The Hall of Opium

Close to Chiang Rai is the infamous 'Golden Triangle' area where three countries, Thailand, Burma, and Loas meet around the Mekong river. The name started with the CIA to the illegal opium trade that runs wild in the area, with production peaking in the 70's. The name has stuck ever since. Tucked in a mountain, alone and off the beaten path is the biggest, baddest, most entertaining non-art museum, I've ever been to: The Hall of Opium.

Did I mention it's super fun? You start out going through an underground tunnel that goes from one side of the mountain to the other side where the museum complex is. The tunnel is a hallway of crazy lighting and psychedelic music that's suppose to make you feel like you're on an opium or heroine trip ... it starts out good, but like a 'comedown' later gets nightmarish. It has a number of fun exhibits that show the history of opium, and also how the local Hill Tribes (minorities) have used it for centuries for medicinal purposes (as they are still allowed to do today). I liked the fact that it covered so much ground, from trade politics to opium paraphernalia.

China has heavily funded the Museum, and that can be seen in several ways: 1. The English is actually correct! 2. The heavy focus on Opium's impact on China especially in the later half of the 19th century, the Opium Wars, and the English who forced it on them, and 3. The dozens of times they mention the word SHAME to talk about opium's negative effects on Chinese society. Just to mention a few more things, there was an interesting video section on drugs and war in the recent times, including American support of military forces (such as Afghanistan's Muhajideen) who fund themselves through opium production. I was also impressed that they didn't shy away from giving the right information about the Siamese Monarchy and opium. The Monarchy controlled and taxed trade and opium dens! And at some points, opium accounted for up to 25% of the monarchy's income.

Of course they didn't spend too much time on the lure of the 'high' people get from drugs ... understandable. But there was a whole two halls dedicated to public service announcements: "The Hall of Excuses" (gotta love that name!) shows the negative consequences of drug abuse, and many high profile celebrities who died or suffered from it. And "The Hall of Reflection" has quotes from the Bible, Buddha, Gandhi and others to inspire people to stop drug abuse and the illegal drug trade.

The Golden Triangle is an appropriate location for the museum, given its history past and present. Yet it's also a good place to promote the project initiated by the Princess Mother. She is the current King Bhumibol's mother, and is loved in the north. The project's goals are to rehabilitate the forests, and to stop the hill tribe people's dependence on the opium trade. So it has focused on education (hence the museum), developing substitutionary crops and training for alternative employment. The trip as an inspiration for my own public service announcement for halloween: a "junky" heroine addict with gross bandages, and bloody veins ... beware kids :)