0:00:00.000,0:00:01.860
Hi, this is View from Point of View channel.

0:00:02.020,0:00:04.680
We're now at Suvarnabhumi Airport, again!

0:00:05.080,0:00:07.660
I'm gonna give you a hint, we're going somewhere.

0:00:07.680,0:00:10.620
But we're not traveling abroad this time, we're traveling in Thailand.

0:00:10.680,0:00:12.720
We're going there because I've heard that,

0:00:12.720,0:00:17.240
this particular show, which is exceptional, is taking place in Chiangrai Province.

0:00:17.320,0:00:20.500
It's Khon Klang Plaeng everyone!

0:00:20.500,0:00:24.300
So, I suggest that we got on the plane to Chiangrai Province

0:00:24.400,0:00:25.800
and let's go see Khon Klang Plaeng.

0:00:25.800,0:00:27.800
Let's see what it is

0:00:27.800,0:00:30.900
and see if there's any difference from regular Khon that we've seen.

0:00:31.200,0:00:32.500
Before arriving in Chiangrai Province,

0:00:32.500,0:00:34.900
don't forget to follow me on social media.

0:00:35.100,0:00:38.500
Okay, are you ready for the fun and the learning?

0:00:38.500,0:00:40.600
If so, let's hit the road!

0:00:46.480,0:00:47.220
We're now in Chiangrai!

0:00:47.500,0:00:52.100
People might be wondering why must we come all the way to Chiangrai Province for Khon Klang Plaeng.

0:00:52.100,0:00:54.100
Other provinces also have Khon, why are we coming here?

0:00:54.760,0:00:59.000
Well, I must say that it's because this one particular event is taking place in Chiang Rai --

0:00:59.400,0:01:02.300
which is International Balloon Festival 2019

0:01:02.400,0:01:06.900
or Singha Park Chiangrai International Balloon Fiesta 2019.

0:01:07.000,0:01:10.900
The festival took place in February 13 to 17

0:01:11.300,0:01:12.900
at Singha Park in Chiangrai Province.

0:01:13.100,0:01:15.400
Since it is an international balloon festival

0:01:15.400,0:01:16.400
there must be balloon races

0:01:16.400,0:01:18.700
and colorful balloon shows.

0:01:18.900,0:01:21.000
But what does balloon have to do with Khon anyway?

0:01:21.000,0:01:23.500
Well, for this balloon festival ---

0:01:23.600,0:01:27.200
there isn't just balloons, but also other activities,

0:01:27.395,0:01:29.600
like concerts of great singers.

0:01:29.600,0:01:31.900
When I was at the concert, there was Palmy

0:01:31.900,0:01:33.000
Nuvo

0:01:33.395,0:01:34.300
Poly Cat

0:01:34.300,0:01:35.215
Hugo was also there.

0:01:35.500,0:01:38.125
Oh, please! There was too much to count.

0:01:38.325,0:01:41.125
And apart from that, there's also food stalls around.

0:01:41.125,0:01:44.065
This is truly a space for family gathering.

0:01:44.500,0:01:47.065
The best part is that ---

0:01:47.065,0:01:50.500
the organizers also value Thai identity.

0:01:50.600,0:01:54.880
That's why they have Khon as one of their shows.

0:01:54.880,0:01:57.100
And since there are foreigners everywhere, Khon is a great way to promote Thai culture.

0:01:57.100,0:01:57.900
Moreover,

0:01:57.900,0:02:00.800
Khon they're performing is also Khon Klang Plaeng.

0:02:00.800,0:02:03.500
This year marks the second time of this festival.

0:02:03.500,0:02:05.700
Last year was its first time,

0:02:05.700,0:02:09.600
to have Khon Klang Plaeng performance in the festival.

0:02:09.615,0:02:10.900
Are you guys seeing this?

0:02:10.900,0:02:13.300
This festival has everything!

