Gingerbread and teak house heritage studies: Phrae, Northern Thailand

Abstract

© 2017 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved. Following Western colonization in South-East Asia during the early 19th century, wood as a constructing basic infrastructure transportation materials was in higher demand than before. During that time, European timber business companies and Phrae rulers and their high ranking officers became very wealthy from their logging business. Teak, a durable wood is higher priced. Ginger-bread style housing was always regarded as a status symbol of the local elites in Phrae. Ginger-bread style demonstrates the relationship between Lanna arts and crafts and Victorian architectural style, first introduced in Myanmar by the British Raj and spread to Lanna Kingdom afterwards. Chinese art and craft techniques also have its fair shares of influence on modern Lanna style. In Phrae, there is a number of living heritage houses awaits to be admired. By encouraging sustainable management of forestry over a century ago, the teak wood re-foreststation programmes form an integral part of teak forestry business practice and ginger bread style homes become an adapted East-West fusion style of Phrae Province. The East-West cross-fertilization helps preserve traditional Lanna style and create new, modern style wood carving ornamentations. With a computer-aided technology artisans in Phrae can create innovative and creative artistically designs and styles of wood carvings for high end market these days. The growth of population, resources of all kinds need to be shared for many people. Without the knowledge with modern and appropriate technology is always changing, although the industry has a high value, it may not be sustainable. The case study shows that knowledge is highly important for value adding, resource usage optimizing and making sustainable timber product-based business at the present time, by using the knowledge and new technology to solve the problem. Knowledge and modern management have been passed on to new generations in order to preserve the value of the business and industry has the most value.