Thailand’s shadow play, Nang Yai. (Bangkok Post)
Thailand’s Ministry of Culture announced on March 28 that Nang Yai, a centuries-old Thai shadow play will be registered on the UNESCO Register of Good Safeguarding Practices. The government intends to submit a proposal titled Community-based Revitalisation of Nang Yai Traditional in Thailand (CRNT). The initiative is designed to demonstrate how traditional cultural heritage can be preserved and revitalised while remaining relevant at local, national and international levels.
Believed to date back to the 15th century, Nang Yai is traditionally performed in palaces, temples and community spaces. The performances narrate episodes from the Ramakien, Thailand’s interpretation of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. Performers manipulate large puppets crafted from calf or buffalo hide, projecting intricate shadows onto a screen with the aid of light from a bonfire placed beside the stage.
However, Nang Yai has become increasingly rare. According to Ms Paetongtarn, regular performances now survive in only three temples: Wat Khanon, Wat Sawang Arom, and Wat Baan Don. The proposed safeguarding project aims to support these communities and encourage wider appreciation of the art form.
Only 40 of the 788 safeguarding initiatives submitted worldwide have been included in the UNESCO register so far. The organisation is therefore encouraging member states of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to present preservation projects for consideration.
Moreover, Thailand is exploring a separate joint nomination with other Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries for Khao Mao, a traditional preparation of flattened rice known in Tagalog as Duman, believed to have originated in Southeast Asia.
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