The official ceremony to present Wat Prayurawongsawas Worawihan (Wat Prayoon) with the Award of Excellence in the 2013 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation took place on 23 April 2014 with more than 600 people in attendance and dozens of reporters.
UNESCO Bangkok Director Dr Gwang-Jo Kim was among the VIPs who had just completed a tour of the temple's grounds led by an ebullient Phra Brahmapundit, the abbot of Wat Prayoon whose vision guided the restoration project celebrated on that day. As Dr Kim was saying his farewells and expressing his gratitude for the warm reception UNESCO representatives had received, an elderly member of the community approached him with one more parting gift. The woman beamed as she offered Dr Kim a small sweet chilli plant, presenting it with a "wai", the traditional Thai greeting used to show respect.
It was a fleeting exchange and a small moment on a day full of big ones involving some of the nation's pre-eminent political and spiritual leaders who came out to celebrate the award, the first time Thailand has received top honors since the awards began in 2000. However, it spoke to the spirit of the Cultural Heritage Conservation Awards programme – that for treasures such as Wat Prayoon to survive, members of the community themselves must take pride of ownership. Their commitment is what kept this "spiritual heart" of the neighboring Kadeejeen community pumping and that same passion will decide the fate of other cultural landmarks around the region and throughout the world.
In his remarks addressing Acting Supreme Patriarch His Holiness Somdej Phra Maha Ratcha Mangalacharn at the award ceremony, Abbot Phra Brahmapundit detailed the history of Wat Prayoon. The temple, he said, has played an integral role in community life since it was established in 1828 during the reign of King Rama III.
By 2005, the pagoda and the adjoining Pharin Pariyattithammasala hall were in dire need of restoration; the chedi itself was leaning precariously toward the river.
Abbot Phra Brahmapundit set about the following year on the long and arduous process of restoring the pagoda and the adjoining Pharin Pariyattithammasala hall to their former glory using techniques appropriate to the time of its founding.
By 2011, the work was complete, the abbot said. The 60.5 metre iconic Phra Borommathat Maha Chedi, upon which the UNESCO logo shone on the evening of the award ceremony, stood, restored and resplendent on the west bank of the Chao Phraya.
It was a major accomplishment and one the abbot said required a diverse and committed team to pull off.
"This conservation project received tremendous support and commitment from every stakeholder involved, starting from the members of the Sangha, laypeople and the nearby Kadeejeen community members, as well as various government and private sector [parties]," he said.
Acting Supreme Patriarch, His Holiness Somdej Phra Maha Ratcha Mangalacharn, said at the ceremony that the UNESCO award was a great honor for the Thai Sangha, the order of Buddhist monks in Thailand, and the country as a whole.
"The clergy of Wat Prayurawongsawas Worawihan and all contributors should be praised and this should serve as an invaluable example for future conservation of cultural heritage," the Supreme Patriarch said.
In his remarks, Dr Kim said that forces such as rapid urbanisation, natural disasters and human conflict are threatening our heritage and they require new approaches, such as public-private partnerships or grass-roots conservation efforts.
"It has become clear that in order to safeguard our region’s heritage, the conservation of these unique sites should be a responsibility shared by government and civil society," he said. "UNESCO sincerely hopes that the success of the conservation project at Wat Prayoon will continue to motivate other members of the sangha and local community members of other historic temple sites across the country, and to deepen their commitment and passion for sustaining Thailand’s rich cultural legacy in all its manifestations."
Privy Councilor Surayud Chulanont said that the award was as great source of national pride and that the restoration project addressed how best to answer modern challenges, while remaining firmly rooted in the rich traditions of the past.
"Receiving this prestigious award from UNESCO has demonstrated the overwhelming impact this conservation project has had not only on the preservation of Buddhist cultural heritage in Thailand, but just as importantly on safeguarding the surrounding urban communities and the historic core that is located along this cultural landscape of the Chao Phraya River," General Surayud said. "As Bangkok grows and expands continuously, protecting these sacred landmarks has become of paramount importance."
Those cultural characteristics were on full display the evening of the ceremony and in a large-scale, five-day community festival arranged by residents of neighboring Kadeejeen and Khlongsan communities to celebrate the UNESCO heritage win.
With the reason for the celebration providing the backdrop, khon mask dances, Muay Thai demonstrations and luk thung performances provided the entertainment, while vendors served up tasty treats to swarms of residents derived from recipes that date back to the temple’s founding and, like Wat Prayoon itself, serve to unify the generations.