Photo Gallery - Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival 2013

Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle - 2013

A new photography gallery has been added to my photography website.  This gallery is a collection of some of the photographs from our recent trip to Sakon Nakhon, 150 km east of our home, to enjoy this year's Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Other/Sakon-Nakhon-Wax-Castle/33305169_D3DWNR

Banana Roses

Lay Worker Making A Rose From A Banana Leaf

On our visit to Sakon Nakhon to attend the Wax Castle Festival we ended up hiring the same car and driver that we had hired last year.  Upon our arrival at our hotel on October 17th we informed the very helpful people at the registration desk that we would like to hire the same car/driver that we had the previous year.  We gave a description of the man and they immediately recognized who we wanted.  We told them we wanted the car driver for the next day starting at 8:00 A.M.  While I filled out the registration forms and gave them my passport, they called the man.  They spoke with the man and gave me his charges for the day.  The charges were the same as they were last year so we readily agreed.

Gave my passport to the hotel staff?  Yes.  As Duang sometimes explains to me. "Thailand not same as America"  In Thailand as well as other countries in Southeast Asia, you have to establish your identity when renting a hotel room.  Thai nationals in Thailand show their national identity card.  Foreigners have to submit their passport to the reception staff who xerox the relevant pages.  By law the hotels have to have a record of who has stayed in their establishment and confirm that the foreigners are legally in the country - proper unexpired visa.  Private citizens are also supposed to report to local police any foreign guests that are staying in their home but I suspect that this is not fully complied with.

We were a little taken aback the next morning at 8:00 A.M. when a young man showed up rather than the elderly man that we were expecting.   The young man had a nice 4 door pick up truck and he seemed like he had a "good heart"  "Good Heart" is very important here in Isaan.  It means roughly a good and nice person. The young man quickly demonstrated that he was a good as well as safe driver.  After a while in a conversation through Duang, we determined that he was actually the son of our driver from last year.  Now I understood what was going on and everything was fine.

Our first stop of the day was at Wat Suwaneen Gindalam.  We had spent quite a bit of time at the Wat last year - even stopping by on our way back home.  The Monks as well as lay people had been extremely nice and friendly during our visit.  A major component of the wax castle floats are hundreds of small solid wax figurines of mythological creatures of the Himmapan Forest.  Last year the kind people of Wat Suwaneen Gindalam gave us two of the extra figures to bring home.

We were quickly recognized upon our return to the Wat this year.  We found out that the Wat took third place last year and they were striving to win first place this year,  While we were able to watch the completion of the large floats this year, we arrived this year after the two main floats had already been transported into town to a staging area for the night's procession.  Although the main floats were not at the Wat, there was still some work going on.  The tractor trailer truck that would pull one of the main floats still had to be decorated.  A bamboo structure had been erected around the truck but only about 50% of the decorative panels had been attached to the bamboo substructure.

This year the Wat had created a grand wax castle float and a more organic float sort of like a float you see in the Rose Bowl Parade.  It seemed to me that this year there was a different theme for the floats.  Rather than being wax some of the floats were created with fibers and banana leaf materials.

Twisting and Turning A Banana Leaf Into a Green Rose

During our stay at the Wat, one of  the men showed and tried to teach Duang how to make the roses in the float out of banana leaves.

Teacher and Student

Here in Isaan, banana trees are used for many purposes.  I have seen banana stalks used to create a "money tree".  Banana leaves are used to cook food in.  Banana leaves are used as plates.  Banana stalks are used as a substitute for wood to create small houses associated with funeral rites.  Banana leaves are skillfully manipulated to create centerpieces for baii sii rituals.  However this was the first time that I have seen a banana leaf used to create a rose albeit a green rose.

The man quickly created a nice green roses which he presented to Duang as a souvenir of our visit.

Shortly after we arrived, many of the workers left to go into town to freshen up the floats.  We followed them into town to watch them freshen up and repair their floats.

Wax Castles of Sakon Nakhon

Wax Castle Float At Ming Muang Ground

The Nakon Sakhon Wax Castle Festival celebrates the end of Vassa, the 90 day long Buddhist Rain Retreat.  The end of Vassa is determined by the lunar cycle.  Vassa ends on the Full Moon of the 11th Lunar Month.  This year it was October 19.

