Midnight Rice – KON KAO YA KOO Chang Moi

Chang Moi district is selected as creative district by Thailand creative and design center since 2019. This district has known for various of culture movements and presently has rising numbers of new business such as cafe, bars, restaurant etc. On the other day, creative district does not just focus on present business, but also has to engage and empower local community which is foundation of local knowledge and cultural asset. Since city development plan strikes to Chang Moi district in 1960s. Streets, real estate and private properties are mainly built for business purpose. Chompoo temple was a community center where located to bind villages and locals with social activities. Now the scene is gone. The purpose of design is to engage and drive this district with idea of Neighborhood economy networking. This project brainstorms with local and entrepreneurs in the district and then we selected “Kon Kao Ya Koo Chang Moi” festival which restores the idea of Temple centered community and intentionally collaborates with community networks. To represent community festival with historical townscape, the event has to create special experience for telling relative local story with community sites. Project method is to hold design thinking process with local and new entrepreneurs and create Visual integrated with existing elements where is the story telling for festival and cold local tales. The design outcome is AR technology through social media. The project merges 3 storytelling with 3 elements in Chompoo temple. There are 3 local tales which is not recorded as cultural assets for Chang Moi community. First, the twin pagoda, Chompoo temple creates Pagoda which refers to Doi Suthep temple’s pagoda because the relative roots of monk from Chompoo temple and Doi Suthep temple is connected with Kru Ba Srivichai. Besides local community was originally craftsman, worker and labors then they had no time to make merit with Doi Suthep temple, So they want to conceptual The pagoda of Chompoo temple as Twin pagoda with Doi Suthep temple. Secondly, Chang Moi is a name to be called community because this area was a place for King elephants’ recess in the ancient. Then local and new community wants to present the meaning of this district along the street where are binding temple with old village. Third, as Kon Kao Ya Koo festival is local gathering to create social activities in Main court in front of temple. This event is rare to be seen and local keeps continuing for over 50 years. Local donates ingredient for “Kao Ya Koo” (Holy rice) such as rice, honey, sugar, brown sugar, bean, sesame etc. Then they mix and stir as holy rice in the midnight of full moon night in Twelve Lanna mouth. (Presently, it is a night before Loy Kratong day). So, we need to explain this event on main court of the temple which restores old axis and community plaza. Finally, these 3 AR designs will be used as Instagram filter to conveniently use for new people and tourists who visit this community and neighbors.