One of the Blue Man Group???

Colour Games in Chiang Rai

First white and black. Now it continues with blue, red and gold.

“What’s he talking about?” you think now. Actually, I’m talking about temples. For a long time now Wat Rong Khun (“White Temple”) and Black House Chiang Rai (“Black Temple”) have been important attractions here on the periphery of the city. Then the tour providers discovered the blue temple, which became even more blue as a result. Mainly Chinese tourists are taken in small and large groups on a day tour to the colorful destinations.

I had already published information about the White Temple and Ban Dam. So now it is all about …


Blue

The temple of the dancing tiger (Wat Rong Suea Ten วัดร่องเสือเต้น) is located contrary to the two others rather centrally in the city. Near the busy bridge of Highway No 1 over the Kok River. When you come to the blue temple the first thing you notice are the two protective and fearsome guards at the entrance. If you enter the area you will find some shops on the right, in the middle of the square a fountain with figures and behind it the actual temple. Blue, yes, this is the predominant colour – my favorite colour. There are several imaginatively designed figures and paintings inside and around the main building. 

What I do not like so much is the parking place atmosphere on the grounds. This destroys the atmosphere created by the design. Of course, you usually have to deal with large crowds – especially in the main season around Christmas / New Year.

The rear buildings (administration and accommodations) were painted blue only last year. This emphasizes the unique selling point of the complex. That is good marketing!

Conclusion

Wenn man Spaß daran hat, außergewöhnliche Gebäude und insbesondere Tempel in Thailand anzuschauen, dann sollte ein Ausflug zum Blauen Tempel nicht fehlen.

Anfahrt

Zumal er leicht zu erreichen ist. Mit dem Tuk-Tuk, dem Bus, Fahrrad oder sogar zu Fuß. Am Busterminal im Stadtzentrum findest du sowohl Tuk-Tuks als auch den grünen „Local Bus“, die nach Mae Sai oder Chiang Saeng fahren. Fährst du mit dem Bus, steige an der Ampelkreuzung hinter der Brücke über den Kok-River aus und laufe zu Fuß in 5 Minuten zum blauen Tempel.

If you enjoy looking at extraordinary buildings and especially temples in Thailand, then a trip to the Blue Temple should not be missed.

Especially as it is easy to reach. By tuk-tuk, bus, bicycle or even walking. At the bus terminal in the city centre you will find both tuk-tuks and the green “local bus”, which go to Mae Sai or Chiang Saeng. If you take the bus, get off at the traffic lights behind the bridge over the Kok River and walk to the blue temple in 5 minutes.

on Google Maps


Red

The newest member in the color palette will be the red temple. Wat Chiang Yuen (เชียง) already had a reddish touch since I know it, but now it has been made even more reddish, e.g. by painting the outer wall red. So there is good marketing at work here, too.

The place in front is mainly used as a parking lot, which is not exactly contemplative. The building doesn’t seem to have any special features to me either. The red temple falls rather into the category “if you know one, you know them all”. Nevertheless, I am often there, because there is a massage cooperative with some masseurs of the better kind. Here you can also get help if you have a tension or a specific problem to deal with. In many other places I have experienced that there was only a standard programme. The massage here is not even expensive. 150 Baht per hour is rather cheap standard. If you want to enjoy the air conditioning, you have to add another 20 Baht. This low price is possible despite the experience of the masseurs, because they only have to give a small amount to the cooperative. This is different from other massage shops, where half of it is taken by the owner.

on Google Maps


Gold is the new white

At the White Temple

Right next to the White Temple and as part of the complex a new building has just been completed. In shining gold glows a temple for a large Ganesha. The new building thereby competes with the shining white.

Ho Naliga – Clock Tower

A completely different play of colours takes place every evening at the so-called Clock Tower (on Thai Hoo Naliga – หอนาฬิกา). The golden kitschy clock tower is illuminated by LEDs every full hour from 6pm to 9pm while music is played from small loudspeakers. All around the tower the traffic is rushing while a few tourists – white foreigners or Chinese – record the event with more or less technical effort.

The hand of Chalermchai Khositpipat can easily be recognized in the design. This Thai artist also built the white temple. The street lighting is designed in the same style.

Easy to reach by foot in the city centre. Around the clock tower there are good cafés and on New Year’s Eve there is a roaring countdown party.

on Google Maps


Accommodation in Chiang Rai

You’ll find plenty of places to stay in Chiang Rai. Because the best hotels are fully booked in the high season, I advise you to book your favourite hotel early enough with Booking.com. I use the great filter possibilities to find exactly the right hotel, guesthouse, resort or hostel. First enter 8+ in the filters and you will get the recommended accommodation in your price range.


This might also be interesting for you:
Der Big Buddha Chiang Rai ist gar keiner
Weitere Ausflugsziele in der Provinz Chiang Rai


Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hallo, ich bin Stefan

Seit 2014 lebe ich hauptsächlich in Chiang Rai, der nördlichsten Provinz Thailands.

Hier auf STEFANinTHAILAND berichte ich über Leben, Reisen und Radfahren in Thailand. Neugier und Lust auf Aktivitäten sind meine größte Motivation, um Land und Leute zu erkunden. Vor allem für Chiang Rai werde als Experten bezeichnet.

Scroll to Top