THE CONSERVATION can also be applied to other areas of OF CULTURAL HERITAGE Thailand. ALONG AMPHAW A CANAL, Keywords SAMUT SONGKHRAM PROVINCE Cultural heritage environment, conser• vation, awareness raising, demonstration Wannasilpa Peerapun, project Siriwan Silaphacharanan, and Vira Sachakul1 Introduction
Abstract The Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University has undertaken a study and pertinent related actions in the Amphawa The Amphawa community houses the birth Canal area since 1991 involving the place of King Rama II Nowadays this following: 1) The Study and Formulation community is still water-based and one of a Master Plan and an Action Plan for can see Thai-styled and row houses, the Conservation and Development of the canal-side walkways and ladders leading Environment along Rivers, Canals and down to the canal. Against this backdrop Ditches in the Western Region of are coconut plantations and mixed Thailand, financed by the Office of orchards ofpomelo, lychee, etc. Amphaw a Environmental Policy and Planning is also rich in Thai culture featuring mural (OEPP) 2) The Pilot Project for the paintings, traditional dance and music and Improvement and Revitalization of the architecture. Water-based ways of life are Environment of Amphawa Canal, very much alive as evidenced by water financed by the Environmental Fund, 3) traffic. The objective of the project is to The Architectural Student Volunteer modify and apply the SAVE and CHIP Project financed by the Faculty of techniques devised by the Danish Architecture and 4) Thailand Cultural Government as part of Cultural Heritage Environment Project (TCEP), financed by Conservation, awareness-raising campaign the OEPP and the Danish Government and demonstration of conservation (DANIDA). The following article will be campaign of traditional buildings ranging confined to the experience gained from the from government buildings, Thai-styled implementation of the conservation of and contemporary houses and row houses cultural heritage and the environment to the rehabilitation of a canal landscape. under the TCEP, undertaken from 2002- As a result, local people are better aware 2005. of the advantages of cultural heritage conservation while the project enhances the preparedness of the community to accommodate ecological tourism. Finally, the experience gained from this project
1 Associate Professors, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
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Figure!. The scenery of Amphawa Community
1. Background and Rationale 1.1 Historical value
The Amphawa Community stretches along Amphawa was once the residence of Rama Amphawa Canal and the Mae Klong River I and the birth place of King Rama II. in Amphawa District, Samut Songkhram Province, 20 kilometers from the estuary Amphawa was the home town of of the Gulf of Thailand and 80 kilometers Somdejphra Amarintramataya, the Queen west of Bangkok. The project also Consort of King Rama I, and Somdejphra includes another two areas: Krung Srisuriyentramataya, the Queen Consort of Rattanakosin and Om-non Canal, the study Rama II. of which is entrusted respectively to the Faculty of . Architecture, Silpakom University and the Faculty of Architecture, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology. The significant features of the Amphawa community are as follows:
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Figure2. Traditional Architecture in Amphawa
King Rama V made two incognito visits Traditional orchards with ditches and to Amphawa. He notably stopped at the raised orchard beds can partly be seen house of the then district officer, Khun nowadays. This reflects local wisdom, Wichitsamathakan and the Amphawa making good use of geographical and Residence of Prince Paribatra ecological conditions, as evidenced by a Sukhumabhand. mode of cultivation which is both efficient and not detrimental to the environment. Amphawa (formerly known as Bang (Figure3.) Chang Market during the reign of King Prasat Thong in the mid 17th century) has a 1.3 Architectural Value long history as a water-based settlement since the late Ayudhaya period. The town Communities along Amphawa Canal and thrived in terms of trade and farm products its neighboring areas boast typical (1637-1658). architecture. Unfortunately many houses are in bad repair. They can be grouped as 1.2 Value in terms of landscape follows: (Figures4, 5) • Wooden row houses There is a network of waterways: river, • Traditional floating houses canals and ditches, linking Amphawa with • Traditional Thai style houses the Mae Klong River at the estuary of the • Single traditional local houses in southern Amphawa Canal which is an an orchard or a compound extension of the Phee Hlok Canal on the • Residence of wealthy people/old east. It also links with canals, ditches and various irrigation channels which branch government buildings out into the inner areas. Besides, • row brick houses Amphawa Canal is situated in an area Amphawa Community was awarded "the where fresh and brackish water ebb and best conserved community'' in 2002 by the flow alternatively in view of its proximity Association of Siamese Architects. to the mouth of the river. However, there are no incentives or measures to conserve and restore deteriorated traditional wooden buildings.
