Thai Puppets: Captivating Viewers And Increasing Awareness On Thai Traditions And Culture
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The country of Thailand has a rich and vibrant history dating back several centuries
. Its central location has enabled it to become an economic and tourism powerhouse within South Asia. From the humble back packer to the likes of celebrities all visit the shores of Thailand for its sublime pleasures.
As a result of this rich history Thailand has many attractions for travellers to visit and experience. The countrys arts and crafts background is renowned internationally. The textile dying style of Batik which depicts traditional Thai scenes is popular around the world with many famous designers adopting it into their trends. Thai puppetry has been used for centuries to depict stories from Thailands past, from Buddhist scripture to stories from the Ramayana.
Though countries such as Nepal and India also utilise puppetry to convey stories, Thai puppetry appears much more vivid and captivating. The art form is known locally as Nang and is a form of shadow puppetry. Nang can be divided into two types, Nang Talung uses leather puppets with each representing a different character while Nang Yai involves a grander performance with elaborate scenes and puppets almost two metres high.
The Nang troupe comprises of about 5-10 puppeteers and musicians. Shows are done against a white backdrop to help bring out the shadows of the puppets. The performers are hidden from view under bamboo enclosures. Epic tales such as the Ramayana can run from dusk till dawn and include narrations, prose and the performers own adlibbed dialog.
Thai puppetry is just one of many local cultural attractions found throughout Thailand. Visitors to this charismatic country will find many 5 star hotels Bangkok to stay in. Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok for example is a premiere Bangkok luxury hotel surrounded by lush gardens and amazing river views within a central location. Enjoy a wide choice of rooms and suites imbued with sophisticated elegance and modern technology.