0:02:13.300,0:02:16.600
Khon performance, concerts, great food

0:02:16.600,0:02:18.700
and views for nice pictures

0:02:18.700,0:02:21.715
which you guys might already see on my Instagram feed.

0:02:22.300,0:02:23.300
That was very off-topic.

0:02:23.300,0:02:24.765
There's only 2 rounds of Khon performance.

0:02:24.765,0:02:26.100
But I'm in Chiangrai for so many days.

0:02:26.100,0:02:27.815
Feeling so motivated.

0:02:28.000,0:02:30.880
If you guys are ready, let's go see Khon Klang Plaeng!

0:02:31.540,0:02:32.475


0:02:32.480,0:02:33.320
Okay everyone

0:02:33.320,0:02:36.560
After 2 days in Chiangrai,

0:02:36.565,0:02:39.300
I've done so many things.

0:02:39.400,0:02:41.100
2 days at the balloon festival ---

0:02:41.100,0:02:45.000
I went to the concerts, I flew on hot air balloon

0:02:45.000,0:02:47.400
and most importantly, I already took a sneak peek at the rehearsal.

0:02:47.400,0:02:48.800
And finally, the day has come.

0:02:49.000,0:02:52.200
The day of Khon Klang Plaeng performance.

0:02:52.200,0:02:55.900
And right now, we're here at Singha Park in Chiangrai Province.

0:02:56.400,0:02:58.760
I'll take you guys to see Khon Klang Plaeng then!

0:02:59.100,0:03:02.500
First off, this is the right venue for Khon Klang Plaeng

0:03:02.700,0:03:06.800
because it needs space, like, big grass field,

0:03:06.900,0:03:10.000
to play battle scenes. Khon Klang Plaeng's stories are always from battle scenes.

0:03:10.100,0:03:11.635
And it's really rare these days.

0:03:11.635,0:03:15.600
Even more than that, the performers for the show are the artists from Wang-Na!

0:03:15.600,0:03:17.000
I already saw it last night.

0:03:17.000,0:03:18.720
And I can tell you, it's gonna be an eye-opening experience.

0:03:18.900,0:03:21.200
Let's go see Khon Klang Plaeng performance

0:03:21.200,0:03:22.800
And I'll explain later --

0:03:22.800,0:03:24.600
why must it be Khon Klang Plaeng

0:03:24.600,0:03:27.400
, what's the difference between Khon Klang Plaeng and Khon we've seen often

0:03:27.915,0:03:29.100
and how many types of Khon there are.

0:03:29.100,0:03:30.200
Let's go see the performance!

0:03:31.300,0:03:34.400
Right now, we're already in front of the stage.

0:03:34.600,0:03:36.700
We're about to see Khon Klang Plaeng.

0:03:36.700,0:03:40.000
But first, let's get to know how many types of Khon there are

0:03:40.000,0:03:42.500
and how Khon Klang Plaeng is different from other types of Khon.

0:03:42.500,0:03:43.900
Let's go!

0:03:44.400,0:03:47.300
It's quiet inappropriate to do the explanation in the venue.

0:03:47.300,0:03:48.865
We should be mindful of the performers

0:03:48.900,0:03:51.200
because they are on the stage. We can't just talk all the time.

0:03:51.300,0:03:53.200
And it also disturbs the others.

0:03:53.200,0:03:55.400
So, it's best to do this outside.

0:03:55.400,0:03:57.900
We all know that Khon is a dance-drama performance

0:03:58.000,0:03:59.780
of which performers are wearing masks

0:03:59.780,0:04:03.400
and dancing rhythmically with the music, right?

0:04:03.400,0:04:06.500
But, actually, there are many types of Khon.

0:04:06.500,0:04:08.400
There's more than one.

0:04:08.400,0:04:10.200
I understand that we see Khon as

0:04:10.200,0:04:13.005
a performance on stage, something like that, right?

0:04:13.005,0:04:16.100
But, in fact, there are 5 types of Khon.

