White Temple

THAILAND, Chiang Rai

The official name of this temple is Wat Rong Khun. It was designed and constructed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, one of Thailand’s most renowned artists and a devout Buddhist. He has dedicated most of his life to Buddhist art. The construction of the temple started in 1997, and it was damaged during an earthquake in 2014.
The temple compound has an area of 1.2 ha. The main structures include the ordination hall, pagoda, lecture hall, art gallery, a moat, and a bridge. In addition, there is building containing restrooms ornately decorated in gold.
A bridge across a moat provides access to the ordination hall. The bridge of “the cycle of rebirth” leads metaphorically from the mundane world to a liberated state on the other shore. The path leading to the ordination building is lined by an area containing outstretched arms that symbolize desire and suffering. The ordination hall is the main building of the temple. It is build in traditional Thai style with a triple-tier roof and garudas on the ridge ends; the major differences are the white exterior and the elaborate bargeboards. The pagoda at the back of the ordination hall has porticos on all four sides with each side containing six tiers of eaves. The lecture hall, art gallery, and the golden restrooms are located across from the ordination hall on the other side of the moat.
The most striking feature of this temple is its brilliant whiteness, which symbolizes purity. The temple consists of a fusion of modernistic architectural features and traditional Thai Buddhist architecture, resulting in a unique design. Contemporary depictions of good and evil are artfully expressed through a Buddhist narrative. Numerous pieces of glass are embedded in the plaster of the buildings, which gives them a glittering finish.