Preservation of Intangible Cultural Assets in Phitsanulok, Thailand
Phitsanulok Municipality, a local authority in northern Thailand which
is situated around 380 km from Bangkok, has a wealth of intangible cultural
assets that are of distinctive preservation values. Realizing the necessity
to preserve the unique local cultures for the future generations, Phitsanulok
Municipality has participated in CLAIR’s Specialist Dispatch Project, so
as to learn about the methods and systems of preserving the intangible
cultural assets that exist locally. Mr. Godengi Hiroki, an expert in the
field of intangible cultural assets preservation was dispatched to Phitsanulok
Municipality from 13th to 27th of August 2010 to implement the relevant
training program.
During the first half of the training program, the specialist participated in various local cultural events and visited the related cultural facilities in order to gain a deeper understanding on the traditional performing arts existing in Phitsanulok Municipality. This was followed by a series of lectures which showcased the systems of cultural assets preservation in Japan and the relevant case studies. The specialist also had a chance to visit Mahasarakram Province and Nongkhai Province together with the trainees so as to promote further cultural exchange between the 2 provinces. During the visit, the specialist and trainees were able to experience the Northeastern culture such as local traditional dance etc.
The latter half of the training program was focused on building the capacity among the trainees so that they are able to plan and implement programs to preserve the local distinctive cultural assets and promote awareness on cultural preservation. During the closing ceremony conducted on August 26th, Dr. Premruadee Charmpoonod, the Mayor of Phitsanulok Municipality commented that ‘I sincerely hope that through preserving both tangible and intangible cultural assets in Phitsanulok Municipality, we will be able to inherit our unique culture to the next generations, and at the same time, leverage the local tourism industry to greater heights in the near future’.
A scene from the training program The specialist spending some time
with local villagers
