Maintaining the Wisdom Encapsulated in the Wat Chaisi Temple Wall Murals in the Digital Age

Abstract

This article’s objectives are to: (1) Investigate the economic context and the role the Wat Chaisi Temple wall murals play in the Sawathi Community economy; and (2) Advise on ways to maintain the local wisdom encapsulated in the mural patterns that adorn Wat Chaisi Temple’s walls. The target population in this qualitative study consisted of people with a knowledge and understanding of both local wisdom and tourism in the Sawathi Community. The 5 key informants were selected using purposive selective method and using descriptive analytic to explain the phenomenon. The findings showed that: 1) The economic system in the Sawathi Community could be divided into 2 periods, the first being Sawathi’s development phase starting in 1881, when the main occupation of the majority of the community’s population was agriculture, and the second being the industrial phase starting in 1987. The establishment of fishnet factories in the area led to the majority of community members leaving agricultural work. 2) The murals that adorn the Wat Chaisi temple walls play a significant role in the community. The artwork from the murals has been constructed and reproduced in design processes. The temple art has thus become central to learning and cultural tourism in the community, and it has become a source of income and supplementary work among community members. We have proposed guidelines for furthering wisdom, including: 1) Reduce undue attachments to traditional artistic formats order to avoid the phenomenon of cultural freezing; 2) Open up the area to allow relevant agencies to have a role and to facilitate development driven by or with the participation of “ban-wat-rong rien” (households, temples, and schools). These stakeholders should become the key driving forces within the community; and 3) Use the wall murals as a medium for the application and integration of the sciences and art with other areas of interest.