Sino-Thai Artistic Integration – Designing a Shrine for the Buddha's Tooth

At the end of 2024, the Buddha's tooth relic housed at Beijing's Lingguang Temple was sent to Bangkok, in a symbolic gesture marking the 50th anniversary of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations. A key part of the planning ahead of the journey was the preparation of the pavilion in the Thai capital where the priceless relic would be enshrined. The team of architects tasked with the job decided to base their design on "civilizational dialogue". To this end, they referenced the many Chinese elements, such as glazed tiles, that have been incorporated into Thai architecture over the centuries. Most notably, the final design of the pavilion’s eaves brought together a coiled Chinese dragon and a mythical Thai naga.