Last year when we attended the Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival we were able to witness the construction of three large wax castle floats at their Wats.  Unfortunately we were not able to witness any of the other events associated with the festival.

This year I was determined to see a little more of the festival.  I was unable to find a schedule of events for the festival but Duang called our hotel and learned that the evening procession for the wax castle floats was to occur on 18th October.  I surmised that there wold be some kind of show the night before the procession so we traveled to Sakon Nakhon on Thursday the 17th.

Upon arrival at the hotel we learned that there was no big show that night but many of the floats were going to be arriving to the staging area at Ming Muang Grounds.  The floats were scheduled to start arriving at the grounds at 6:00 P.M. and offered to take us there and to pick us up to return to the hotel when we were ready.  The grounds are not that far from the hotel but do to the congestion it took a while to arrive at the grounds.  The narrow streets were made even more so by double parked vehicles, 3 to 4 lanes of motorbikes in addition to the theoretical two lanes of traffic, as well as many vendor carts alongside the road. I enjoyed being able to relax in a nice cool vehicle with no worries about hitting someone or something.

Workers Re-Installing Spires On Wax Castle Float

We arrived at the field while there was still some light in the sky. Many of the floats had fluorescent lights incorporated into them powered by portable generators.  Once they floats were placed into their assigned location and position, the lights were turned on.  The combination of natural lighting and artificial lighting presented some interesting photography opportunities; interesting and quickly evolving opportunities. As the natural lighting diminished, more and more artificial lights came on.  High lighting towers surrounded the grounds and as time moved on were joined by more and more portable lights set up by the float builders.

Many of the floats had traveled along public roads to get from where they had been under construction for the past two to three months to the staging grounds. The stresses of the journey had caused some minor damage to the floats.  The float builders would spend the night and the next day repairing as well as refreshing their floats. The wax castles also have tall delicate wax spires that had been removed to protect them from damage and to provide clearance underneath utility wires along the route.

Detail of Large Float

Besides the confusion of large floats arriving and being backed into position, the grounds were filled with vendors selling foods, drinks, balloons, and souvenirs as well as thousands of people like Duang and me, all enjoying the sights.  Many of the people would pose and have their photograph taken in front, in back, and along the sides of the floats.  Sharks are known to have feeding frenzies.  That night, there was a photography frenzy!  Yes, I took photos of Duang in front, in back, and even on the side of the floats - the things a man will do to please his wife, not that she doesn't deserve it - besides it was her birthday!

Duang Celebrating Her 50th Birthday

I typically do not indulge in photographs of people posing in front of vistas, landmarks, or some other object.  I prefer to take "environmental portraits" - photographs of people in their natural environment usually doing some typical task that reflects their life or culture.  I have already admitted to making some exceptions to please my wife.  I also sometimes make an exception - to please myself.  I made an exception at the grounds to photograph some young girls who were posing for their family.  The little girls, especially the one in the middle, were just to adorable to not photograph - even with with their cheesy posing.

I am also amazed as to how photogenic the people are.  The children have a confidence, determination, and independence that I find most interesting.

I was taking photos of some of the women dressed in ethnic clothing when THEY decided that I should photograph all of them followed by their idea for me to photograph all of them with Duang.  It often is that way here in Isaan - interacting with the people, learning something about them, sharing a little bit of your story with them and getting better photographs.

This festival is a big deal and gets some patronage from the Royal Family.  Each year the King makes funds available for a float.

Float Sponsored by HRH Rama XI

This visit to the festival gave us an opportunity to view some other types of floats that we had not seen last year.  One section of the grounds was reserved for small cart type floats. The two wheeled ox carts or carts pulled by people are not related to the end of Vassa or any religious connotation.  The carts have a very strong cultural connection and symbolism.  The people of Northeast Thailand are descendants of immigrants. Their forefathers and foremothers, for the most part, originated in China.  From southern China starting in the eight century, the peoples immigrated to Laos and eventually to Northeast Thailand.

