weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

WAT RONG KHUN, better known as “the WHITE TEMPLE” is one of the most recognizable temples in Thailand. The temple, located at the southern periphery of Chiang Rai, attracts a large number of visitors, both Thai and foreign, making it one of Chiang Rai’s most visited attractions.

Wat Rong Khun is a unique temple that stands out through the use of white color and pieces of glass in the plaster, sparkling in the sun. The white color signifies the purity of Buddha, while the glass symbolizes Buddha’s wisdom and the Buddhist teachings. Towards the end of the 20th century, the original Wat Rong Khun was in a very poor state of preservation. Restoration work on the temple started, but had to be halted due to a lack of funds. Chalermchai Kositpipat, a famous Thai visual artist born in Chiang Rai, decided to completely rebuild the temple and fund the project with his own money. The artist built the temple to be a center of learning and meditation and for people to gain benefit from the Buddhist teachings. To date the temple is not finished. Eventually there will be nine buildings including an ubosot, a hall to enshrine Buddhist relics, a meditation hall, the monks living quarters and an art gallery.

On May 5 2014, roughly 6 months after our visit, a strong earthquake hit Chiang Rai. Although the white temple was badly damaged, Chalermchai Kositpipat decided, after initial hesitation, to restore and further expand the temple.

In my first post today, I present the classical images of this "white temple" - leaving the more unorthodox aspects for my second post tomorrow.


Notes
TRIP INFO: Set # 1 provides a brief introduction to THIS SERIES on SOUTH & EAST ASIA. See it at
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-724330-1.html

THAILAND COUNTRY INFO in set # 143: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-755664-1.html

EARLIER POSTS of this series: Access my topic list at UHH, the new posts are listed in reverse chronological order:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/user-topic-list?usernum=45105

Thanks for visiting, for improved clarity please view the downloads. I look forward to your comments and questions.

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1 - My album title shot for Chiang Rai, with the contemporary, unconventional Wat Rong Khun temple, rebuilt in 1997

(Download)

2 - Corner/front view of the famous all-white main temple, which is reached via a bridge spanning a pond, which here provides some elements of reflections superimposed on the large number of giant Koi thronging in the water.

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3 - The silvery/white temple is rendered in this image slightly off-white by the late afternoon sun and contrasts sharply with the bare dark limbs of the tree

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4 - Closer take of the upper part of the main temple structure

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5 - Detail of the dragons decorating the sloping roof line

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6 - Portray shot of one of the many statues incorporated into the design of the temple and its grounds

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7 - A tiny Buddha statue presented in a fanciful setting akin to a monstrance (in the Roman Catholic Church)

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8 - The rear part of the grounds and Koi-populated pond, with a white bridge leading to another, more simple white temple at right

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9 - Small white temple at the end of the bridge, set in a green lawn and separated by a fence made of pointed posts

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10 - Once more an image of the entrance area with the Ubosot bridge acquiring a touch of gold by the late afternoon sun

(Download)

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

For your reference:

11 - Trip map of the Thailand segment of our tour, Chiang Rai is located at the very top of the map

(Download)

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Excellent series, Joe, the architecture is simply awesome.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Wow! Amazing ornate detail work!

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Way too ornate for my tastes, but can appreciate the level of artistry. Great photos, Joe.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Great set, Joe. I love their architecture.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Earnest for appreciating this very unusual architecture.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Bill, sort of crazy ornate, but beautiful in its own way - that's the way I show it today - tomorrow it gets weird!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Barbara, I don't recall ever having seen anything as one-dimensionally ornate (white, white and more white) as this temple, but tomorrow's follow-up will bring out the really weird side of this temple.

angler Loc: StHelens England

Superb set Joe

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks you Ken, definitely something different, making this temple stand apart from most other edifices I have ever visited.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Jim for visiting this temple with me!

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

A gorgeous change of pace, Joe!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Mike, glad you like this set with that unusual temple, which has a very split-personality, something like the beauty and the beast - today we saw the beauty, tomorrow I will present some more beauty but also some beastly aspects.

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio