Index
12
February 3, 2007
Arts & Culture
Vientiane Times Weekend
The caravan, pursued by a horde of children, arrives in a cloud of dust.
- Photos Thierry Renavand
Living in harmony with elephants PHONESAVANH SANGSOMEBOUN
S
triking photos of a caravan of elephants on display at the T’Shop Lai gallery in Vientiane have drawn visitors into a nostalgic atmosphere of ancient traders riding atop elephants, wishing that they could follow. These photos create quite an impression on visitors, as they show the close relationship between traditional Lao journeymen and their elephants, immersing viewers in a journey across the country, from north to south. Interesting moments along the way have been captured and framed by professional documentary photographer, Mr Thierry Renavand, who has been inspired by the charm of nature, and the Lao culture and people. Mr Renavand has lived for nearly four years in Laos and is now working as a photo journalist for a French press
agency. “Travelling with the caravan was very interesting, but quite a challenge,” he says. Fortunately, during his trip he didn’t confront any difficulty that the intelligent, dynamic elephants, could not overcome. His fascination with nature and his elephant friends overcame his exhaustion. “It was a fruitful experience to approach the Lao way of life in this way, especially in the rural areas, where people are relatively pure, bound closely to nature and religion,” he recalls. “They are never in a rush and time seems unimportant for them.” He said that when he embarked on his journey from the north to the south, he was impressed by people’s reactions, especially those of the children, who enjoy biking and running through the dust with their bare feet to admire the caravan. As the caravan passed through each province, people treated the riders and their
elephants respectfully, welcoming them with shy smiles. Sometimes, villagers offered food to the elephants, and crowded around the huge creatures. “While accompanying the caravan,” he says, “I experienced various lifestyles and saw the relationship between religion and the elephants. In particular, I learned how these people live in harmony with animals and nature. “I feel that the relationship between people and elephants in Laos is very strong and ancient. It has been a tight knot for decades. Elephants are also linked to various episodes in the life of the Buddha.” He travelled for about three months with the caravan, and says he probably took more photos in the south, because they stayed longer there. Aside from photographing the elephant caravan, he also took photos of monks in each temple and the historic sites they passed, along with
‘Sing Thong’ takes his morning bath, after being led to the water by his driver.
Children rush to watch the elephant caravan pass through their village.
important buildings relevant to local culture, art and Buddhism. “I don’t think I took more pictures in any one area compared to the others. Each province in Laos is interesting,” he says. “The pictures that involve people,
especially their daily life, normal activities, and religious ceremonies are the ones I like the most.” This is the second showing of the exhibition, after it first opened in a gallery in Luang Prabang. The photos intrigued both locals and foreigners who came to view them and to appreciate the value of traditional cultures and the close relationship between people and animals. “Although Lao people love photography, I don’t always get feedback about my photos,” he said, adding that maybe this is because people are shy, or that an understanding of what makes a good photograph is not as widespread in Laos as in Europe. What Lao people appreciate about his photographs tends to be different from what Westerners respond to, he said. These photos will be important to Lao people, because the tradition of travelling by elephant is definitely under threat in Laos, as in many other Asian countries.
This is because their natural habitat is shrinking every day; with agriculture expanding, and the logging of forests extending further and further, their future is highly endangered. Today, there are only some 50,000 domestic and wild elephants left in Asia, including 2,000 wild elephants in Laos, formerly known as Lane Xang, ‘the kingdom of a million elephants’. The demise of the elephants would be like the death of a whole culture. The aim of the expedition was therefore to heighten awareness and change international and local opinions about the issue. For many, this expedition was one of rediscovery of old traditions, reviving hope among many villagers that this part of their culture may continue. “I am mainly attracted by people and culture. I think people used to live in better harmony with nature,” Mr Renavand says. “It is terrible to see how human beings are now destroying their environment.”