Wat Khanon, Buddhist temple in Soi Fa, Thailand.
Wat Khanon is a Buddhist temple housing a collection of carved leather puppets for traditional Thai shadow plays, preserved within a former prayer hall. The collection comprises over 300 individual puppet pieces created in different sizes and styles.
The temple was founded during King Chulalongkorn's reign when Prevost Sattha Soonthorn initiated the project to develop the site. The original goal was to create larger and more sophisticated leather puppets for shadow play performances.
The temple is known for producing and preserving leather puppets used in traditional Thai shadow play performances. Visitors can observe how artisans continue this craft tradition within the temple grounds.
The temple can be reached via Highway 4 heading toward Ratchaburi Province or by air-conditioned bus from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal. Visitors should check ahead about opening hours and access conditions on the day of their visit.
The temple houses the only active group of performers dedicated entirely to traditional shadow play presentations. Some of the leather puppets are over 100 years old and display handcrafted details of remarkable fineness.
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