Baan Dam Black House Museum: Places to see in Chiang Rai
Updated: Apr 5
Located in Nang Lae, Chiang Rai, The Black House Museum, or “Baan Dam” in Thai, is one of the strangest and most interesting places we have seen in Thailand to date. We are not sure if we have ever seen anything quite like it!
Despite its dark and unnerving 'exhibits' we do still think it is still a must-see for anyone on a tour of Chiang Rai. Often confused for a temple, the Black House is home to the world’s largest collection of animal remains made into furniture, taxidermy and art installations. While it wasn't designed to be evil or frightening, it is commonly thought to be the 'Hell Temple'. This is due to its proximity and opposing style of the nearby White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), known as the 'Temple of Heaven'.
Read on for our temple highlights, history and facts, and where to find Baan Dam Museum.
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Book the best sights in Chiang Rai with Klook
● Convenient transportation from Chiang Mai: Pick up from your hotel and travel to Chiang Rai with the iconic 3 colors temple series
● Wat Rong Khun (aka White temple): World class iconic Thai art temple designed by Mr. Chalermchai Kositpipat
● Baan Dam Museum: A house for National Artist Dr. Thawan Duchanee that use the opposite tone of color design all the things
● Wat Rong Seur Ten (aka Blue temple): A design with all blue concept combination with Thai art and Big white buddha in the center of temple
Baan Dam Black House Museum highlights
It was already a pretty imposing walk on the way to the museum, with the car park lined with black and red flags depicting fierce animal faces and streaked blood. We knew that there was an 'out there' reputation about the place, but we still did not quite know to expect.
When we made it to the entrance, we were immediately struck by the impressive height and stature of the main Cathedral. It is exactly 44 meters high and 44 meters long and it is almost simplistic in design compared to other temples that we have encountered in Thailand. Its sheer size is impressive though, and its dark black and brown painted wood certainly seems to overpower its surroundings with a heavy and looming energy.
The enormous black chairs, almost felt frightening as we walked beneath the steep and dark gables of the main hall. We were pretty wide-eyed walking around, not sure what to make of it all. The art collections, featuring streaked blood and scary looking animal faces, were displayed in each of the rooms quadrants. They added the only real color to what was otherwise a pretty dark and shady collection of horned furniture alongside some spectacular taxidermy.
The museum is the lifetime work of controversial Thai artist Thawan Duchanee. He was a devout Buddhist, with all of the work displayed at the Black House portraying the cycle of life, death, and rebirth known as Samsara. This cycle includes suffering, which is the main principal of the exhibits and architectural style.
We can totally relate to the principal of Duchanee's work however there is a rather over-elaborate, and certainly not discreet, amount of human appendage on display. Most are just part of random statues, however the bathrooms in particular have many of them. We really did not understand this part of the exhibits and it did make us feel uncomfortable. It is something to be aware of prior to your visit.
While he is celebrated now, Thawan Duchanee was not always popular. In fact, his art has at many times drawn accusations of disrespect. There has sadly even been physical attacks and vandalism over the years. Despite its divisive nature, Duchanee was unrelenting in his vision and his art was eventually defended and championed by many public figures. He was recognized on a national level for his talent with several awards in 2001.
There was part of us that was expecting the usual Buddha statues, Nagas, lotuses, and elephants, but we found these to be in very short supply here. We were greeted with a plethora of bones, skulls, shells, teeth, animal skins and taxidermy, all arranged in an assortment of striking poses.
Even though we know that it was never Duchanee's intention for Baan Dam to be known as a 'hell temple', it is kind of hard to argue against the notion, given the nature of the 'art'. The prominent theme of black coloring on most of the buildings also lends weight to this, however we recently learnt that black was simply Duchanee's favorite color.
Ultimately, this is art and art is expressive and impactful in many ways. The controversy surrounding it only adds to its allure and one could argue that no art is good art unless it provokes something. Would you agree? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Just to change the tone slightly, how cute is this! This momma hen and her brood treated us to the sweetest of shows right outside the entrance to Baan Dam. Maybe you might catch them when you visit!
Uncover the enchanting beauty of Thailand's White Temple in Chiang Rai. Our guide has all you need to know about this VERY special place.
History and facts about Baan Dam Museum
Thai artist Thawan Duchanee began construction on Baan Dam in 1976, and it is thought that all of Duchanee’s work represents the human suffering due to desire and greed that the Buddha saw along his travels. There are many references to Buddhism, which lends weight to the claims that the house was not created to promote evil and Satanic impulses.
Baan Dam Museum has been constantly evolving over the past 40 years and Duchanee's vision was always for it to be a national cultural arts centre. With many of Thailand's Art Institutions offering scholarships to researchers here, alongside a growing number of visits from tourists and Thai's alike, it does indeed feel like his goals are now being realised.
All of the buildings are constructed of wood and were exclusively designed by Duchanee. There are some 40 structures in total covering an area of 160,000sqm. Construction on the main Cathedral began in 1999 and took 7 years to build. In addition to being a public museum, the Cathedral is also used as a place for drawing and recalling Buddhist doctrine.
The Tri Phum 'Triangle House' is actually the oldest structure on the site, with work starting in 1976. It was destroyed 3 times by storms and took over 7 years of construction and restoration to be completed.
Thawan Duchanee was awarded the prestigious prize of National Thai Artist in Fine Art and Visual Art in 2001 by the Office of the National Culture Commission of Thailand. He sadly passed away in 2014 but his legacy remains here at Baan Dam. There is a shrine dedicated to him in the Cathedral.
Read on for more information on how to get there, temple visiting times and our Baan Dam Black House Museum rating.
Baan Dam Black House Museum visiting times
The Baan Dam Museum is open everyday from 9am to 5pm, excluding national holidays. The entrance fee is 80 baht per person and the ticket gains you access to the entire site.
How to get to the Black House Museum in Chiang Rai
The museum is 6 miles north (a 30 minute drive) of Chiang Rai. You are able to take private tours to Baan Dam, although should you wish to make your own way here private cars, taxis and public buses are all options. There is a fairly large car park that is free to use just around the corner from the main entrance.
Alternatively, you could use a songthaew, which you can are able to catch at the old bus terminal in the centre of Chiang Rai.
Address: 333 Nang Lae, อำเภอเมือง Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
Phone: +66 53 776 333
Email: info@thawan-duchanee.com
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm daily
Website: thawan-duchanee.com
This temple is a stunning sight to behold, with its bright blue color and intricate details. One of the finest temples we have seen to date!
Our Baan Dam Black House Museum experience rating
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Overall we have mixed emotions about Baan Dam. We respect art in all forms but the expressive and dark nature of some of the installations left us feeling a little uneasy. Unlike most museums, there was not much information pertaining to the exhibits and we may have understood it all a little more had there been. If we hadn't looked online prior it would have been hard for us to understand the outbuildings and their purpose.
We would recommend visiting but would probably advise against bringing children! Baan Dam is indeed a unique piece of Thailand and we would love to hear your thoughts if you do check it out.
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