This migration story is a strong theme even today.  Every festival that we have attended these small carts have participated in the processions.  The show that we attended for the World Cultural Festival in Ban Chiang also dedicated a part of its pageant to the migrants coming to Isaan with their carts.

Ornate Carts for Wax Castle Festival

The carts for the Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival were topped with ornate structures constructed of wax, banana stalks, fresh flowers, and natural fibers.

Close Up Detail of Cart

Although the sky was overcast, by being patient - very patient I was able to take some photographing the nearly full moon in the composition.

After we had become too tired and sweaty to continue any longer, we called the hotel to come get us.  The traffic and confusion in the street was even worse than earlier.  I was even more appreciative to be able to sit, relax, and enjoy a soft drink in the maddening traffic all the confusing way back to the hotel.  Our tip to the driver reflected our appreciation and gratitude.

Morning Market - Sakon Nakhon

The Scallion Vendor At 6:30 A.M., Saw Her Again At 5:00 P.M. Leaving the market

This weekend, Duangchan and I drove two hours east of our home to a town called Sakon Nakhon to once again witness the Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival which marks the end of Buddhist Lent which is also referred to as the Buddhist Rain Retreat or Vassa.

We had attended the festival last year, http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2012/11/sakon-nakhon-wax-castle-festival.html , but did not stay for the night procession of the completed floats or attend any of the formal events prior to the procession.  I wanted to return this year view the procession and perhaps some cultural events associated with the festival.

Using the Internet I was able to determine the dates of the festival quite easily.  However I had no luck in determining exactly what was the schedule of events for the festival.  I sent an email to the Tourism Authority of Thailand requesting specific information regarding the schedule of events.  I received a prompt confirmation of receipt of my email and was informed that my request had been sent to local chapter for reply.  Three weeks later and two days after conclusion of the festival, I have not received a reply.  Just about every Internet site that had some information on the festival provided a phone number to obtain information on the event.  I had Duang call that number four times - there was never an answer.  I then had her call the hotel where we had stayed last year and where I intended to stay this year.  From the hotel, we learned that the night procession was on 18 October, so I decided that we would arrive on the 17th and leave on the 19th.  We had time constraints this year - the 17th was Duang's 50th birthday and she wanted to make special merit in the morning with the forest Monk.  On the 19th she wanted to make her third and last night of women's retreat at Wat Ban Mat.

We arrived in the afternoon of the 17th.  That night we watched many of the wax castle floats being set up in one of the large assembly areas.  The floats were transported on roads from outlying Wats to Ming Muang Ground.

For whatever reason, I woke up the next morning at 5:30 A.M.. Our hotel was located two blocks from the morning markets in central Sakon Nakhon.  I had mentioned earlier to Duang that if I woke up early enough on the 18th or 19th. I wanted to go to the markets to take some photographs.  Having woken up early, I headed down to the markets - alone.

My first stop was at the Municipal Daily Fresh Market on Yuwapatana Road.  I immediately realized that although it was around 6:00 A.M. the market was not really up and running like so many of the other Talad Saos (Morning Markets) that I am familiar with in Thailand and Lao.  Some meat vendors were just setting up their booths and stalls in the market.

Pork Vendor setting Up for the Morning

I commenced to photograph the vendors and their activities.  From the vendors I learned that the market did not really get going until 7:00 A.M. From one vendor I learned that there was much more going on at the next door market, Tor Kam Kar Daily Fresh Market.

All Parts of Animals Are For Sale At the Market

Making Fresh Ground Pork

I have enjoyed and utilized the local markets in Thailand, Malaysia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

I have always been fascinated with the markets be they morning, wet, fresh or evening since first coming to Southeast Asia in 1999.  The markets here are very much different than the supermarkets in western countries.

First of all the markets here, where most locals shop, typically do not have walls.  The roofs, under which the goods are offered for sale, are often a combination of corrugated metal of various degrees of corrosion and other materials such as clear plastic sheeting, tarps, recycled political or advertising plasticized fabric signs and sometimes thatched panels.  The floors of the markets are usually concrete which is often wet from the marketing activities.

Secondly the markets are not creations of large corporations but are rather amalgamations of individual vendors.  Each vendor rents their space from the market owner.  In Kumphawapi, a small space costs $1 a day.