0:04:16.100,0:04:19.000
The first one is Khon Rong Nai --

0:04:19.000,0:04:21.500
what we're most familiar with

0:04:21.500,0:04:25.100
since Fine Arts Department of Thailand often host Khon Rong Nai performance.

0:04:25.100,0:04:29.500
Khon Rong Nai is a combination between Lakhon Nai and Khon.

0:04:29.500,0:04:30.900
Apart from Khon movement,

0:04:30.900,0:04:32.500
Khon narration and dialogue,

0:04:32.500,0:04:35.100
there's also Thai traditional dancing.

0:04:35.100,0:04:39.000
And it also features 2 Pi Phat orchestras.

0:04:39.000,0:04:40.900
During these days, most of Khon performances by the Fine Arts Department,

0:04:40.900,0:04:44.000
whether performed indoor or outdoor,

0:04:44.000,0:04:47.500
are always of Khon Rong Nai style, because it is spectacular.

0:04:47.500,0:04:48.900
There's traditional dancing, graceful movements.

0:04:48.900,0:04:52.000
And since there's Khon Rong Nai, there's also, of course

0:04:52.000,0:04:53.400
Khon Rong Nok.

0:04:53.400,0:04:55.995
There's a slight difference between Khon Rong Nai and Khon Rong Nok.

0:04:55.995,0:04:59.300
Khon Rong Nok's setting isn't as precise as Khon Rong Nai's.

0:04:59.300,0:05:01.400
There's no proper setting.

0:05:01.400,0:05:03.180
It's set on common stage or platform

0:05:03.180,0:05:06.000
with bamboo rails set along its length.

0:05:06.000,0:05:07.100
Imagine the stage...

0:05:07.100,0:05:10.200
with bamboo rails laid from one side to the other.

0:05:10.200,0:05:11.900
Normally, while watching Khon,

0:05:11.900,0:05:15.800
we'll see a seat, some sort of thing like a bench...

0:05:15.800,0:05:17.200
looking like a throne.

0:05:17.200,0:05:19.000
Khon Rong Nok doesn't have these things on stage.

0:05:19.000,0:05:23.300
They'll be using the rails as the throne.

0:05:23.305,0:05:25.700
That's why this type of Khon is also called --

0:05:25.700,0:05:27.435
Khon Nang Rao.

0:05:27.600,0:05:30.700
Next, we have Khon Na Cho.

0:05:30.700,0:05:33.605
Khon Na Cho is developed out of Thai shadow play or Nang Yai.

0:05:33.605,0:05:36.800
Everyone might already know Nang Yai.

0:05:36.800,0:05:38.600
The performers first put up the backdrop, right?

0:05:38.600,0:05:41.600
Then they'll hold up the carved buffalo-skinned puppets

0:05:41.600,0:05:43.600
and let the backdrop reflects the shadow.

0:05:43.600,0:05:44.400
And there are also performers dancing.

0:05:44.400,0:05:47.200
But, at that time, playing only with shadows became boring.

0:05:47.200,0:05:51.100
That's why sometimes they incorporated Khon into Nang Yai performance.

0:05:51.100,0:05:53.500
Like, while the puppet was being held up, a person walked out from behind.

0:05:53.765,0:05:55.300
Bam, a performer in Khon costume appeared.

0:05:55.300,0:05:57.300
But after a while,

0:05:57.300,0:06:00.800
people felt that Khon performing is more exciting than Nang Yai's.

0:06:00.800,0:06:05.800
It led to having Khon performances in front of the same backdrop.

0:06:05.800,0:06:07.400
The puppets were removed.

0:06:07.400,0:06:09.800
So, that is another type of Khon.

0:06:09.800,0:06:11.700
And the fourth type of Khon --

0:06:11.700,0:06:13.500
is the most developed one.

0:06:13.600,0:06:15.000
It's called Khon Chak.

0:06:15.115,0:06:18.200
Khon Chak emerged during the reign of King Rama V.

