Foreign elements in Siamese/Thai architecture – Chinese influences

Example of the strongly floral lai rak roi or lai thai

Foreign influence on the architecture of Siam/Thailand has been, so to speak, timeless. In the Sukhothai period when Siam was first mentioned, the architecture was clearly determined by an eclectic mix of Indian, Ceylonese, Mon, Khmer and Burmese style elements.

The master builders of Sukhothai excelled in mixing the best elements from these different styles to create their own interpretation. In the Ayutthaya period and especially during the Rattanakosin period, however, it was European and Chinese influences that gained the upper hand. The main influence undeniably came from China. In this article I would like to take a moment to reflect on the Chinese impact on Siamese architecture.

When in the thirteenth century, in the waning days of the Khmer civilization, Sukhothai and also the northern Lanna empire slowly but surely took shape, there was already a strong Chinese presence in the region. And I'm not just talking about diplomatic relations with the Song dynasty, but about traders, artisans and emigrants - especially from Yunan - who had already settled here in large numbers. It was Chinese potters and ceramists who helped start the production of pottery in Sukhothai. Between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, when Siam finally acquired its autonomy from the Khmer, the Siamese had intensive diplomatic contacts with the Yuan and early Ming dynasty. Contacts that resulted, among other things, in the massive import of Chinese porcelain and ceramics, sculptures, textiles and other handicraft products.

Lai rak roi or lai thai

This Chinese influence was particularly evident in the Siamese ornamentation and decorative arts. In this period, Siamese craftsmen not only eagerly adopted Chinese decorative techniques such as lacquer or mother-of-pearl inlay, but they also gave their own interpretations to the Chinese decorative motifs such as the crank of kra jangmotifs with their typical flamed form language or the strong floral lai rak roi of lay thai. Especially in the last phase of the Ayutthaya era, these motifs and iconography were prevalent in the carvings, marquetry, painting and plastering of temples and palaces.

Close-up pattern of tiles in the Wat Phra Kaew

A separate style element was the use of so-called 'Crockery Mosaic', roughly translated 'crockery mosaic'. The word already gives it away, originally the shards of Chinese porcelain and pottery broken during the sea voyage were processed into decorative figures. Much of the decoration of Wat Arun in Bangkok Yai is a striking example of this special form of artistic recycling. During the construction of this temple, Rama III invited the local residents - including many ethnic Chinese - to contribute by donating pottery to make mosaics. Chinese cargo boats, which often carried pottery and porcelain as ballast, also contributed in this way. During the period when the Siamese capital was located in Thonburi (1768-1782) and in the first decades of the subsequent Rattanakosin period, these mosaics, often made to order in China and baked, were then sent to the yards according to one's own piety and ability. in Siam, in situ, to be cut to size and mounted in the wet plaster. The finest examples of this custom mosaic can be found at Wat Phra Kaew on the grounds of the palace and at Wat Pho. However, shortly after the reign of Rama III (1824-1851), this technique fell into disuse and people switched to the massive use of plaster or stucco.

Wat Arun - broken Chinese porcelain and pottery

Over the years, however, the Siamese craftsmen gave their own twist to these techniques. For example, when they adopted mother-of-pearl inlay, they simply adopted the Chinese technique. Which concretely meant that they first cut out the patterns in the wood and then filled the grooves with mother-of-pearl. A very labour-intensive process. It wasn't until decades later, when they began to make greater use of the delicate opal or pink mother-of-pearl of native snails or abalone, that the harvested mother-of-pearl was ground into millimeter-thin slices which were then cut and glued to the wood. The whole was then varnished, each time with an interval of one week. One of the most stunning examples of this craftsmanship, in my opinion, is the lacquer on the bronze feet of the huge reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok.

The bronze feet of the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok (Arndale / Shutterstock.com)

In the nineteenth century, when there was a real Chinese migration wave towards Siam, real Chinese buildings arose here and there, especially in Bangkok. A good example are a number of Buddhist shrines. Last summer I described the Taoist Leng Bua la shrine to Thanon Charoen Krung in scents and colors. Today I take a moment to reflect on the equally picturesque Kian Ung Kon Shrine on the grounds of Wat Kanlaya in Thonburi. This temple was probably built by the Chinese mercenaries who, together with Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Maharat, reconquered the country from the Burmese after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. They settled around the Bangluang Canal and built this shrine sometime around 1775. However, over the next few decades it fell into disrepair. In 1825, Chao Phra Ya Nikornbadin, one of the ancestors of the Kanlayahnamit family, donated the surrounding lands to Kanlaya Monastery. The influential ethnic-Chinese Hokkien families such as the Tantiwat and Simasatien renovated the shrine out of their own pockets in a style that refers to that of the Cheng dynasty (557-589). With very colorful wall paintings, refined stucco work and equally beautiful carvings, the Kian Ung Kon Shrine bears witness to the craftsmanship of the Chinese builders to this day. About 15 years ago, the entire shrine was expertly restored, which resulted in the award of the prestigious conservation award in 2008.

The Wat Kanlaya in Thonburi

Another eye-catching Chinese architectural phenomenon are the commercial buildings. Typical are the so-called Sino - Portuguese trading houses, narrow two-storey buildings of which the ground floor with the wide sliding doors was intended for trade. You can find them along Thanon Thalang in Phuket or at Thanon Phra Athit in Bangkok. The finest example of such a functional building is without a doubt the former Wanglee Family's Warehouse at the end of Chiang Mai Road in Khlong San, which since November 2017 was transformed into the Sino-Thai Historical Art Center Llhong 1919. The name refers to the Chinese 'whoo chuán laung' which roughly translates as 'steamboat piemeans r', while 1919 refers to the year the Wanglee family bought this site from the Bisalputra family.

A Sino – Portuguese trading house on Phuket (Southtownboy Studio / Shutterstock.com)

Phraya Phisansupphaphol, the ancestor of the Bisalputra clan, had built a pier at this location along the Chao Phraya in 1850. In addition to this oversized jetty, he not only set up department stores and depots, but also a wharf where steamboats were built and maintained. The main building on the present site was the family residence and trading headquarters of the Wanglee family and is a fine example of a 'Sanhe Yuan'house, a traditional Chinese house that actually connects three adjacent buildings with a U-shaped floor plan and a communal courtyard. In the main building is the Mazu Shrine with three wooden statues of the eponymous goddess, which were imported from China 170 years ago. After an extensive restoration, during which more than a century and a half of old Chinese murals were discovered, it is Sino-Thai Historical Art Center Llhong 1919, precisely at the very place where tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants first set foot in Siam, a stone-turned testimony to China's special bond with Thailand.