Home to myriad mountains and forests, Chiang Rai is a colorful city! You may have heard about the White Temple by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat or maybe visited the Black House by Thawan Duchanee - it is now time to discover the Blue Temple! Rong Seur Ten Temple, also called the “Blue Temple”, is a Thaistyle Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai that stands out from the others because of its sapphire blue color.
This unique temple was established at the beginning of 2000, but soon fell lnto a very bad state of repair. It was decided to completely rebuild it, and this work was completed in 2016. An interesting fact is that the mastermind behind the Blue Temple is an artist named Putha Kabkaew. He was an apprentice of Ajan Chalermchai, who designed the White Temple. This is why you might notice a few similarities between the two temples.
Rong Seur Ten temple’s blue color symbolizes tranquility, ascension, the infinite, purity and healing which are at the heart of Buddhism. The temple also has lots of details in gold which really makes it stand out.
The entrance to the temple grounds is marked by two big blue statues with intricate carvings, against the backdrop of a beautiful mountain.
The main building is the viharn or assembly hall. Huge Naga snakes guard its entrance. The richly adorned gable is in the traditional Lanna style with intricate floral motifs. At the back of the building there is a large white image of a standing Buddha with his
hands in a position symbolizing teaching.
The inside of the viharn is as beautiful as the surrounding area, outside. Two rows of pillars are adorned with ornate motifs. Paintings on the walls depict scenes from the life of the Buddha. On the ceilings are ornaments in sapphire blue and violet with decorative gold Inlays. At the back of the wall, mounted on a pedestal, there is a white Buddha image in a sitting position, his hands positioned to represent welcome, charity, giving, compassion and sincerity.
Behind the main building stands a blue and gold chedi on a square blue base. Also in the grounds are a bell tower and several white images of the Buddha seated on blue pedestals.
While visiting this beautiful place, don’t miss tasting the temple’s colorful Coconut Ice Cream with Butterfly Pea Juice, it’s all blue! Outside the temple grounds are a few Thai cuisine restaurants and coffee shops. The Blue Temple is not yet as famous as the
White Temple, so you can expect to enjoy a quiet and relaxing visit in a wonderful atmosphere.
Directions:
The Blue temple is located in Chiang Rai city, 300 metres away from the Kok River Bridge. Stay on the Mae Chan - Mae Sai Road. After crossing Kok River Bridge and reaching the intersection,
