Culture Under Threat: Wat Gate Community
Culture Under Threat: Wat Gate Community
October 9th, 2008
Lined with ancient houses that reflect Chinese, western and Lanna influences, this old-town area was awarded the prize for best conservation community by the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) back in 2000. But the once thriving heart of the city is now under real threat as the municipality has plans to knock down the houses here to widen the roads.
The community has now erected a sign “Get together to preserve Wat Gate Neighborhood” and is trying to set up a meeting with the municipality to find a satisfactory solution.
“All we ask is for them to sit down and talk to us. It’s our neighborhood, our home. You can’t just make a decision to destroy it from an air-con boardroom,” he says.
While the battle to protect the old neighborhood continues, Anan and his elderly peers are striving to preserve their history in another way, as volunteers taking care of the Wat Gate Museum. This private museum houses an eclectic selection of artifacts from an old Siamese White Elephant flag to elaborate Lanna textiles and faded black-and-white photos of bygone Chiang Mai.
So on your next Chiang Mai trip, don’t forget to head down there and show them your support. You can easily spend a half a day at the museum as grandpa Jack personally guides you back to Chiang Mai’s past.
Wat Gate Museum. Wat Gate Karam, Charoenraj Rd. Open daily 8am-5pm. Free admission.
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