Description
Wat Saphan Kham (วัดสะพานคำ) was established in 1850 in downtown Sakon Nakhon. The name of the temple translates to "Temple of the Word Bridge". That is, it is a Buddhist temple which serves as a bridge to the words and wisdom of the Buddha. This city temple is notable for its old Ubosot (Ordination Hall), which was built by artisans from the Vietnamese School of Art.
Sakon Nakhon province has a large Vietnamese community in the village of Ban Tha Rae, which is famous for its Thailand Christmas celebrations. Ban Tha Rae is the largest Catholic community in Thailand, but they have integrated well with their Buddhist neighbors in Sakon Nakhon, in part by helping to build structures like the Ubosot at Wat Saphan Kham and the 3 story drum tower at Wat Phra That Choeng Chum.
The Ubosot at Wat Saphan Kham is built in the folk art style of Northeastern Thailand, and includes a classic arch design. You can also see the folk art aspect in the rough style of the Naga serpent that stands guard outside the building.
The Saphan Kham temple also features the first modern crematorium built in Sakon Nakhon province. This crematorium was built under the patronage of the Army in 1969, and was used as the crematorium for soldiers who died fighting local communist insurgents. Sakon Nakhon (along with the neighboring provinces of Kalasin and Nakhon Phanom) were home to communist rebels during the 1960s and '70s, many of which fled into the jungles of the Phu Phan Mountains.