0:06:18.200,0:06:20.500
There was first the opera-oriented dance drama --

0:06:20.500,0:06:22.320
which is plays with proper stage and scripts...

0:06:22.320,0:06:23.400
this and that...

0:06:23.400,0:06:24.540
and there was also chants and dance.

0:06:24.700,0:06:28.400
This kind of play inspired the adaptation of Khon.

0:06:28.400,0:06:30.600
This is how Khon Chak emerged.

0:06:30.600,0:06:34.600
But Khon Chak is slightly different from regular Khon.

0:06:34.600,0:06:38.200
I mean, it requires separating the performance into independent plays.

0:06:38.200,0:06:39.600
There couldn't be reversions

0:06:39.600,0:06:41.600
, unlike Ramakien epic tales

0:06:41.600,0:06:46.000
which were written specifically for traditional Khon performance.

0:06:46.000,0:06:48.300
This one is more like a modern play.

0:06:48.300,0:06:50.800
That's why they need to divide the stories into parts,

0:06:50.800,0:06:53.100
each written particularly for Khon Chak.

0:06:53.200,0:06:54.300
And the last type --

0:06:54.300,0:06:56.400
which is in fact considered the oldest form --

0:06:56.500,0:06:59.300
is the one we're getting to see today!

0:06:59.300,0:07:01.200
Khong Klang Plaeng it is.

0:07:01.200,0:07:05.900
Khon Klang Plaeng is performed outdoor, in an open-air space.

0:07:05.900,0:07:08.000
No backdrop, nothing.

0:07:08.000,0:07:09.980
Just the natural surrounding.

0:07:10.300,0:07:13.500
Battle scenes are often depicted in Khon Klang Plaeng performance.

0:07:13.500,0:07:17.200
Or it could be any scene which two camps are fighting.

0:07:17.200,0:07:20.000
It's very convenient since they are performing in open space.

0:07:20.000,0:07:22.800
So, I believe we know now what Khon Klang Plaeng is.

0:07:22.800,0:07:24.800
Let's go see the performance.

0:07:26.875,0:07:28.600
It's just started.

0:07:28.600,0:07:33.600
I need to tell you guys that Khon performance always begins with a prelude.

0:07:33.600,0:07:37.400
Let's watch this from the prelude to the main piece

0:07:37.400,0:07:39.400
and the last set.

0:07:40.555,0:07:41.555


0:07:42.265,0:07:43.415


0:07:43.885,0:07:45.235


0:07:46.315,0:07:47.900
For today,

0:07:47.900,0:07:49.800
the performance is divided into 3 parts.

0:07:49.800,0:07:53.000
The first is the prelude,

0:07:53.000,0:07:57.400
which is Dhep Singhawatarn.

0:07:57.400,0:08:01.855
It is newly and specifically composed for this show.

0:08:01.855,0:08:06.000
And the second is the main piece --

0:08:06.000,0:08:07.845
Intarachit War.

0:08:07.845,0:08:11.600
The scene is about the fight between Intarachit and Phra Lak.

0:08:11.800,0:08:14.500
Of course, Intarachit had no chance winning Phra Lak

0:08:14.500,0:08:16.740
because he was very good at fighting.

0:08:16.740,0:08:18.300
When Intarachit found himself losing,

0:08:18.300,0:08:21.300
he took out his most nefarious weapon --

0:08:21.300,0:08:23.945
the Nagapasha arrow.

0:08:23.945,0:08:28.400
Nagapasha arrow would let out countless Nagas when shooted.

0:08:28.400,0:08:30.700
You guys can see from this

0:08:30.975,0:08:33.800
that Phra Lak loses his consciousness when hit with the arrow.

0:08:34.215,0:08:36.300
But Phra Ram saved him at last

0:08:36.600,0:08:40.300
by shooting an arrow calling the Garuda to help.

0:08:40.300,0:08:41.900
The Garuda chased the Nagas away.

0:08:41.900,0:08:45.500
Garuda is actually an all-time enemy of Naga.