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Figure3. Amphawa traditional orchards and landscape
Figure4. Traditional Temples and Thai houses in Amphawa Community and surrounding areas as part of the important cultural heritage of the region
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Section of canal-side area with walkway along the canal
y High Tide Level
Additional Space and House walkway Access to the Waterway ;;1/ ;;1/ ;;1/
Section of canal-side area without walkway along the canal
~ High Tide Level
.... Low Tide Level
Additional Space and House Access to the Waterway ~/ 71/
FigureS. Sections of Amphawa Canal Community
1.4 Economic, Social and Cultural value The area is a traditional trade center for local communities and floating markets The way of life of a water based are still as dynamic as in the past. community is highly associated with water. Its vestiges can still be seen Traditions and customs are as evidenced by nowadays as evidence of the use of water Buddhist festivities. from the waterways, communication by water, swimming and bathing in canals. The community of cultural heritage conservation of Amphawa community is as Local wisdom is shown, for example, by follows: (Figure6.) orchard cultivation, coconut sugar making, traditional Thai music, desserts in banana or coconut leaves, and chow-chow.
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• Conservation of Historic Monuments & Sites Community Based Tourism Development
Conservation of Natural Environment & Landscape Skill Improvement & Training Programs
Development Controls & Guidelines Income Generation & Distribution
• Demonstration Projects
;""s - ~ - &',, ~\ CULTURALHERITAGE/I~ ;,,----,, 1 0CI3} ' \ 1 ' 1 ' ' / ,' Political \ 1 1 Cultural I ' ; 1 I , 1 .... _ _ ., 1 Aspect 1 \ I \ I , Aspect / ', , ; 1 ', __ __~; , ____ ;
Conservation of Traditional Way of Life Public Participation
Revitalization of Local Culture & Traditions • Conservation Networking
Awareness Raising Community Strengthening
Figure6. Components of cultural heritage conservation of Amphawa community
2. Objectives 3. Definition
2.1 To modify and apply the Danish The term "Cultural Environment" has techniques "SAVE" and "CHIP" been defined as follows:
2.2 To raise the awareness of local people "The environmental or area related to and organizations. human development from the past to the present, which contains values in 2.3 To organize demonstration projects for the arts, culture, history, archaeology cultural environmental conservation. and technology including monuments which should be considered as part of 2.4 To be a case study for the setting up the environment in its entirety". of a cultural environmental conservation (OEPP) system for Thailand. "Cultural environment is a geographic area reflecting significant historical features, telling the story of man, use of nature, human activities and traditions through history. " (Annette SCHOU)
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In summary, none of the assets is required • Khlong Bang Nok Kwak to contain high value aesthetically or Community monumentally; instead it can be just the • Khlong Bang Noi Community area reflecting a traditional lifestyle of • K wae Om Community normal people or a collective value rather • Khlong Wat Pradu Community than individual value. • Khlong Bangkae Community • Khlong Phongphang 4. TCEP Procedures in Amphawa Community • Khlong Pracha Chomchuen 4.1 The application of techniques Community called SAVE (Survey of Architecture • Khlong Bangjak Community Value in the Environment) and CHIP • Khlong Amphawa Community (Cultural Heritage in Planning) from • Khlong Phee Hlok Community Denmark in the Amphawa areas and • Khlong Mae Klong Community some part of Samut Songkhram is as • Mae Klong Riverfront follows: Community (the City) • Bang Jakreng Community a) To develop a survey form and • Laem Yai Community procedure for cultural heritage • Mae Klong Old Town environment. • Ban Khao Yisan Community • Tha Kha Floating Market It took time to modify the Danish survey Community form as the architectural form, material, • Bang Kung Fort Community and uses are very different. The • Salt Farm consultants of the 3 sites: Amphawa, Don Hoi Lod Rattanakosin and Om-non, worked • together to develop a new survey form to After the rapid survey of architectural be used for the TCEP project. The value in the environments of 20 sites, procedure was also modified to Amphawa Community was selected as the incorporate more public participation site to conduct the CHIP technique for activities. The survey was divided into 2 cultural heritage conservation. (Fig.9) phases: wide area study for phase 1 (Figure7.) and detailed survey study for c) To conduct detailed surveys in phase 2 (Figure8.). Amphawa community from October 2003 to May 2004. The in-depth survey to b) To conduct a rapid survey on a record significant buildings, sites and provincial level in April - May 2003. features. (FigurelO.) There are 20 areas to be recorded regarding significant groups of building sites and major features.
