Baan Dam Museum

Baan Dam Museum, also known as the Black House Museum, is an open-air art museum in Nang Lae, Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. Created by National Artist Thawan Duchanee, it comprises more than 40 distinctive black wooden buildings set in gardens and rice fields. The complex displays his paintings, sculptures, woodcarvings, and collections of animal remains and tribal artifacts, forming a dark, earthly counterpart to Chiang Rai's White Temple.

Visitors can explore a sprawling compound of over 40 black-painted wooden structures of varied Lanna, Lanchang and contemporary designs set among gardens and open lawns. The main group centers on a large temple-like hall housing paintings, sculptures, animal skins, horns, bones and wood furniture collected by Thawan Duchanee. Other pavilions display tribal art, ceramics and installations. Paths connect the buildings, allowing self-guided walking and photography of the architecture and art collections.

Conceived in 1975 by Thawan Duchanee (1939-2014), National Artist of Thailand in Visual Arts, as his residence, studio and art repository. Developed over nearly four decades, the complex blends traditional Lanna, Lanchang and Suvarnabhumi architectural forms to house his lifetime of paintings, sculptures and collected artifacts.

Represents contemporary Thai art rooted in Buddhist philosophy, northern Thai craftsmanship and tribal culture. Often interpreted as the earthly and mortality-themed counterpart to Chalermchai Kositpipat's White Temple, it explores themes of life, death and nature through symbolic use of dark tones, wood and animal motifs.