Goods are displayed on raised counters constructed of wood, metal. or tiled concrete.  Quite often the vendor sits on the same platform surrounded by their goods.  Outside of the markets, you will often find vendors sitting on woven reed mats placed on the ground.

Patrons of the markets do not have grocery carriages or carts.  Some people will go to the market carrying a woven bamboo basket to carry their purchases home.  Most people leave the market carrying several small plastic bags in each hand.

Refrigeration is sparse in the markets.  In the case of fish, there are two methods of keeping it fresh.  The first method is to keep it alive.  In the fish section of the markets, the floor is often covered with large plastic tubs of water and fish.  Some of the tubs have air injected into the water through small stone aerators attached to aquarium pumps.  The second method of keeping the fish fresh is to display it on tiled, marble or tiled topped platforms or stainless steel tables and periodically pour water over them.  For me there is a paradox in marketing perishables in this manner.  At first this practice may be disturbing to people who are accustomed to shopping in brightly lit, cool, antiseptic plastic wrapped merchandising temples of the western world.  OMG. Oh My God - how can they shop and eat food in those Asian markets? most likely are in thoughts of many people.  But here, for me is the paradox, in the more primitive conditions people are exposed to fresher food. How?  If the food is not fresh you sure can tell by the way it looks and smells. Having discovered too late horrible spoiled fish from a well known grocery store in California, I am well aware that modern sanitary conditions, specialized lighting, foam and plastic packaging, and utilizing nitrogen gas are no guaranty of freshness.

Pork For Sale

The pork that was being hung from large meat hooks in the Municipal Daily Fresh Market was definitely fresh.  I know because I went up to the meat and smelled it - no one objected because that is how you shop - looking, smelling, and sometimes even touching.  The Asian shopper takes responsibility for what they purchase and bring into their home.

Butchermen of Sakon Nakhon

Since I was pressed for time, our hired driver was picking us up at 8:00 A.M., I did not spend much time at the first market.  I moved down to the next market which was a bee hive of activity.  It was everything that you will come to find in a Southeast Asia market.  It was crowded.  It was noisy.  It was, in certain areas, smelly.  It was interesting.

Outdoor Charcoal Grill - Fish On One Side, Fish On the Other Side

As much as it was a market, it was also a huge restaurant.  Charcoal grills were cooking fish and chickens.  Propane burners were fueling the local versions of deep fryers.  Smaller table top sized grills were used to cook small kebabs of pork or chicken parts. The pungent odors of charcoal, fermented fish sauce, and spices permeated the atmosphere.  Although it was "breakfast" time, patrons were very likely purchasing grilled fish or even chicken for their first meal of the day. Here food is food without distinction of when it should be eaten.

Sidewalk Grilled Chicken Vendors

Inside the covered market, vendors were selling all kinds of goods.  Selling goods was not their only activity.  Vendors were heavily engaged in socializing with other vendors as well as their customers.  Markets are wonderful places to catch up on all matters, great and small.

Chilies, Tomatoes, Limes - All For Sale

The Cabbage Lady

It Would Not Be A Market If There Were No Rice For Sale

Since it was around 7:00 A.M., there was an opportunity to photograph a local Monk on his morning alms walk.

People Make Offerings of Food to Monk

I have often written about the ways things are supposed to be and the way they actually are.  I have read about Buddhism and how the Monks are to receive alms.  From what I have read and understand the giving of alms is not a quid pro quo exchange.  The laypeople offer the food for the mere act of kindness.  They should not expect anything in return for their act although the pure act itself earns them merit.  The Monk is supposed to accept the food as it is offered without judgement and without reward to the donors.

I have seen many Monks just very slowly walk by the people so that they could drop food in his bowl.  They would not stop.  I have also seen Monks in Thailand stop in front of donors and recite a chant upon accepting food - I presume that it was a sort of blessing.  In Lao People's Democratic Republic, I have witnessed Monks accepting food, walking past the donors, stopping in front of the people's home or business and then chanting as if blessing the structures.