0:08:45.500,0:08:47.040
because it eats Naga as food.

0:08:47.040,0:08:49.000
I've told you guys this before.

0:08:49.400,0:08:50.900
And for the last set,

0:08:50.900,0:08:57.000
they performed a dance piece for blessing King Rama X.

0:08:57.060,0:09:00.480
We can see that Khon performance is a high art form of performance.

0:09:00.480,0:09:02.000
In each performance,

0:09:02.200,0:09:09.900
we get to see the union of art forms and great artists just for one show.

0:09:10.000,0:09:12.100
Beginning with costume designs

0:09:12.100,0:09:14.800
which also requires complicated embroidery.

0:09:14.800,0:09:16.945
The orchestras also need to be Pi Phat orchestra.

0:09:16.945,0:09:20.400
And the song or music needs to reflect the story, too.

0:09:20.400,0:09:22.000
The performers themselves, --

0:09:22.000,0:09:32.100
although they don't speak, their movements communicate particular meanings or emotions.

0:09:32.135,0:09:34.755
For example, certain movements suggest that they're angry,

0:09:34.800,0:09:36.600
some suggest that they're shy.

0:09:36.600,0:09:37.900
If one has some knowledge of Khon,

0:09:37.900,0:09:43.000
it's not that hard to understand what the characters are saying through their movements

0:09:43.000,0:09:45.000
even without the narration.

0:09:45.225,0:09:47.300
For literary aspects,

0:09:47.300,0:09:53.400
the beauty of literature is reflected in Khon narration and dialogues

0:09:53.400,0:09:55.700
which plays with words aesthetically.

0:09:55.700,0:09:58.300
Most importantly, the performance we just saw today

0:09:58.300,0:10:01.800
owes its perfection to the artists from Wang-Na

0:10:01.800,0:10:07.800
who study the art of Khon, theatre, musical performance and Thai vocal music

0:10:07.800,0:10:09.800
at the College of Dramatic Arts

0:10:09.800,0:10:12.600
which is located in the area of the Front Palace (Wang-Na).

0:10:12.600,0:10:17.900
Wang-Na used to be the residence of the Uparaja of Siam in each period.

0:10:17.900,0:10:23.200
Pinklao, the brother of King Rama IV, used to live in the palace of which the area has become the location of the College of Dramatic Arts.

0:10:23.200,0:10:28.700
Apart from this, the performers also include staffs or former staffs of the college,

0:10:28.755,0:10:30.225
Bunditpatanasilpa Institute,

0:10:30.225,0:10:34.405
or the Office of Performing Arts.

0:10:34.500,0:10:38.400
They are truly expertise and it's such an honor to witness their talent through this show.

0:10:38.400,0:10:39.800
A high art form, indeed.

0:10:40.300,0:10:42.500
So, we've finished seeing Khon performance.

0:10:42.500,0:10:44.200
How was it? Did you guys have fun?

0:10:44.200,0:10:46.400
This might be a relatively new perspective on Khon performance

0:10:46.400,0:10:51.400
because Khon Klang Plaeng is different from common Khon performance we've seen.

0:10:51.400,0:10:53.700
If anyone has comments,

0:10:53.700,0:10:55.200
or if I said anything incorrect,

0:10:55.200,0:10:57.300
also, if you guys spot any special characteristics of any Khon character,

0:10:57.300,0:10:59.300
please feel free to comment down below.

0:10:59.580,0:11:01.700
And for those I met at the festival,

0:11:01.800,0:11:04.000
don't forget to tag me in our photos.

0:11:04.100,0:11:07.300
If you like this video, please give it a thumbs up

0:11:07.360,0:11:09.140
and don't forget to click share, so your friends can see this too.

0:11:09.380,0:11:10.700
Well then, see you next time!

0:11:10.700,0:11:12.760
Bye-bye, Sa-wad-dee-ka.

0:11:20.480,0:11:21.480


0:11:23.395,0:11:24.395