaowarat. Back in the old days, and that is going back several thousand years, it was believed that the red colour could ward off Nian, the mythical half fox half lion monster that descended from the hills every New Year's eve, the start of spring, and gorge innocent children in villages. According to Chinese folklore, a wise man found that red-coloured symbols, noise and fire could scare the beast away. The villagers started pasting red emblems on their doors, beat drums and gongs, burned bamboo sticks and lit fireworks to frighten the ogre. Since then Nian has become the Chinese word for new year and people celebrate its arrival by exploding firecrackers, pasting red inscriptions on their doors, and hanging bright red lanterns from their houses. For the record, the Chinese community of Yaowarat dates back to the Rattanakosin period - to 1782 - during the reign of King Rama I. Then, Chinese people mostly lived in Sampheng area and by the bank of the Chao Phraya River. By the time of King Rama V, the number of Chinese living in Yaowarat had grown substantially so he decided to build a road to improve access to the community and livelihood of residents there. "The road that cuts through Yaowarat is not a straight one because the King didn't want to disturb the daily routine of its residents. The road was cut avoiding farms and houses," said Preeda who was born in Yaowarat. As a result, the road we see today snakes past shops, houses and restaurants in a manner locals liken to the shape of a dragon whose head is at the red-and-gold plated Chalerm Phrakiat Gate built in 1999 to mark the sixth cycle of His Majesty the King's birthday, while the tail is at Chakkrawat junction. The amazing thing is that the dragon's belly is where all restaurants and food shops are located (see graphic). High points Yaowarat boasts of more than 100 gold shops along a 1.5-kilometre stretch. The oldest one is Tang To Kang on Wanit Road that's been operating for more than 130 years. Land prices in Yaowarat are the second most expensive in Bangkok after Silom: one square wah costs 260,000-510,000 baht compared to Silom's 340,000-600,000 baht. It holds within its embrace the oldest Chinese temple in Bangkok, Yong Hok Yhi, located in Trok Tao lane. Built more than 300 years ago, the temple's Thai name is Wat Bumphenjeenprot and it's regarded as one of the unseen attractions of Yaowarat. It is still in good shape and according to Preeda, Sok Haeng, the famous Chinese monk-scholar visited the shrine in 1871. He renovated the place and began teaching Mahayana Buddhism. For his effort, he was held in high by the Chinese community. Later he started looking for a bigger site and built a second temple, Wat Mungkorn Kamalawas, on Mungkorn Road. Unlike Wat Mungkorn Kamalawas, Yong Hok Yhi, meaning eternal happiness, is cute and neat, not covered in smoke from burning candles and incense sticks. Its main draw are of papier-mache images that visitors can easily mistake for bronze. "Paper and cotton cloth were easy to get hold of in the old days," said Preeda, explaining that people who had strong faith in religion built a set of 18 images of enlightened monks and presented them to temples. Sharing the same wall as Yong Hok Yhi is Wat Yuan, also called Wat Kusolsama, built by Vietnamese Buddhists. Aungvinaithorn Pisit is a monk there. The temple offers classes in Buddhism. After the Chinese New Year, the temple will hold its traditional fair which now has become a model for seven other temples in the city built by Buddhists of Vietnamese ancestry. During the fair the temple donates sticky rice ordained by monks that's believed to bless recipients with children. There is the Tien Fah Foundation which has provided free medical treatment to the poor since the days of King Rama V, and last but not the least, is the only rongtium in Bangkok, the traditional Chinese lodge, that will open next month under the name Hom Muen Lee. The dragon's belly
Yaowarat is also famous for its countless hot and cold dishes available day and night. It has more than 50 ranking restaurants, not counting the roadside stalls. One of the more popular dishes is the shark fin soup. Preeda said Yaowarat's food culture began with two restaurants 50 years ago that made available cuisine straight out of the kitchens of former Chinese emperors to the ordinary people, which also explains the popularity of shark fin soup among local Chinese. One of its other famous delicacies is the crispy sliced pork that has been accorded OTOP (one tambon, one product) rating by the government and is extremely popular among visiting Hong Kong and Taiwanese tourists, as are freshly roasted chestnut sold by the roadside. Shopping paradise Yaowarat is a one-stop shop for Chinese herbs and medicine like dried goat's tendon or dried slices of crocodile meat. Fruit connoisseurs can enjoy shopping at Talad Mai, the new market on Itsaranuphap Road, while the old Talad Kao market on the same road that has been operating for more than 80 years offers a choice of recipes such as dried mushrooms, ingredients for making suki-yaki, dried fish maw, dried and raw holothuria, fish, chicken or roasted duck. If thirsty, go for herbal drinks, or the milky almond and lotus root juices. For home decoration there are a variety of items, as well as red dresses and T-shirts to go with the occasion. Going to Yaowarat this Sunday wear the red T-shirt designed by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. It's printed with her greetings for the Year of the Dog, wishing those wearing it luck and prosperity. TRAVEL TIPS To explore Bangkok's Chinatown, the best way is to take the MRT subway and get off at Hua Lamphong railway junction. From there it's a short walk to Yaowarat. Your first stop can be Wat Trimit Wittayaram, just 200 metres from the junction, that has a statue of Lord Buddha cast from gold. Cross the street to Chalerm Phrakiat Gate and appreciate the art objects and inscriptions on show there. Further up is Tien Fah Foundation where a golden statue of goddess Aryavalokitesvara Bodhisattva is kept. From the foundation just walk freely taking in the sight and sound of Chinatown. Also, don't forget to explore the sub-roads and sois that offer visitors a true picture of life in the largest Chinese community in Bangkok. |