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Identifying: 1.1 Characterization of the province . Local experts Historical development Stakeholders . 1+- Nature and landscape features . NGOs Architectural observation . Other sources of knowledge
Sources: 1.2 Overview of historical I socio- . Experts and 1----+ economic I cultural I natural themes LFA workshop(s): stakeholders within the province ~ To identify problems, . Maps objectives and subject to be . Written history addressed 1.3 Characterization of selected themes rf---.
1.4 Identification of areas (potential Fieldwork with help from cultural environment) to be LUNCEC staff and community investigated representatives in the potential Mapping areas with one (rare case) cultural environment areas or more identified themes or f+ f----. using the community dialogue historical subjects technique for instance walk- Provincial cultural environment through-evaluation or image inventory/ report preference
1.5 Cultural Environment Fieldwork Main historical feature ~ I--t Dominant feature
1.6 Analysis of cultural environment Comments and Approval from Registration of the state of the Local Consultative Group conservation-physical and
,- ----~------, I I I Other cultural I I Selected I Prioritized I Cultural environment inventory I environments cultural environment I (Linked to G IS) I I I I I I I ~------
To Phase 2
Figure7. Procedure of phase 1 : Wide Area study Source: Danish International Development and Office of the Environment Policy and Planning, Cultural Environment Conversation System, Bangkok 2005
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1r------I Developed structure 1 Other cultural Selected/Prioritized ~ Cultural environment • Dominant architectural feature : environments cultural environments • inventory (Linked to GIS) • Building pattern ~------__ j • Selected urban elements
2.1 Setting objective of selected/prioritized +-1---i cultural environment I LUNCEC (Local Cultural Unit) and Local 2.2Analysis of cultural environment Consultative Group in Individual building L ~ the community level 1.-...-----~r- I Detailed architectural survey (Thai SAVE) • Trend/ threatSJvulnerability and local people perception
Atlas Building Inventory 2.3 Means of conservation Linked to GIS • Community's capacity building and Workshop and Activities 1--- awareness programme in local level • Economics measures! incentives Locai,Provincial and IL-_M_u_m·_c_ip_a_I_p_Ia_n_I_Lo_ca_I_p_I_an_s__ ...Jr-L..::•=P: Ia:n:n:in:g=re:c:o:m:m:en=d:a:ti :on:s:a:n:d:s:tra=te:g:i:es=~ National representatives
FigureS. Procedure phase 2 : Detailed Area Study Source : Danish International Development and Office of the Environment Policy and Planning, Cultural Environment Conversation System, Bangkok 2005
Figure9. Map Produced from the Rapid Survey of Amphawa Community
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Basic Information
f:X ft<> ••""'''"'-~·~·'"'i''" "··~><-tff"' .;,.~~-o.-. 1:~ 0'.1 'n4DI
Building ornaments data
..-c::-~..; . ..,: "1 --:ro ~..,r'"'.Jk..,..., \),...,.,A._ v...f'l~~ - ~ (·~'f'. ,:rn: ~; ;~~ :(, ;..r.;. - .;.~1:...
