|
|
| An original idea |
Refreshing morning breeze blew
into the scorpion-tailed boat’s cabin that was taking me and other tourists on
a cruise down the Ping
River. It sailed past old
commercial blocks and several magnificent colonial-style buildings. Life on the
river was quiet and the boat was moving at a leisurely pace offering passengers
a chance to explore the charms of Chiang Mai on both sides of the river.
In
the mid to late 1897-during the reign of King Rama V,
scorpion-tailed boats served members of the royalty in the North, as well as
local people travelling between Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
The scorpion-tailed boat or ‘Rue Mae Pa’ is a large size
digger boat that has its widest part in the middle for carrying cargo and
passengers. The roof is made from thatched bamboo and sealed for protection
against the sun and rain.
You will notice a prominent tail pointing
to the sky;
imparting a special character that makes them look different from other boats in
the country. When they arrived at riverfront settlements in the old days it’s
always an event for they brought people, supplies and news from distant places.
|
| A scorpion-tailed boat at Wat Sri Khong boat landing |
Mr Samak Laosathirawong was
waiting for me at Wat Sri Khong pier. He is an ex-navy man who spent many years
studying the history of transportation in the northern region and he re-built
these ancient boats by sticking as much as was possible to the original style.
In the past boats were guided by helmsmen but now engines have been installed
complete with silencers. The vacuum room in the front was designed to keep the
boat balanced and safe. It has a capacity for 35 persons.
“In
the ancient times, the first man who built the
scorpion-tailed boat got the idea by looking at a broken coconut shell with the
tail of a scorpion sticking out. Scorpion-tailed boats have been used as a mode
of transport in the North for centuries. I was disappointed to see them
disappear from Ping
River in our time,”Mr
Samak said.
We left Wat Sri Khong pier and headed north passing
under
the Rattanakosin and Super Highway
bridges and then made an U-turn southward. I looked out on the countryside
where 100 years old teak-houses and several old temples stood out elegantly. I
have never seen this picturesque a view from the river since I visited the
floating market in Damnoen Saduak canal, Ratchaburi, several years ago.
The
boat engine was quiet and it gave me the peace to
imagine several nice things about Chiang Mai from the old days, particularly
the old trading area on the east bank of the river where Chinese, British, Sikh
and Thai communities thrived.
The old trading area is what we know as Wat Gate
today.
It stretches on both sides of Bamrungrat
Road. Many beautiful teak houses owned by the
British still survive. They were built by families in the logging business.
This
area today is a unique mix of art and culture of
northern Thailand
and colonial settlers. It has become a popular spot for foreign and Thai
tourists. Many old buildings on the both sides of the road have been converted
into high-class restaurants and accommodations.
“I’m
glad to learn that the Tourism Authority of
Thailand (TAT) is promoting Wat Gate area as a Chiang Mai heritage,” said
Samak, our guide today, as he gave me a lengthy two-hour lecture on excursions
available through the old town.
The river cruise gave me an opportunity to watch
a
potpourri of history and river life that unfolded along the river. As we
approached Nawarat Bridge, the main connection for people living on either
sides of the Ping, Mr Samak said, “Dating back a century, the east bank served
as a trading center for foreigners based in Chiang Mai, while local residents
and noble families settled on the west side. Houses were built further away
from the river or the canal.”
Modern developments are
replacing the old way of life of
local residents. When the first rail link opened in 1921, it was the beginning
of the end of river transportation that culminated in the phasing out and
finally disappearance of scorpion-tailed boats from Ping River.
But thanks to
Mr Samak, they are making a return taking
tourists on cruises along the Ping and keeping alive a tradition that had been
part and parcel of Chiang Mai history and it cultural identity.
|
