Where is the White Temple in Thailand and why is it so popular?

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Thailand is a paradise on our planet, annually attracting millions of people from all over the globe. The abundance of historical monuments, ancient ruins, Buddhist pagodas. Thanks to all this, Thailand is so winning the love of travelers. The White Temple does a great deal to arouse this admiration. It is so beautiful and amazing that many people come here to see it in the first place.

White Temple Location

Seeing this wonderful human creation in the photo, any person more or less familiar with this country will be able to unmistakably say that this is Thailand, the White Temple. Where exactly this majestic and unusual building is located - not everyone can answer, because, despite its obvious popularity, the temple is still located away from the most "promoted" resorts in Thailand - such as Pattaya or Phuket.

And this temple is located in the north, in a small city called Chiang Rai (not to be confused with the city of Chiang Mai, which is also located in the north and is the cultural capital of Thailand). Wat Rong Kun - that's rightcalled the White Temple in Thailand - is not the only, but the most important recognizable landmark of the city. At the same time, it is so recognizable that it is known even more than Chiang Rai itself.

The real name of the temple and the history of construction

Wat Rong Kun was designed by renowned artist and architect Chalermchai Kositpipat. Seemingly an ordinary person, Mr. Kositpipat is a well-known and we althy person. Confirmation of the latter is the fact that the White Temple in Thailand was built exclusively with his money. In addition, it is being built to this day - the entire process of construction has been going on for almost two decades. Construction of Wat Rong Kun began in 1997.

It is known that the father-creator of this most beautiful temple fundamentally does not accept any financial assistance from sponsors. According to the architect himself, he deliberately refuses money for construction, so that no one can dictate to him the conditions for the construction of the temple of his dreams. This is not surprising, given that the artist is sometimes seen painting temple walls on his own.

May 2014 earthquake

In May 2014, an earthquake hit the city of Chiang Rai. The White Temple in Thailand is destroyed. It was after this sad event that the famous architect nevertheless agreed to accept help for the reconstruction of the destroyed complex, but not from patrons, but from ordinary parishioners who were determined to help restore the shrine. Note that initially it was announced that it was impossible to reconstruct the White Templein Thailand. However, inspired by the support of fellow citizens, Chalermchai Kositpipat nevertheless decided to repair it and bring it back to its original state.

The Beauty of the White Temple

The first word that comes to mind when you see this temple is "splendor". Indeed, this building is striking in its beauty and elegance of forms. Skillful carvings, amazing patterns - all this is surprisingly harmoniously intertwined in the image of Wat Rong Kun, which is not only the White Temple, but a whole temple complex full of bizarre and symbolic statues, frescoes, sculptures of mythological creatures.

The White Temple can probably be called, if not the most unusual, then one of the most unusual Buddhist places of worship for sure. If in the rest of Thailand, as well as in neighboring states, all wats - Buddhist temples - are built in a completely different style and cast in gold and warm colors, then Wat Rong Kun is out of their range. Evidence of this is the dazzling whiteness of everything around - almost everything on the territory of the complex is made of alabaster and painted marshmallow-white. In addition, the surface of the buildings on the grounds of Wat Rong Kun is inlaid with mirrored mosaics that reflect the light and make the temple even more radiant.

It is worth noting that on the territory of the complex you will not find the same figures - they are all unique, and each of them symbolizes something. Together, they allow visitors to immerse themselves in the history of the country and Thaimythology. So, while walking around the temple, you will walk along the "road of enlightenment", meet the guards of Hell and Paradise, see many amazing and even funny sculptures.

The White Temple itself in Thailand, unfortunately for some, cannot be photographed from the inside, since inside it there is a complete ban on any shooting. So the image of the Buddha on the wall and two of his statues can only be seen firsthand.

All white?

By the way, you can still find one non-white building in Wat Rong Kun. This building is a golden … toilet. Yes Yes exactly. Perhaps this luxurious dressing room is one of the most beautiful in the whole kingdom. And all guests of the temple complex, without exception, can use it. At the same time, it cannot be said at all that the golden toilet is out of the ordinary - it is so unusual and beautiful, however, like everything else in the White Temple.

And a little side note. Speaking of visitors, it is impossible not to mention that there are a lot of them in Wat Rong Kun, no less than in similar popular places, for example, in Bangkok. Therefore, we recommend that you arrive there early in the morning or late in the evening if you want to have fewer people next to you.

How to get there

It is best to see live the famous white temple in Thailand. Photos - even the highest quality and professional ones - will not be able to convey even a fraction of all the admiration that Wat Rong Kun will cause you. Especially getting to it from Chiang Raiquite simply. It is located 15 kilometers from the city of Chiang Rai, and you can get there by bus, paying a symbolic 20 baht.

And you can get to Chiang Rai from Bangkok, the capital of Thailand - such large low-cost airlines (budget airlines) as Air Asia or Nok Air offer a very inexpensive flight to this city. For example, a round-trip ticket can cost you only one hundred dollars. And according to the promotions that are regularly held by these carriers, the cost of the flight can be even less.