Cover picture: Blue Temple
The entrance to the Blue Temple is protected by two large guardian statues called „Yak“
View of the ornate temple in bright shades of blue with golden decorations
Right at the entrance, a white monk figure adorning a fountain catches our eye.
To the left, we see a Buddha statue in a similar color scheme, showing the meditation gesture „Dharmachakra Mudra“.
Two huge Naga figures surround the stairs up to the main hall (Viharn)
The temple conceals a magnificent seated Buddha who symbolizes the moment of enlightenment with the „Bhumisparsha Mudra“ gesture.
In combination with the blue and gold aesthetics, this place is a popular photo motif.
View of the site. At the back, we can see other plants that are still under construction.
Angelic beings (called thewada or devas) protect the side walls of the temple
The standing Buddha with the hand gesture „Vitarka Mudra“ adorns the rear side of the temple.
This figure shows Phra Sangkajai, a disciple of Buddha dressed as a monk. The so-called wandering Buddha is said to bring happiness and prosperity on all spiritual paths.
The complex also includes many other ornate objects and blue and gold figures
- Take a look, it's worth it! 🙂
- Take a look, it's worth it! 🙂
Costs
Free of charge
Opening hours
Daily 07:00-20:00
Blue Temple
The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten) is one of the most visited temples in northern Thailand. Its unique design with a bright blue façade and golden decorations attracts over a million visitors every year. In Thai culture, the colors stand for Purity, wisdom and the Divine. The murals inside also shine in magnificent shades of blue and purple. The highlight of the Blue Temple is the large sitting Buddha in the main temple hall (Viharn), whose posture symbolizes the moment of enlightenment, inner peace and harmony.
The temple is located in the Rim Kok, about 3 kilometers from the city center of Chiang Rai. The best way to reach this place is by tuk-tuk or with your own car or scooter. There used to be an old temple on the site, which was not visited for decades and fell into disrepair over time. The current name of the temple Wat Rong Suea Ten translates as „The house where the tigers danced“. According to a legend, this meaning goes back to the wild tigers that took over the area when the temple was abandoned and figuratively jumped and danced over the roofs.
In 2005, the abandoned temple was finally demolished and a completely new temple was planned. The idea and initiative for this construction came from the Thai artist Phuttha Kabkaew, a pupil of the famous artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who in 1997 initiated the construction of the White Temples in the form of an art project. Inspired by his teacher and the traditional Lanna architecture in combination with blue-gold accents, The Blue Temple grew into a similar art project. Today, it is a treasured spiritual place for devout Buddhists, but also a modern attraction for tourists and art lovers who come to Chiang Rai for a short visit.
Due to the particularly intricate detail work, the completion of the main hall took many, many years and was not completed until Open to the public in 2016 made. Even today, the complex is still not completely finished (similar to the White Temple) and further elements are constantly being added.
The site is home to numerous mythological figures, including the heavenly Thewada Beings, the fearsome Yak Temple guardians, the protective Naga Queues along the stairs and illustrations of the eagle man Garuda. All these figures can be found again and again at Buddhist sites throughout Thailand and serve the spiritual protection of the temple. Another well-known sculpture is the three-headed elephant Erawan, which has not yet been built at the Blue Temple.
The Admission to the temple is free, Parking is also free of charge. There are several stalls on site selling snacks and drinks, a souvenir store and free toilets. Be sure to try the fresh coconut ice cream at one of the stalls - this is particularly popular at the Blue Temple and has developed into its own little attraction over the years!
Tip:: If you stay overnight in Chiang Mai, you can enjoy a favorable day trip to Chiang Raiª, which also includes a visit to the White Temple.
Places of interest in the vicinity
Map
More Chiang Rai highlights
Choui Fong tea plantation
The Choui Fong tea plantation is located in the north of Thailand, just under an hour's drive from Chiang Rai. This picture-book location is a popular excursion destination for all nature and tea lovers and should not be missed on any tour of northern Thailand! Due to the altitude, the fields in the north are ideal for growing various types of tea such as green and black tea. With a cultivation area of over 1,000 rai (= 1.6 square kilometers), the Choui Fong plantation is one of the largest tea producers in the whole of Thailand.
Wat Huay Pla Kang
Mistakenly known as the „Big Buddha of Chiang Rai“, Wat Huay Pla Kang embodies a giant statue of Guan Yin - the Chinese goddess of mercy; and is therefore not an image of Buddha. Behind the walk-in statue is a unique building concept of a temple that combines spirituality, purity and aesthetics. The temple is located about 8 kilometers outside the city center in a rural area. The respected monk Phra Ajarn Phob Chok had the impressive building erected on a hill in 2005. The 69-metre statue of Guan Yin (in Thai: „Chao Mae Kuan Im“) is easily recognizable in many places in and around Chiang Rai.
Black House
The Baan Dam Museum, better known as the Black House, is another art project in the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai. Contrary to expectations, this is not just a single house, but a huge complex with more than 40 individual buildings and some very bizarre exhibits. The exterior façade of the houses is uniformly kept in a dark color scheme (predominantly black and dark brown), which gave rise to the nickname "Black House".
White Temple
Wat Rong Kung, better known as the White Temple, is a magnificent work of art combining traditional Thai architecture with a white façade and hundreds of thousands of mirror ornaments that glitter in the sunlight and symbolically reflect the wisdom of Buddha. This spectacle of light and spirituality is truly unique in Thailand. With over one million visitors a year, the temple is now one of northern Thailand's most famous landmarks and a must-see attraction in Chiang Rai!
