Hoop Taem: Mural Paintings of Wat Chai Sri with Reflection of Local Culture in Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

This academic article aims to study the Hoop Taem mural paintings of the sim (ordination hall) at Wat Chai Si, Khon Kaen Province, as folk art reflecting the way of life, beliefs, moral teachings, and local wisdom of the Isan People. The Hoop Taem or wall mural, of Wat Chai Si represents a culturally outstanding heritage, encompassing: 1) artistic forms, including depictions of the Seven Levels of Hell, the Vessantara Jataka, the Sinxay Epic, guardian soldiers at the gates, the Buddha, deities, human figures, and various animals; 2) creative techniques, including the construction techniques of the sim itself and the painting techniques used in creating the Hoop Taem; and 3) morally instructive content, including the law of karma, hell, generosity and self-sacrifice, courage, and the triumph of righteousness over evil. Especially, the sim or ordination hall which still preserves its traditional Isan vernacular architectural style. The body of knowledge indicates that the Hoop Taem at Wat Chai Si is not only reflection of Buddhist history and folk literature such as the Vessantara Jataka, the final tale in the Ten Birth Stories (Tossachat), which recounts the last incarnation of the Bodhisattva before his enlightenment as the Buddha, and Sinxay, the greatest epic in Isan literary tradition but also narrative of villagers’ lives, local customs, beliefs, and the moral fabric of Isan society. Furthermore, these murals served as a medium of learning for the illiterate, functioning as a silent textbook that transmitted knowledge through visual imagery. They also reinforce local identity and hold significant potential for development as a cultural tourism destination, capable of sustainably stimulating the local economy.