THE ROYAL PAVILION (Haw Kham)
The Way of Light
Thailand’s new landmark, the Royal Pavilion, is constructed in the exquisite Lanna (northern Thai) style and will house exhibits relating to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s agricultural theories and projects. Designed to be a center of knowledge, the Royal Pavilion is an important element in Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006.
With a total area of over 6,000 square meters, the Royal Pavilion has two floors and is part wood, part concrete. It is being built by three artisan families renowned in the region for their traditional craftsmanship. The Lanna architectural style can be traced back hundreds of years. The decoration also includes various other sculptures.
An exhibition called “An Agricultural King — A Brilliance that Benefits the People” will be housed on the first floor. Over the years, His Majesty the King has spent much time in the rural areas looking at the causes of poverty and seeking solutions that will improve the quality of life for all. He has studied the nature of water, soil and forests, and the interrelationship between mankind and the environment. His Majesty has pioneered techniques for improving water quality, rehabilitating land, sustaining forests, and established practical guidelines that can be readily adopted and implemented by state officials and local villagers thereby enabling people to live harmoniously with nature whilst improving their quality of life.
The exhibition will also feature photographs illustrating His Majesty’s visits to rural areas; personal projects such as experimental paddy fields on palace grounds; his theories on water, soil and forest development; the use of vetiver grass to prevent top soil erosion; and his self-sufficiency theories. The exhibition will also recount His Majesty’s journeys to hill-tribe villages which no authorities had previously visited. He used these occasions to suggest to the hill-tribe people that they replace opium with alternative cash crops as a means of improving and their livelihoods.
For His Majesty’s tireless work and extraordinary contribution to the lives of his people, in May 2006, His Majesty was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the United Nations. In June 2006, he was honored as the “Father of Thai Innovation” by the Ministry of Science and Technology with endorsement from the Thai Cabinet.
The second floor of the Royal Pavilion will contain murals depicting activities of His Majesty the King. The murals are being painted by a Thai National Artist, Preecha Taothong, who also designed The Royal Virtue Tree, which by the time the exposition ends, will have 21,915 leaves — the number of days His Majesty the King has been on the throne. Each leaf is embossed with one of the Ten Royal Virtues — guidelines based on the teachings of the Lord Buddha that have been observed by Thai kings for generations. These virtues are meant to bring about good and just government, and include integrity, sacrifice, compassion and kindness.
There are three tiers of leaves, each with a different color. The leaves on the bottom tier are a coppery red, and relate to the time when His Majesty had recently acceded to the throne and began taking an interest in agricultural matters. The leaves in the middle are golden, symbolizing the time when his projects started to yield successful results and improve peoples’ lives. The leaves on the upper tier are the color of platinum, and symbolize the present day sixty years since His Majesty’s accession.
Residents of Thailand will be able to pay tribute to His Majesty the King by making a contribution of 999 baht (approximately USD 24). Each contributor will get one leaf to help complete the Royal Virtue Tree, and will receive a certificate as a memento of their contribution.
The promenade leading to the Royal Pavilion will also be adorned in Lanna style with 60 statues of mythical figures, each symbolizing one year from the current reign, which the longest in Thai history. The road will be the setting for special cultural performances and parades each day.
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