Wat Rong Suea Ten AKA the Blue Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand
Wat Rong Suea Ten is a relatively new temple and lesser known of the artistic temples. The main hall was completed in 2016 and built to replace the previous ruined and abandoned wat which dated back about 100 years. Honestly, I had no idea a wat like this existed and I am so glad (and lucky) that I was able to visit it. The only reason I found it was because the front desk clerk at the hotel I was staying at in Chiang Mai recommended a “White Temple” in Chiang Rai after I told him I was a photographer and loved the Thai styled temples. A quick search online revealed a lot of day tours featuring a “White Temple” then some filler places like a Blue Temple, a Black House or tribal villages. There were others but I stopped reading because I was short on time and couldn’t visit that many places anyways. If you’re interested in the White Temple, I made a post regarding my time there, RIGHT HERE. Having been to both temples, I have to say, Wat Rong Suea Ten is, pound for pound, just as spectacular as the more famous White Temple and it won’t stay unknown much longer.
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As you can probably tell (from the name), the wow factor of this wat is that the ubusot and chedi are blue (with a lot of gold trim). All the statues and décor are predominately blue with the more traditional art style of the Thai Buddhist culture/religion (as opposed to the artistic interpretations found at the White Temple). There are 2 giant Buddha statues that are glossy white (as opposed to matte white). The one inside the ubosot is sitting whilst the other (located directly behind but on the outside of the ubusot) is standing. The inside of the ubusot is predominately blue with a lot of gold colored ornamentation (statues and artwork on the walls). This gives the white Buddha statue a pretty cool looking shade of blue. The various spot lights make it even more interesting to look at. Not everything is blue inside though. The furniture is predominately reddish brown with gold trimmings, as are the doors. There’s even a semi translucent, gold adorned, red Buddha statue.
The temple’s artwork is credited to Mr. Phuttha Kabkaew (a former student of Mr. Chaloemchai Kositpipat (of the White Temple fame). Personally, I really like the art style, rich in color and detail. I have to say, I feel more at ease with the subject matter being used to adorn the interior of the blue temple than I was with the artistic renders of the subject matter that dominates the White Temple’s interior. Anyways, both temples, in my opinion relay the artist’s message very clearly and beautifully. I found myself artistically and spiritually satiated with the balance between art and religion at the Blue Temple, it’s truly eye candy for the soul. Here’s some images of the ubusot and the chedi:
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Some miscellaneous notes:
I spent roughly 1.5 hours here and wasn’t completely finished. I didn’t get to check out the shops because I had to leave in order to catch my bus (the last one for the day) back to Chiang Mai. I’m known to really take my time looking and photographing things so I think for me 2.5 hours would be enough time but if you’re not a photo nut like me 1.5 hours would be just right unless they add more things to see, there certainly is room for more on the lot.
I made my way via Grab taxi to the “Blue Temple” at a cost of $220 TBH and the ride took roughly 20 minutes from the White Temple. If you need assistance with finding your way to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai, have a look at how I did it in THIS POST. The Grab taxi ride from the Blue Temple to the bus terminal cost me $100 TBH and roughly 20 minutes. Both trips had relatively light traffic conditions. If you choose to drive to the Blue Temple, there is parking both inside the compound and outside. Within the compound you’ll also find some gift shops with both religious items as well as the more touristy stuff, a local/traditional style clothing shop and snack shops. The wat is nestled amongst, from what I can tell a residential area so you won’t be able to see it from the main road. The hours of operation is stated as 7 am to 8pm and is free to enter. Here’s some statues which I found pretty cool looking.
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One of my favorite shots:
The Blue Temple of Chiang Rai, Thailand in a crystal ball
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