Monk Chanting After Accepting Food Offerings

In Sakon Nakhon the Monk, after accepting food offerings from a group of people, stood before them and chanted before continuing along on his alms walk. I point this out to demonstrate that things often are not what they appear to be or should be.  Examples such as this, for me, are reasons to be more open minded and tolerant in trying to understand things.  Things are often more complicated than is conveyed or communicated.  Often it doesn't really make a difference.  It is often a matter of personal experience and perspective.

The Egg Lady

One of the vendors that I photographed several times was the "Egg Lady".  Eggs are handled very differently here than back in the USA.  Eggs are not refrigerated here.  Our weather here is either hot and dry or hot and wet.  How hot is hot?  Typically our highs are 90 to 95F.  During our really hot months the highs are 95 to 105F.  During our cool month the highs are 85 to 90F.  No matter the month, you will see pick up trucks stacked high, high as in 6 to 7 feet high, with compress cellulose flats of eggs.  Once they arrive at their destinations, the eggs are offloaded and displayed in the open air for sale. We shop at an English multinational grocery chain and even their eggs for sale are not refrigerated.  Customers keep the eggs that they purchased on a counter in their kitchen or outside area where they cook.

The Egg Lady at the Sakon Nakhon market was no exception to the normal practice. Her eggs were stored at her side in the open air.  Many of the eggs were flats that had earlier been on one of those pickup trucks speeding along the roads and highways.  Part of the vendor's tasks was to take eggs from the flats and place them in small cellophane bags for sale.  The eggs were carefully placed in the bag so that they formed a small pyramid - I don't know if that was for cosmic energy or for style but it is stylish in my opinion.

Chicken is also not given the special attention that it gets or is supposed to get back in the USA.  When Duang and I were in the USA, I read the warning labels on the chicken that we purchased in the supermarket and along with all the news stories of people getting sick from contaminated poultry, I wondered why we or any one else would buy let alone eat chicken.

Here in Isaan, especially during holiday periods, you will find steel half barrel charcoal grills along the roadside where grilled chicken is offered for sale.  The chicken is grilled in three different methods.  In the first method, a chicken half is flattened as if by having been rolled over by a car and skewered on one or two bamboo sticks sort of like chicken satay.  The chicken is not flattened by a car but rather by a heavy wood club.  The second method is similar but involves a whole chicken and two bamboo skewers.  The chicken is butterflied and flattened  with the club so that it resembles a desiccated bat or sting ray.  It is placed on two skewers and typically grilled in a somewhat vertical position.  The last method is where a whole chicken is skewered by a long bamboo pole about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.  Several chickens are placed high above a charcoal grill in staggered arrangements.

These roadside kitchens have neither water, let alone potable water, or refrigeration.  Once the chickens are cooked, they remain exposed to the air off to the side on a cooler part of the grill.  I have written before that I often write what I have observed and do not necessarily understand or necessarily believe.

The handling and storage of poultry and eggs here in Isaan is another example.  I don't understand why we are not all dead yet or at least hospitalized every month due to our practices.  Perhaps the lesson is that there are alternatives, alternatives that are vastly different than western standards, that do not necessarily condemn one to sickness or misery.

In a dark and narrow corridor, chicken is processed

Prepared Foods For Sale

Market Girl

Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival

Completed Wax Castle at Wat Suwaneen Gindalam, Sakon Nakhon, Thailand

As I have written before, October this year has been a very busy month for us.  One of our planned activities for October was to attend the Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival here in Isaan.

The festival was held from October 26 to October 30 in Sakon Nakhon, an agricultural center of approximately 60,000 people 160 Km east of our home in Udonthani.  The Wax Festival is held to commemorate and celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent also referred to as Buddhist Retreat.

Buddhist Lent commences the day after the full moon of the eighth lunar month (July) and ends 90 days later on the full moon of the eleventh lunar month (October).  I will be writing more about the end of the Buddhist Retreat in my next blog.  For now the important point is that during the period from Khao Phansa to Ok Phansa, the Monks are restricted to their home Wat to focus on meditation and scripture.

