Cover picture: White Temple
Overview of the temple complex
The first glimpse of the white fascination in an extremely well-tended garden
The buildings are surrounded by jasmine bushes and artificial water
An artistic white passage leads across the courtyard
Thousands of small heart-shaped talismans hang from the ceiling
View of the impressive White Temple! Its face is reflected in a pond
The closer we get, the more impressive it becomes
It goes over the famous "Bridge of Hell" ...
... past hundreds of hands greedily reaching for us
View of the magnificent Ubosot (main hall of the White Temple)
The entire temple is a single work of art
The ornate white scrollwork and decorations are unique in Thailand! There is something to discover everywhere and on every corner
The seated Buddha figure symbolizes gratitude and humility
View of the Bridge of Hell, which falsely looks like paradise
all the detailed decorations must have taken years or decades
these fascinating roof decorations are called "Chofah" in Thailand
Close-up of wonderful architecture
Each of the tips is elaborately designed with silver and white dragons
When the sun shines, the entire façade of the White Temple glistens!
The entire complex is very well maintained and invites you to go for a walk
quirky works of art appear everywhere, such as this double washbasin
This temple, made entirely of gold - is actually a toilet house 🙂
There is a white pavilion in the courtyard, which is actually a wishing well - visitors can throw coins into it or buy talismans
This golden building houses the „Ganesha Museum“ with other works by the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat
Hidden in here is the "Cave of Art", an artistic stalactite cave
The paths through the cave are impressive and scary at the same time
This picture fascinated us: a Buddha surrounded by hanging stalactites, illuminated in blue-golden light
We hope with these pictures we were able to give you some of the fascination we felt on site!
Costs
100 THB p.p.
(≈ 2.63 EUR)
Opening hours
Daily 08:00 - 17:00
White Temple
The Wat Rong Kungbetter known as White Templeis a magnificent work of art combining traditional Thai architecture with a white façade and hundreds of thousands of mirror ornaments that glitter in the sunlight and symbolize the Wisdom of Buddha reflect. This light show is truly unique in the whole of Thailand. With over one million visitors a year, the White Temple is one of northern Thailand's most famous landmarks and a must-see attraction in Chiang Rai!
Throughout the country, the temple is a symbol of modern architecture and creative freedom. It was opened in 1997 as Art project by the Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat into being. Initially financed with personal funds, this work developed into a lifelong building project, which is now financed entirely by donations. Despite the involvement of many other volunteers (including artists, architects and construction workers), just 20 percent of the planned building has been completed. It is estimated that the temple will not be finally completed for another 45 years, i.e. in 2070.
The snow-white façade of the White Temple stands for Purity and the Wisdom of Buddha. Architecturally, the architecture is truly unique and only partially resembles the classical Buddhist temples in Thailand (e.g. through the pointed roof decorations, called Chofah). Amidst these classical elements, modern art elements from today's pop culture can be found inside the White Temple, including motifs from Batman, Matrix or Star Wars - sporadically embedded between traditional murals.
In addition to its glittering appearance, the highlight of the temple is an ornate bridge: the so-called Passage over the hell area. It goes past hundreds of outstretched hands that reach out to the visitors, holding the deadly sins in their hands. Greed and desire symbolize. At first glance, this sight seems totally bizarre and frightening, but in a figurative sense it conveys the quintessence of Buddhist teaching: the bridge symbolizes the path of suffering past everything that binds the mind and causes suffering and ultimately leads to redemption in the sacred Ubosot (temple hall). In Buddhism, these phases are called Samsara (cycle of suffering) and Nirvana (finite state of enlightenment). So whoever crosses the bridge symbolically leaves all the evil on earth behind to enter a place of inner peace and wisdom - what a deep, meaningful message!
The grounds of the White Temple are very extensive and include many other buildings and works of art, such as a complete Gold-plated toilet cubiclea Museum with further works by the artist, several smaller Shrines and lovingly maintained Gardens. For all this, the entrance fee of 100 baht per person is absolutely justified. If you like, you can also contribute to the construction.
Another attraction is the Cave of Artan ornate stalactite cave at the north entrance to the temple. Admission costs 50 baht per person and is not included in the temple price. The walk through the cave leads past surreal figures, numerous Buddha statues, real stalactites and a colorful underwater world - all supported by light staging and an immersive atmosphere. Even if the cave seems a little eerie at first, it is well worth a visit as the works of art are really very harmonious and well thought out.
Tip:: If you stay overnight in Chiang Mai, you can enjoy a favorable day trip to Chiang Raiª, which also includes a visit to the White Temple.
Places of interest in the vicinity
Map
More Chiang Rai highlights
Blue Temple
The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten) is one of the most visited temples in northern Thailand. Its unique design with a bright blue exterior façade and golden decorations attracts over a million visitors every year. In Thai culture, the colors stand for purity, wisdom and the divine. The murals inside also shine in magnificent shades of blue and purple. The highlight of the Blue Temple is the large seated Buddha in the main temple hall (Viharn), whose posture symbolizes the moment of enlightenment, inner peace and harmony.
Black House
The Baan Dam Museum, better known as the Black House, is another art project in the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai. Contrary to expectations, this is not just a single house, but a huge complex with more than 40 individual buildings and some very bizarre exhibits. The exterior façade of the houses is uniformly kept in a dark color scheme (predominantly black and dark brown), which gave rise to the nickname "Black House".
Choui Fong tea plantation
The Choui Fong tea plantation is located in the north of Thailand, just under an hour's drive from Chiang Rai. This picture-book location is a popular excursion destination for all nature and tea lovers and should not be missed on any tour of northern Thailand! Due to the altitude, the fields in the north are ideal for growing various types of tea such as green and black tea. With a cultivation area of over 1,000 rai (= 1.6 square kilometers), the Choui Fong plantation is one of the largest tea producers in the whole of Thailand.
Wat Huay Pla Kang
Mistakenly known as the „Big Buddha of Chiang Rai“, Wat Huay Pla Kang embodies a giant statue of Guan Yin - the Chinese goddess of mercy; and is therefore not an image of Buddha. Behind the walk-in statue is a unique building concept of a temple that combines spirituality, purity and aesthetics. The temple is located about 8 kilometers outside the city center in a rural area. The respected monk Phra Ajarn Phob Chok had the impressive building erected on a hill in 2005. The 69-metre statue of Guan Yin (in Thai: „Chao Mae Kuan Im“) is easily recognizable in many places in and around Chiang Rai.
