– Words and Photos by Maciek Klimowicz –
What can you find 55 minutes flight away from Bangkok? For starters – 5 degrees less on the thermometer and at least 50% less cars on the streets. The contrast between the bustling capital of Thailand and the quiet town of Nan – because that’s where we’re heading – is stark. The feeling you get once you step out of the plane into Nan’s recently refurbished airport, is that of relief and relaxation.
But there’s more, a sensation not common in contemporary Thailand, a country branded as “touristy” by the so-called “real travellers” – a feeling of discovery. Somehow Nan managed to steer clear of mass tourism, and while growing in popularity – also due to the daily direct AirAsia flights from Bangkok – it managed to preserve its silent charm of a backwater town.
Whatever the reason for that, it’s certainly not for lack of attractions. The unique flavours of local Lanna cuisine and unique flavours of local culture, natural hikes in the surrounding hills and forests as well as authentic local art in the wat’s (temples); all this turns Nan into a treasure chest just waiting to be opened.
But while I do enjoy a good trek and a hefty meal, it was Nan’s art that brought me here. Not its contemporary art, displayed at the Nan Riverside Art Gallery on the town’s edge, but the more ancient one, namely the famed murals of Wat Phumin.
If there were one reason to visit Nan, it would be for these murals – though the temple itself is charming enough. Not only is it gracefully attractive – its elegant white structure a real must-see for anyone visiting Nan – it’s also unique. Wat Phumin might be the only temple in Thailand resting on the spines of two giant snakes. Similar serpents can be seen in wats across Thailand, but only the ones in Nan support a temple with their arched backs.
The interiors are unusual as well. Once you walk past the two lions guarding the main entrance and step into the dim-lit temple hall, you will be faced with not one but four Buddha statues, peacefully gazing in four directions. But even though they occupy a central and honourable spot in the Wat, the Buddhas are not what we’re here for. At Wat Phumin, the walls steal the show.
The walls and the ceiling in fact – every square inch are covered with colourful frescoes. There are whole villages here, marching armies, man and women at their daily chores, frozen in time like on a large, panoramic photograph. The murals date back to the end of the XIX century, when they were created by local artists during the restoration of the, at that time, 300 years old temple. Some of them depict scenes from the Jataka Tales – stories of Buddha’s earlier incarnations, but maybe the most interesting ones are those portraying the daily lives of the people of Nan, more than a century ago: people at play and at work, commerce and war, animals and landscapes; there’s even an image of foreign, presumably French, visitors to the region.
And then there is the most famous of them, the one that made it to t-shirt and fridge magnets sold in Nan’s souvenir shops and in its markets – “The Whispering” known as “Pu Man, Ya Man” in the local language. It depicts a man and a woman, both with blissful smiles on their faces. She leans toward him, he places one hand on her shoulder and uses the palm of his other hand to cover his mouth as he whispers something in her ear. What were the words that made her smile? We’ll never know. Brochures in Nan’s Tourism Office rush to point out that the couple was most certainly married and there is nothing erotic about the image at all. But to anyone with a bit of imagination, there’s more to the picture than just matrimonial familiarity – the air around it is tense with romance.
As I step outside Wat Phumin, the vendors start setting up the nearby night market. Piles of clothes and souvenirs pile up on the tables; cauldrons of steaming soups, barbecues covered with smoking meats, mounts of fruits and sweets line the narrow lane adjacent to the temple. There is no crowd here and there is no rush; the atmosphere is one of joyful relaxation. I look around, soak it in and get a strange feeling that I’ve seen it all before.
Where? When? Wait a minute, I know! Just moments ago, on one of the murals of Wat Phumin – a beautiful temple in a town where time stood still.