We had attended the Ubonratchathani Candle Festival in July 2010.  That festival which commemorated the start of Buddhist Lent included both a day and night procession of large wax sculptures of scenes from the Ramakian.  After viewing and inspecting the sculptures, I wanted to return the next year but at an earlier time to witness how the large sculptures were made.  As often happens in life, events prevented us from returning in either 2011 or 2012.  There is a saying that goes something along the lines of "When one door closes, another door opens".  We returned to Thailand in July of this year, too late to go to Ubonratchathani but, thanks to the Internet I learned of the Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival in October.

Due to a commitment to attend and requests to photograph Ok Phansa celebration in Tahsang Village, we were not able to attend the procession in Sakon Nakhon.  However, we could attend the early days of the festival - specifically to witness the castles being constructed.  I figured that the first day, the 26th, was too early.  After researching and finding a hotel for $21.64 a night in downtown Sakon Nakhon, we decided to drive the 2 hours on Saturday, 27 October, spend the night and return home on Sunday the 28th.  We could have planned on doing it all in one day, but I like to have flexibility built into our travel arrangements.  For $21.64, including taxes, a night, there was not much additional cost to have a possible second day at the festival.

The drive out to Sakon Nakhon was great - Highway 22 all the way.  Not much traffic, very few slow vehicles, very few traffic lights, wide and smooth paved highway, hardly any motorbikes, and no police - such a great way to start a holiday.

Our hotel, The Dusit, was a pleasant surprise.  The staff was great - very friendly and extremely willing to help.  The hotel is located downtown very close to the central market.  The exterior is rather nondescript but I knew that from my research.  Inside the hotel was very clean and the lobby was pretty as well as comfortable. Since I had no idea where the castles were being constructed, or where the long boat races were being held, I decided to hire a car and driver for the day.  We spoke with the staff at the hotel, and shortly a man with a nice car arrived.  We agreed to pay him 2,000 Baht ($65 USD) to take care of us from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM.  With a car, I was able to bring some equipment such as a light stand, small octagon light modifier, and tripod to use in photographing the castles.

We have been fortunate in our travels relying upon local people to take us to the photographic opportunities.  Our trip to Sakon Nakhon was no exception.  Through my wife I explained what I was interested in. The driver understood and wrote down 6 places that we could go to.  Our first stop was Wat Suwaneen Gindalam on the outskirts of the city.

Wat Suwaneen Gindalam is located on a dirt road in a forested area.  The two wax castles were being constructed under an open sided shed.  The shed resembled a boat shed back in Connecticut with a corrugated metal roof and myriad plastic tarps to shelter the sculptures from the sun.  It has gotten cooler here in Isaan, but it is all relative.  The hot days of April when it can go up to 100 to 105F have cooled down to days of 85-90F - in the shade.  Care must be taken to protect the sculptures from melting in the sun.

The Wat grounds were filled with activity.  Besides people working in the shed, there were women outside of an auxiliary building preparing and cooking food.  Next to them some men setting up tables and chairs for a celebration the next day. Between the groups at the auxiliary building and the shed, a small group of teen aged boys were busy cutting banana stalks into fancy designs, making flower buds out of flower petals and decorating a small woven bamboo house to be used in conjunction with towing the wax castles.  As we entered the shed, we saw four young novice Monks busy cutting Styrofoam disks and  covering the disks with banana leaves.

Using A Speaker As A Table, Young Man Works on A Castle Component

Inside of the shed, beneath the metal roof and tarps, there were several workstations - tables to cast wax elements for the castle, equipment to melt wax, and tables to assemble wax components.  I guess they were short a table because a large speaker was being used as a table to assemble a house type component for the castle.

Worker Pours Wax to Create An Ornamental Casting

Wax Strips Are Prepared to be Melted

A combination of young men and young Monks were occupied in the shed constructing the wax castles.  The only female that we saw, a teen aged girl, was busy attaching a fabric skirt around the base of the smaller wax castle.  She was surrounded by two long unfurled rolls of fabric, pink and white, that she was creating a bunting over the yellow pleated fabric skirt of the float.

