New Songkhla skywalk unveils southern beauty
Southern traditions hit a high point on Tuesday as visitors flocked to Wat Wang Yai in Songkhla’s Thepha district to witness the opening of the province’s latest tourism attraction.
Kuan Mali Skywalk was officially opened by a performance of Menora, a traditional dance drama with deep roots in the southern region.
Menora, often shortened to Nora, is at least five centuries old and has been inscribed as intangible cultural heritage of southern Thailand by Unesco.
The hilltop temple will use its new skywalk, which offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills, as a magnet to attract visitors.
Authorities hope it will become a new landmark in the deep South province, which borders Malaysia.
After the Menora performance, locals and tourists offered alms to monks in a merit-making ceremony to mark the beginning of Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year.
Thais celebrate Songkran on April 13-15 by making merit at temples, pouring scented water on seniors and Buddha images, making miniature sand pagodas, and most importantly, splashing water at each other to cool off in the heat of the hot season.