r ~i '~ : ~: ~~-:;J,.Jy, : ! ~.. : _...... :• 1:lltP7~o' "·."1;{~. :. :l.~ l ~~-, , ;>.~ .: l .. . ;, ,,. ·"" .~~~. ~:-. ~~~ .~ : ~ l"'l ...1 , ..: = ~·trv ~ • ""'.:~- • • ~, _ J ' ' : ,; 'llr.,lCI1'1: ~l ;)i. ... • : ~ "-, • :• . J . Address • ·~ ~· L ~___,... ~. ::... ?p '"' • ! t~><.,.J,;,;"' 4 View point : . . : 7'·l~ = r-~~k : = -- ~ : : . ~ ""' .. -~...... •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •'No. f pho~o description 1 j i ;
FigurelO. Detailed Survey Form for Amphawa Community
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The working procedure started with c) Painting Training of Amphawa canal for organizing a meeting with local people to students by volunteer artists explain the necessity of the detailed survey and measure work, and ask them for d) Painting of Amphawa District by cooperation. We introduced our students volunteer artists who participated in the project as surveyors to local people so as to facilitate e) Brochure publication the measure work, both interior and exterior, for selected prototypes of houses, f) Children's camps focusing on the canal-sides. There were row houses, shop houses, Thai houses, g) Publication of greeting cards with former raft houses, local houses, schools, students and artists' drawings and the municipal hall. As a result, we developed the drawing of the buildings, h) Paintings by students and artists elevation, floor plans and pictures as well as data of building use. We also collected i) Receiving international guests and data on the orchard system, waterways, journalists walkways, public space and road networks. The data from the detailed j) Organization of community meetings survey are recorded as an inventory of and discussions cultural heritage. The definition of "inventory" was given by Bill Chapman k) Old picture exhibition (TCEP, 200) as follows:
" •.. An 'inventory' is a list of things, usually assets, and data about these assets. A cultural heritage inventory, for example, may include buildings, specific sites and other kinds of historic or cultural resources. The inventory may stand alone as a document to be used for general decision making. It could include resources of high significance as well as those of lower value, no value, or even negative value ... "
4.2 Awareness Raising Activities
a) Drawing and essay competition for local students (Fig.ll)
b) T-shirt screening of Amphawa canal
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Figurell. Awareness Raising Activity: Cultural Environment Camp for children
Awareness-raising activities have been cultural heritage conservation. organised regularly from 2003 -2005, targeting administrators, municipal 4.3 Demonstration Projects officers and local residents, with emphasis on students. These activities are supported There are several types of buildings under by the municipality, schools, and temples, the demonstration projects. The concept of all of which provide space for proposed 50% matching funds between DANIDA activities. In addition, artists interested in and the building owners is applied. The cultural heritage also volunteered to give working procedure started in 2004 with a drawing and painting lessons to local meeting with local people to explain the students. There are also exhibitions, rules and procedures with the verification depicting local scenes and figures in the of the damage of the building, then they community life within the past 100 years. made an assessment of the restoration and This helps revive interest in local history budgeting. An agreement was signed and contributes to collective pride in and between the TCEP project and the attachment to local things, which in tum, building's owner for the building will help serve as a strong basis for the restoration, with 50% financed by the development and revitalization of this project. During the start of this activity, long-established community along with the project staff made great efforts to the conservation of its rare identity. convince local people to participate in the Eventually, it can be said that Amphawa is project. The TCEP project rented a house a small-scale municipality with a so as to establish a public relations office population of mostly good-natured local and a meeting place for interested persons people with a strong sense of cooperation, and the project staff. Several public As a result of the strength of the meetings at the Municipal Office were community, the awareness-raising organised with the house-to-house distribution of brochures on the
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demonstration pilot project. After several 4) Thai houses along Amphawa Canal buildings were restored, a lot more building owners applied to the project 5) Local houses after seeing some successful examples. At the end, there were 17 buildings and 6) Landscape at the canalside of the landscape projects which were restored floating market between September 2004 to March 2005 under the demonstration project in 4.4 Document Production Amphawa. They are: 1) The output of the rapid survey at a 1) The Municipal Hall (Fig.12) provincial level resulted in the printing of "The Atlas of Cultural Environmental of 2) The Four Row hou-ses of the Samut Songkhram Province". The Atlas Chaipattana Foundation (Fig. D) served as a reference for conservation planning and activities relating to cultural 3) A former 100 year-old raft house on heritage in Samut Songkhram Province the Mae Klong riverside and also as learning material for schools.