Bunting Being Applied to Base of Wax Castle

The people were very friendly and also very informative.  Our driver, who did not speak any English, kept telling Duang that all the people there were his friends,  Later we found out that he lived near the Wat.  I joked with him through Duang that I didn't care if they were his friends or not, I was getting some good pictures!  The Lao Loum people have great senses of humor and enjoy joking with each other or with a foreigner.  Duang and he went off to bring back some cold drinks for me - and the shed workers.

We spent two hours at this location.  It satisfied all my needs and exceeded my expectations.  In that first stop, our driver had earned his fee and I was happy.

Worker Uses Soldering Iron to Install Decorative Wax Casting

We learned a great deal talking with the workers and observing them.  First of all, the wax castles are not sculpted or carved from wax. The castles are first constructed of wood and 1/8" plywood - as in cabinet making.  Melted wax is poured into molds to create the decorative panels, statues, decorative elements that are attached to the wood base.  Soldering irons are used to fuse the various wax components together.  In some places, nail guns are employed to attach elements.

Cast Wax Panel Along Base of Float

Secondly, these exquisite works are not built during the three days leading up to the procession.  The construction of these castles actually starts with the beginning of Buddhist Lent/Buddhist  Retreat.  Hmmm ... that makes quite a bit of sense.  For the 90 day period of Lent, the Monks are supposed to stay at their home Wat.  Although they are supposed to concentrate on meditation and the scriptures, I suspect that working on the wax castles helps pass the time.

The castles at Wat Suwaneen Gindalam had been under construction for 2-1/2 months. The castles cost between 200,000 Baht to 250,000 Baht ( $6,666 to $8,333 USD) to build.  HRH The King provides funding to build the wax castles.  Some of the people are paid to work on the wax castles.  The man in the photograph above has worked on wax castles for 9 years.  Each year a new wax castle is built.  The Abbott of the Wat designs the wax castle.  The castles are mounted on a trailer which is towed by a tractor trailer truck that is completely decorated.  Florescent light tubes line the edge of the float to illuminate the castle at night during the procession through the downtown area.

Melting A Decoration Into Place

Young Man Works On Details Of Wax Statue

The wax castles are very detailed.  The architecture of the wax castles reminds me greatly of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.  Just as in the Grand Palace, mythological creatures such as the Garuda, and Yakshas from the Thai epic Ramakien (Ramakian) are used as structural and decorative elements.
When we left Wat Suwaneen Gindalam, the workers gave us a wax Garuda and a wax Lion statue as mementos of our visit.  The statues are now kept in our bedroom.

Novice Monk Making Flower Buds from Petals Spread Before Him

Binding Petals to Create A Flower Bud

 

The Smaller Wax Castle At Wat Suwaneen Gindalam

 

Our next stop was at Wat Sapansee which was even further outside of the city.  I was now in complete relaxed mode - the first stop had satisfied my needs so from then on it was "icing on the cake" for me.  I may have been more relaxed but I had not lost my focus.  There were the championship long boat races in town at 2:00 PM but we had seen them before in Kumphawapi and were planning on seeing them once gain on 3 and 4 November so we decided to forgo the races for more wax castle building.  Foreigners in Thailand often make light of a popular Thai expression "Same Same but different!"  Well our stop at Wat Sapansee was just like that expression - It was the same but it was different.

 

Tractor Trailer Truck Being Decorated At Wat Sapansee

Wat Sapansee was even busier than Wat Suwaneen Gindalam.  People were busy decorating the tractor that would pull the wax castle some 20 Km into Sakon Nakhon for the parade. Three boys were spraying the wax castle with water to keep it cooler as we arrived.  Many people were installing bumper pads made from rice stalks along the trailer frame where the wax castle would be mounted while others were attaching blocks of water soaked florist's arrangement media and chicken wire to the trailer frame. Monks were braiding strips of banana leaves into Nagas (mythological snakes) for decorations.  Some Monks and laymen were working on a special bamboo and wood castle off to the side.  Three women were working on making a long garland from string and plastic jasmine buds.  One of the old ladies with red stained lips from betelnut chewing started to flirt with me.  I told in Thai "Excuse me, I am sorry.  I have a Lao wife"  Without missing a heartbeat she replied "That's OK, I don't mind.  I can be your mistress"  We all had a big laugh.  I do appreciate and cherish the Lao Loum sense of humor.

