Chiang Rai | Thailand

White Temple Wat Rong Khun Chiang Rai

Thailand Tour 2013

Chiang Rai | Thailand

14 Nov 2013 | Thu

Day 29 of 43

  • Pha Soet Hot Springs Chiang Rai
  • White Temple Wat Rong Khun Chiang Rai
  • Karen Long Neck Village Chiang Rai
  • Mae Sai Thailand Myanmar Border
  • Golden Triangle Park Sop Ruak
  • Donsao Village Laos Along Mekong River

White Temple Wat Rong Khun Chiang Rai

Completed in 1997 by Chalermchai Kositpipat, the White Temple Wat Rong Khun Chiang Rai is a beautiful, if unconventional, Buddhist temple just outside of Chiang Rai city in Thailand.

White Temple Wat Rong Khun Chiang Rai

Chalermchai was deeply inspired by Buddhist and Hindu mythology, as well as Western films and pop culture when designing the temple. As a result, the temple features traditional Buddhist imagery mixed with more modern elements like Spiderman, Harry Potter, and Michael Jackson.

Wat Rong Khun (Thai: วัดร่องขุ่น), better known as the White Temple, is a privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Pa O Don Chai, Mueang District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.

By the end of the 20th century, the original Wat Rong Khun was in a bad state of repair. Funds were not available for renovation. Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist from Chiang Rai, decided to completely rebuild the temple and fund the project with his own money. To date, Chalermchai has spent THB 1,080 million on the project. The artist intends for the area adjacent to the temple to be a center of learning and meditation and for people to gain benefit from the Buddhist teachings. Kositpipat considers the temple to be an offering to Lord Buddha and believes the project will give him immortal life. Today the works are ongoing, but are not expected to be completed until 2070.

– Wikipedia Wat Rong Khun

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