With nod from Unesco, a ‘year of khon’ planned

By PHATARAWADEE PHATARANAWIK 
THE NATION WEEKEND

 

KHON FOR THE WORLD Culture Minister Vira Rojpojanarat yesterday announces that the country will celebrate the addition of khon to Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by hosting a year of activities across Thailand and overseas.

 

The Culture Ministry has planned a year of activities to further promote khon, the classical masked-dance theatre that on Thursday was added to Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

 

Members of the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (Unesco) meeting in Mauritius included Thai khon among several world cultural treasures added and to the list.

 

 

It is the first time that Thailand has been represented on the heritage list, and Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat credited the achievement to Her Majesty the Queen’s efforts to bring the theatre form into the 21st century with gala annual performances. 

 

“She ordered a complete redesign for the costumes and ornamentation, the makeup, stage, format, lighting and sound, turning it into a royal khon performance,” he said.

 

To celebrate the Unesco decision, the Culture Ministry on Friday staged a performance at the Thailand Cultural Centre along with a demonstration of how the masks are made.

 

“We have also arranged additional three-hour performances of ‘The Allegiance of Phiphek’ from December 3 to 5 at the cultural centre,” Vira said, referring to the latest episode of the Ramayana being presented in the grand “royal” format this year.

 

 

“More live performances will be staged in the coming year and we’ll be screening the animated film ‘Ramayana’, which the ministry produced.”

 

Vira said there would also be exhibitions, children’s books and a documentary film presented around the country, and a khon digital database would be created for use by future generations.

 

While few would decry the focus on preserving traditional khon, some critics have said the government should also be supporting contemporary theatre as well.

 

The ministry will next year nominate nuad thai (Thai massage) and the southern traditional dance nora for inclusion on the Unesco list.

 

 

Also recognised by the UN agency as a form of Intangible Cultural Heritage “in need of urgent safeguarding” was Cambodia’s similar masked-dance form known as lakhon khol. 

 

It was added to the Unesco Representative List in 2008, but this year was listed in a second category for the specific dance presented at Wat Svay Andet near Phnom Penh. It is unusual in that members of the community living around the Buddhist monastery accompany the performances by masked men with music and melodious recitation.

 

In explaining the listing, Unesco said the lakhon khol performance there “aims to ensure the community’s protection and prosperity by winning the favours of Neak Ta, a guardian spirit of the place and its people. 

 

“After generations of transmission, the element’s viability has been weakened by environmental factors, economic migration, insufficient resources and the effects of war and of the Khmer Rouge.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30359631

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-01

 

 

Good for them. I'm sure people would have been heartbroken if the decision had gone the other way and they'd be planning to kick thousands of Farangs out of Thailand. Win win for everyone. 

It is a matter of deep pride for all of us that Thailand's remarkable and unique contribution to the culture of the world has been recognized in this wonderful way. It puts pay to the naysayers who ignorantly deny that Thailand's contribution to world civilization is any less than that of Japan, China or Renaissance Europe. It only remains for UNESCO to recognize Thailand's other gift to civilization, namely decorative vegetable carving, - and Thailand's status as a cultural superpower will be complete and unassailable.

How about Thai electrical work,that must be unique too.

I'm still waiting for the modernized MC Hammer version of Khon, seems like it'd be absolutely perfect:

 

 

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The Culture Ministry has planned a year of activities to further promote khon, the classical masked-dance theatre that on Thursday was added to Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

 

errrm can we have a link to the UNESCO decision please.

2 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

How about Thai electrical work,that must be unique too.

 

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The ministry will next year nominate nuad thai (Thai massage) and the southern traditional dance nora for inclusion on the Unesco list.

The year after the ministry will nominate con farang and scam thai for inclusion on the Unesco list.

Edited December 1, 20187 yr by connda

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/25783/thai-dance-proposal-sparks-online-outrage/

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2016/06/07/thai-cambodian-flame-war-erupts-over-traditional-dance/

 

The Cambodians won't be dancing in the streets.

8 hours ago, DrTuner said:

I'm still waiting for the modernized MC Hammer version of Khon, seems like it'd be absolutely perfect:

I completely forgot about MC. Looks like he walked straight out of a Thai wedding ceremony.

Will paupers be able to watch this dance? It reads like it's for the royals and hi so's only.

On 12/1/2018 at 4:07 AM, ratcatcher said:

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/25783/thai-dance-proposal-sparks-online-outrage/

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2016/06/07/thai-cambodian-flame-war-erupts-over-traditional-dance/

 

The Cambodians won't be dancing in the streets.

But, perhaps secure with the ideals that Thai have basically stolen most everything from them [and others] to make it their own...

On 12/1/2018 at 12:55 PM, marko kok prong said:

How about Thai electrical work,that must be unique too.

Is  that earthy humour or lack of?