National Geographic Creativeさんのインスタグラム写真 - (National Geographic CreativeInstagram)「Photo by @amandamustard / Hundreds of thousands of Thai tourists flocked to Wat Chedi Ai Khai in southern Thailand in 2020 to pray to a statue of a legendary 9 year old boy, Ai Khai (or 'Egg Boy’), in order to make wishes for prosperity and good luck. Purchasing and donating a rooster statue is one of the most popular ways to pay respect to Ai Khai. The bigger (and more expensive) the chicken, the more favor you are believed to gain. A small, palm-sized chicken costs less than $1 (~ 20 Thai Baht), while one that towers over you is upwards of $670 (~ 20,000 Thai Baht). While thousands of these statues have flooded the temple grounds, a few acres of land near the temple have now been designated as the ‘chicken graveyard’. For many in Thailand, times of uncertainty and desperation can often be met with superstitious solutions. In stark contrast to the rest of the country during the pandemic, the Sichon area has seen a massive spike in tourism as a result of popularity of this wish-making temple. Visitors can perform a range of merit-making actions, including the purchase and donation of chicken statues, fireworks, children's toys and clothing, and food items said to be desired by the spirit of Ai Khai. Until a new outbreak in December 2020, Thailand has largely kept COVID at bay since May with a strict response and tight border control - while cases and deaths remain low, the local economy has suffered with the loss of tourism revenue, which normally accounts for about 15% of Thailand's GDP. Video by @waii.ns, my wonderful translator and producer for this project.」1月6日 1時23分