Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) located in the northern Thailand Province of Chiang Rai is definitely something to marvel at.
The inspiration behind Wat Rong Khun, or the White Temple is Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist from Chiang Rai, who with his own money has completely rebuild the original temple which was in a state of disrepair.
Chalermchai Kositpipat has spent approximately THB40 million of his own money on Rong Khun.
Kositpipat considers the temple to be an offering to Buddha and believes the project will give him immortal life.
The developmental works are ongoing, with the final completion to be in 2070.
Admission to the Rong Khun compound is free. Upon entering the grounds, the first overwhelming details you are confronted with is the bridge of “the cycle of birth”.
The main temple is reached by crossing the bridge over a small lake, with hundreds of outreaching demon hands screaming out from purgatory.
Next to the lake stands Kinnaree, the half human half bird creatures from Buddhist mythology. Moving through the temple grounds, the often surreal vision’s Kositpipat displays of Buddhist teachings is exceptional.
Included also are sculptures and paintings of Superheroes, movie stars and cartoons, making their entrance into temple murals sometimes confusing.
As strange as it may sound, make sure you go to the toilet while in the grounds. Nothing has been missed from elaborate decoration, even the Golden Toilet.
Have a look at the golden toilet. Chalermchai specifically chose gold for the restroom to indicate worldliness.
This extremely opulent building, hailed as the most luxurious toilet in the kingdom is a comment on how people worship worldly desires.
The grounds also include their own crematorium, art gallery dedicated to the evolution of art by Chalermchai, as well a workshop where you can see the many sculptures come to life by the dedicated Buddhist artists.
The best time to visit the wat is later in the afternoon, thus avoiding the tour bus crowds and then being able to take magnificent photos of this masterpiece without a million folk around.
Exiting the wat, there is a gift shop, where you can purchase prints from the artist, or stamp yourself a free postcard to take home.