If you’re a bit into quirky culture, then this video about the unusual temple murals of Thailand could be interesting to you.
Murals are wall paintings which can often be found in temples in Thailand. So it shouldn’t be surprising that most murals depict scenes out of the Buddha’s life, or communicate Buddhist beliefs and lessons.
But there are many other kinds of murals too. Some depict history battles or important scenes from Thai history, often involving royalty. Some even depict current scenes and recent events – for example, there is a temple in Northern Thailand where a mural depicts how the airplanes flew into the World Trade Center in New York on 9/11.
Then there are depictions of visions from people, depictions of daily life past and present, romantic scenes and so on.
It’s really quiet intersting, because Thailand is such an open and tolerant society that artists who do the temple murals can often work very creatively. There’s of course nothing that rivals the great murals which can be seen in Italy from an artistic standpoint, but in their simple ways the Thai murals have a lot to offer.
It’s best to go with a personal tour guide to see temples in Bangkok, because then you will be able to ask questions (and get informative answers) about the meanings of temple murals, what they represent, their place in history, and you’ll be able to listen to many fascinating stories.
You can watch the complete video lecture here:
http://itunes.apple.com/de/podcast/ultraman-siam-commercial-bank/id381381032?i=85991041