Dasta submits three cities for UCCN contest

Dasta submits three cities for UCCN contest

B21m going towards community upgrades

A ceramic fish at a museum in Sri Satchanalai district, Sukhothai province. Sukhothai pottery is known for having a unique mix of Khmer, Chinese and Vietnamese influences.
A ceramic fish at a museum in Sri Satchanalai district, Sukhothai province. Sukhothai pottery is known for having a unique mix of Khmer, Chinese and Vietnamese influences.

The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) plans to submit Suphan Buri, Nan and Sukhothai for the 2019 Unesco Creative Cities competition.

Dasta director-general Thaweepong Wichaidit said the submission will be made via the Culture Ministry by the end of this month.

State-backed Dasta has a budget of 21 million baht to upgrade these provinces by developing communities there.

"The core identity of these provinces comes from authentic and creative local lifestyles, customs and culture, which can be enhanced and presented as Unesco Creative Cities," Mr Thaweepong said.

He said Nan and Sukhothai have the potential to be promoted as cities of crafts and folk arts, respectively, thanks to their handicrafts such as Sukhothai's Sangkhalok ceramic ware, silverware and sculpture, while Nan boasts traditional woven textiles.

Suphan Buri will be promoted as a city of music because of the uniqueness of its antiphonal singing and traditional folk music known as choy and e-saew that originated in this province, spreading throughout central Thailand.

Moreover, Suphan Buri is the hometown of singers Suraphol Sombatcharoen, Waiphot Phetsuphan and Poompuang Duangchan.

Mr Thaweepong said the finalists will be announced at the end of this year.

Unesco's Creative Cities Network (UCCN), comprising 187 cities in 72 countries, means Thailand can expect more recognition and tourist visits from member cities, he said.

Nominated cities will receive support such as sustainable development, exchange of know-how and international-level cooperation with other Creative Cities that should help both the cities and local people in the long run, Mr Thaweepong said.

Created in 2004, the UCCN covers seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Arts, Media Arts, Film, Design, Gastronomy, Literature and Music.

Creative Cities applications have opened every two years since 2015. The latest nominations follow Phuket and Chiang Mai joining the UCCN in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

Phuket was Thailand's first Creative City, listed as the City of Gastronomy along with 25 other Gastronomy Cities worldwide.

Local recipes handed down for generations and cooked with local ingredients can be found in Phuket province, including moo hawng (Phuket pork stew).

Chiang Mai is a City of Crafts and Folk Arts, home to various types of traditional crafts like lacquerware, pottery, bamboo weaving and paper making passed down through the generations, some specific to ethnic groups.

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