Wat Rong Khun, also known as “White Temple”, is an art exhibit designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat located in the Chiang Rai Province of Thailand. The building is a buddhist temple constructed by Charlermchai as an offering to Lord Buddha in order to gain immortal life. Unlike a Thai buddhist temple, White Temple is far from being conventional. For instance, instead of being orange like most buddhist temples, the structure is entirely white, reflecting the purity of Buddha. Embedded in the structure are mirrors, metaphoric for Buddha’s wisdom shining across the world.
In this art exhibit, Chalermchai mixes surrealism with traditional Thai religious myths. Chalermchai creates a world of fantasy that reflects his interpretation of a journey that a person must go through in order to achieve a state of nirvana. The building is constructed into four main components: the bridge of “the cycle of rebirth”, Gate of Heaven, Ubosot, and the golden building.
Before entering the Ubosot (the main temple), you must first cross the bridge guarded by two sword-dwelling demons. On both sides of the bridge are hands reaching up to sky. This is suppose to symbolize one’s journey to happiness by surpassing the temptations of greed and desire.
Once you’ve crossed the bridge, you will arrive at the Gate of Heaven, which is guarded by two creatures that represent Death and Rahu. These two creatures determine one’s fate.
The most important building, Ubosot, or the ordination hall, is home to holy practices. Inside the building are colorful morals that displays modern representations of good an evil, such as Superman, Batman, a comicbook villans.
The golden building houses the restrooms and represents the body while the temple represents the mind.
Tips on traveling to Wat Rong Khun:
— The temple is open year round, 8:00am-6:00pm.
— The temple closes around noon for one hour. That time frame is great for taking amazing photos because the temple is clear of tourists.
— Be sure that you’re appropriately covered. Because this is a religious sanctuary, bare shoulders and exposed legs are not allow. Docents will turn you away.
— Admission is free 🙂
— Take off your shoes when entering the temple.
— Because the grounds get busy, docents are constantly trying to manuver traffic. So snap pics and observe quickly!
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