Thai People of Chinese Descent: Way of Life and Faith

(Daytime) The relationship between Thailand and China can traced back to the reign of Emperor Han Wu Ti of Han dynasty, when chronicles from the time mention Thai people. In Sukhothai period, the usage of Chinese techniques in making Thai ceramics (Sankhalok ware) confirm that Thailand and China engaged in trade. It can be assumed that blood relations between Thai and Chinese people also began at that time. During the Ayutthaya period, which was contemporary with China's Ming dynasty, Thai nobles and diplomats were periodically sent to China to establish relationships that strengthened the prosperity of the two kingdoms’ business, economies, and culture. During the reign of King Rama II (Rattanakosin period) China was an important business partner of Thailand (or Siam, the kingdom’s name at that time). Most of the merchants and trading ships that came to sell and buy goods in Siam at the time were Chinese, with 86% of Siam’s total exports going to China. The success of business between the two countries led nearly a million Chinese people to settle in Siam from the reign of King Rama III (r. 1824–1851) onward, especially during World Wars and Chinese civil wars. In the decades 1930–1950, people from southern counties in China such as Canton, Hainan, Fujian, and Guangxi fled wars and famine for a new life in Siam.
Nowadays, Thai people of Chinese descent live throughout Thailand. Most are merchants, and their religious beliefs are varied—Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, or Muslim—according to the beliefs and faith of the region they have been settled down. However, regardless of religion, these Thai people of Chinese descent still perform traditional rituals passed down from their mainland Chinese ancestors. The important Chinese festivals, such as Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Moon Festival, Ancestor Day (Qingming Festival), and God Worship Festival, are celebrated magnificently in provinces where there are large Chinese-Thai communities. These activities show the beliefs and faith that are part of the identity of Thai people of Chinese descent.
Established at the same time as the 1782 founding of Rattanakosin as the seat of royal power in Bangkok, the Sampheng area (known as Chinatown) was one of the biggest overseas Chinese communities in the world. In 1892, King Rama V ordered the construction of the Yaowarat road through Chinatown, making it the main area for Chinese communities and one of the main commercial districts of Bangkok, which it remains today.
Another historical community in the heart of Bangkok is Samyan, which expanded from the Yaowarat area. People in the Samyan community were Thai of Chinese descent, and most them were merchants. The community has gradually expanded over time and a big market was set up and served as a center for people in the community. Chinese-Thai in the Samyan area still maintain their identity in the way of beliefs and faith in the manner of their Chinese ancestors. Located in the community are shrines such as Pung Thao Kong shrine and Goddess Thabthim shrine, which act as spiritual anchors and venues for special events during the year.
As mentioned above, the artist appreciates the aesthetic beauty in the way of life of the Chinese-Thai community of Samyan. Their beliefs and faith are interesting and customary, as their rituals are performed according to traditions passed down from generation to generation. These characteristics have inspired the artist to create the set of artworks “Thai People of Chinese Descent: Way of Faith” to represent the way of life and the trading business of the Thai people of Chinese descent in the Samyan community, and to relate their culture, beliefs, and faith, which have been passed down through generations. This set of artworks functions as a landmark in the Samyan community to promote community-based tourism through art.