Elev. 4------Figure12. Amphawa Municipality Hall
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Elev I
Elev 3 __ d•) ~ ~ .1. .I .I .1. I .I. I J ·------~~~--~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Figure13. Traditional row-houses of the Chaipattana Foundation
2) The output of the detailed survey at a 5. Lessons learned and Conclusion local level resulted in the printing of the "Cultural Heritage Atlas of Amphawa 1) The Amphawa community is related to Community." The Atlas can be used as a both water and land in a landscape of reference for conservation planning and orchards with a good ecological system. activities relating to cultural heritage in The conservation of the Amphawa cultural Amphawa Community. It can also be heritage depends on a balance of four used as learning material for local schools factors : physical, economic, socio• and awareness raising material. (Fig.14) cultural and administrative conditions. Besides, the master plans of Amphawa 3) Tourism Guide Booklet on Amphawa and an appropriate building control act Cultural Heritage; this document is a will also affect the cultural heritage simplified version ofthe "Atlas of Cultural conservation of Amphawa. of Amphawa Community" for tourism promotion.
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UIJ ufl l-11 fill t'l1~ lUft,(!11 Jf1! Sl'll II dJif Figure14. The Cover of"Cultural Heritage Atlas of Amphawa Community" 2) Restoration activities also aim at 4) The Amphawa community offers an improving the canal environment. A excellent case study for other communities number of restored houses now offer which can apply the methods used for the accommodation to tourists. conservation of their cultural environment. 3) Revitalization of the floating market by 5) Experience gained from the use of the the Amphawa Municipality since August Danish technique "SAVE" (Survey of 2004 has been instrumental in attracting Architectural Value in the Environment) more tourists to Amphawa Canal. A and "CHIP" (Cultural Heritage in number of shop houses have been Planning) in the Amphawa community renovated to welcome tourists. However, area and the other two areas : the house and building restoration should be Rattanakosin area and the Om-Non Canal undertaken in a sustainable way in order to area has led to the "Draft Cultural build on the present demonstration project Environment Conservation System" or undertakens by interested institutes, the "CECS" by the OEPP and will be further private sector and the local community. tried in other areas. This will help to translate cultural heritage conservation in Thailand into action and to widen its approach to other areas in the future. 72 Downloaded from Brill.com10/05/2021 06:19:45PM via free access The Conservation of Cultural Heritage along Amphawa Canal, References Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA). 2005. Cultural Environment Atlas of Samut Songkhram. Bangkok. (in Thai) Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA). 2005. Cultural Environment conservation system. Bangkok. (in Thai) Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA). 2005. Cultural Heritage Atlas of Amphawa Community, Samut Songkhram Province. Bangkok. (in Thai) N.A., "Draft Cultural Environment Conservation System" (CECS) paper presented at the International Conference on Cultural Environment Conservation : an Integrated Conservation Approach toward Sustainable Development ,9-11 February 2005 at Queen Sirikit Convention Center, Bangkok. Schou, Annetle. 2000. CHIP : Cultural Heritage in Planning, Identifying Valuable Cultural Environments through Planning. Denmark: Danish Forest and Nature Agency, Ministry of Environment and Energy. Thailand Cultural Environment Project, Office of the Environmental Policy and Planning, Working Papers, 2003- 2005. 73 Downloaded from Brill.com10/05/2021 06:19:45PM via free access