Wat Rong Suea Ten

A richly ornamented Thai Buddhist temple building in striking blue and gold colours
Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple, Chiang Rai)

Wat Rong Suea Ten (Thai: วัดร่องเสือเต้น), also known as the Blue Temple, is a temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand, known for its striking modern artistic design.

The temple's construction was initiated by the local community in 1996 to replace an old abandoned temple which previously stood on the site, though construction did not start until 2005. Its final design was realized by local artist Phuttha Kabkaew (พุทธา กาบแก้ว) or Sala Nok (สล่านก, sala being a northern Thai title for an artisan), who learned from Chalermchai Kositpipat while working on his famous Wat Rong Khun, just outside the city. Wat Rong Suea Ten's main building was completed in 2016, and follows in the unconventional "neo-traditional" style of Buddhist art pioneered by Chalermchai, employing lavishly ornamented sculptures and psychedelic visual imagery.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Silberling, Amanda (24 April 2019). "Reimagining Abandoned Buddhist Temples as Unconventional Art Spaces". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  2. ^ "วัดร่องเสือเต้น ศิลปะวัดสีน้ำเงินแห่งเดียวในเชียงราย". Chiangrai Focus (in Thai). 16 November 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  3. ^ "พุทธศิลป์เบ่งบาน! ศิษย์ "เฉลิมชัย" ผสมแนวคิด "อ.ถวัลย์" ผุดวัดสุดวิจิตร". Manager Online (in Thai). 17 December 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2023.