 

Monk Braiding Banana Leaf Strips to Create "Nagas"

Off to the side there was another large group of women working on banana leaves and cutting Styrofoam for some kind of decoration.  Beyond them was yet another group of women preparing food - the ubiquitous "pauk pauk" - spicy papaya salad.

 

Making Wax Lotus Flower Decorations

The biggest group of people, a mixed group of all ages, was occupied making lotus flower decorations out of wax.  They dipped molds into orange melted wax to create an open flower cup.  A woman was slicing turmeric root which resembled a carrot to place in the center of the flower cup.  The slice of turmeric root was held in place with a simulated stem by using a splayed sliver of bamboo which another woman was creating by shaving bamboo with a knife.

 

Wax Lotus Flowers

We spent 1-1/4 hours at this location.  We bought ice-cream for everyone and I am still trying to figure out how 100 Baht ($3.33 USD) ended up feeding everyone, including me, a cup of ice cream from the motorbike ice-cream man.  There had to be more, much more than 20 people.  I guess it was just one of those mysteries of the universe or ... perhaps a modern day miracle?

 

It was very impressive to observe the sense of community and purpose exhibited by the people as they worked.  Monks, old women, young women, old men, young men, and children were all cooperating and having a great time as they worked on the wax castle. It was also reassuring to see the culturally unique arts and crafts being retained as well as passed along.  The fabric of Lao Loum life here in Isaan is a very rich tapestry.

 

A Hard Working Yai (Grandmother)

 

Making White Lotus Flowers

As we were preparing to leave the production of lotus flowers entered the final stages.  A young man arrived by motorbike and broke three good sized white candles into a pot over a charcoal fire (charcoal as in "homemade kind" and not a commercial hydrocarbon briquette product).  When the wax melted, some of the women dipped actual scored lotus bulbs into the wax and then into water to create a small diameter white lotus flower.  The previously assembled orange lotus flowers were then disassembled and reassembled to create the final lotus flower - orange outside, white inside, with a yellow turmeric slice in the center - gorgeous.

 

Four Completed Wax Lotus Flowers

Wat Sapansee Wax Castle

It was getting late in the afternoon and had become obvious that we would not get to all six Wats on our driver's list - not that it really mattered.  We had been to two excellent places and had become wet, thirsty and tired.

 

Our driver took us into town to Wat Phra That Choeng Chum which is a listed tourist attraction for Sakon Nakhon.  It is located at the edge of the lake where long boat racing was still going on at 4:00 PM.  It was noisy and very crowded so we did not take in the races.  Instead we went in another shed type structure to observe their wax castle.

 

Wat Phra That Choeng Chum Wax Castle

 

 

Wax Panel Detail - Scene from Ramakien

The Wat grounds were so inviting that decided to explore them first before returning to the car.  As so often is the case, a pause to relax was well rewarded.  The Wat structures, Chedi and Bot were beautiful.

 

 



Lao Style Chedi at Wat Phra That Choeng Chum

 

Lan Xang Era Bot at Wat Phra That Choeng Chum

 

Exterior Column Detail of Bot

Duang Prays At Wat Phra That Choeng Chum

We returned to our hotel at 5:00 PM; both of us exhausted and happy.  After a little rest and very nice dinner for less than $20 total, we were off to bed. It was a very quiet night's sleep.  We would definitely return to the Dusit Hotel.

 

The next morning on our way back to Udonthani we went back to Wat Suwaneen.  At the Wat we found out that the people had worked until 3:00 AM to complete the wax castles.  The castles were beautiful with fresh flowers and plastic jasmine blossom fringe arranged along the edges of the trailer.

 

Completed Wax Castle Float

 

Completed Portion That Was Under Construction The Day Before

 

An added bonus to our stop at the Wat was the people had completed installing the lights on the float and were checking them out.

 

Illuminated Wax Castle

 

 

Our return home was just as pleasant as our drive to Sakon Nakhon. We hope to return next year to witness the procession.  This short trip had been just as educational and enlightening as any of the other travels that we have made here in Southeast Asia and specifically in Isaan.