The Legend of Nakhon Sawan Pak Nam Pho Chinese New Year Festival
Nakhon Sawan” province is located in the lower north of Thailand, above the upper central region. Nakhon Sawan is also known by the name of “Pak Nam Pho”. Since ancient time, this city has been considered as the gateway to the Northern Region and it has been one of the most importance trade centers.
When Chinese migrants came to Thailand centuries ago, some of them had settled in “Kwae Yai” at Nan Riversideand and in Pak Nam Pho Market at The Origin of the Chao Phraya River in the west. Soon after, they built several shrines for their god and goddess. The most 2 famous shrines among them all are “Chao Pho Thepharak shrine” at the east of Pak Nam Pho Market; on the right bank of Chao Phraya River and “Chao Mae Taptim Shrine” at the north on Ping Riverside.
About a century ago, there was an outbreak of a cholera epidemic which claimed hundreds of lives in Pak Nam Pho Market. The Chinese migrants burnt the Yantra; talisman papers, from those 2 shrines and drank the ashes in believe that it would prevent and cure them from getting cholera. The Chinese who drank the ashes were not infected and recovered rapidly. This event had made both Chao Pho Thepharak shrine and Chao Mae Taptim Shrine famous throughout Thailand.
Since then, Chinese community in Pak Nam Pho has organized The Chao Pho Chao Mae Pak Nam Pho Fair and Procession annually during the Chinese New Year to bring good fortune, prosperity and luck. It features various processions such as lion parade, dragon parade, angel procession, the goddess Guan Yin procession and others going along the main roads in the municipality.
Chinese New Year lion dance and firecrackers
The tradition of setting off firecrackers goes back thousands of years even before the invention of gunpowder. Originally burning dry bamboo was used to scare away wild beasts especially the mythical beast known as the ‘nian’ in Mandarin and ‘ni’ in the Chaozhou dialect that appeared at yearly intervals and came to mean “year”. The creature feared the loud sound and kept away from the people. With the advent of gunpowder it was used to fill bamboo tubes and lit to produce loud explosions. The custom of touching off firecrackers for New Year was passed down and the tradition has lasted to the present day.
In the lion dance two performers dressed in traditional lion costumes mimic the movements of a lion. There are three styles of dance; Northern, Southern and Taiwanese. The northern style is very acrobatic and physical, it was a traditional form of entertainment in the Imperial court and elsewhere. The southern version is more symbolic and was used to ward off ghosts and bring good luck. Finally, the Taiwanese style has many links with martial arts such as Kung Fu. Dances are performed accompanied by drums, gongs and cymbals to provide the beat to synchronize the dancing. The lion symbol originated many years ago and is said to be the result of a monk praying to the gods for help who was told the lion, the king of all beasts, would protect the people from harm.
The lion dance and also the popular dragon parade are very well-liked throughout the Chinese community and can be seen at events and festivals especially at New Year. Skillful troupes of acrobats and performers can be seen entertaining crowds around the world.