The Mysterious Black House of Chiang Rai

When my friend and I were in Chiang Rai, we first visited the White Temple and were advised by our private tour guide to visit the Black House to get the “heaven and hell experience,” as she puts it.

We were well aware of the mystical appearance of the White Temple from dozens of photos we saw online but had absolutely no expectations as we pulled up to the Black House, also known as Baan Dam. The first thing you notice is this large temple-like wooden structure in a rustic green setting. But it wasn’t a temple, it’s a huge wooden building with long tables covered with animal skins and chairs made of animal bones. It felt like we stumbled onto a Game of Thrones set. The vibe was dark, mysterious and animalistic all at the same time.

The Black House is the brainchild and almost 40-year project of an internationally-renowned Chiang Rai artist named Thawan Duchanee who sadly passed away in 2014 at the age of 74. I read that he lived across the way from the Black House and would often pop by to work on his art. After checking out the largest structure, we went to the back and found even more structures and monuments (around 40 in total) in a very natural setting. Most of them are traditional buildings but there are random modern structures with unique designs scattered about too. Unlike the White Temple, the Black House isn’t considered a place of worship even though some of the structures resemble temples.

The compound is built in a cleared jungle so you don’t see parking lots, office buildings or paved roads. When you’re in the Black House, you really feel like you’re in another world! A mystical, dark underworld far away from civilization. There’s a “western-style” cafe right by the entrance of the Black House so if you get hungry, they have sandwiches, noodles and coffee there. There are also a few street vendors selling fresh mango and other snacks across from the gift shop. Other than that, the Black House is quite isolated from other businesses.

You can’t go into some of the buildings but you can peep through the windows to see even more artwork and animal skin and bones. Duchanee has an extensive collection of taxidermy and bones, and they are artfully displayed in or around the various structures. We had originally thought that perhaps the artist was also a hunter, but then I read that he collected bones and skin from animals that died from natural causes. You’ll see an entire skeleton of an elephant, reptile skins, bear skins and so many skulls! In a juxtaposition of the heaven portrayed by the White Temple, Duchanee’s Black House portrays his artful idea of hell. A beautiful hell indeed.

Something else also stood out in this fascinating place. There were so many phallic symbols everywhere! They were in wood carvings on the walls and doorways, and also on wooden sculptures. In fact, you can buy some of these sculptures at the gift shop. It was a decidedly masculine atmosphere with the hunter’s lodge/Game of Thrones vibe and all the phallic symbols scattered everywhere.

The White Temple and the Black House are both incredibly unique structures that shouldn’t be missed if you’re traveling to Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai. Heaven and hell are both gorgeous works of art!

Information:

333 Moo 13 Nang-Lae, Muang, Chiang Rai, 57100 Thailand.

Tel/Fax : (66) 53 – 776 – 333 Mobile: (66) 83 – 336 – 5333

info@thawan-duchanee.com

Opening hours: 9 am to 12 pm, and 1 pm to 5 pm every day.

Admission: Free.

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