Today we're going to visit the famous White Temple, also known as Wat Rong Khun, located 15 km from Chiang Rai, Thailand. I'm going to tell you how to get to one of the strangest and most extravagant temples we'll find in the country.
If you're going to see one thing during your visit to Thailand, it's going to be temples...and plenty of them, to suit all tastes. They range from large to small, colorful to sober, ancient to modern, with giant Buddhas to tiny ones.
There are all kinds, and after seeing a few, they'll probably start to seem quite similar. The surprise effect fades, and each visit begins to feel the same as the last.
But if they go to the north of Thailand, more precisely through the province of Chiang Rai, they are going to meet the GREAT EXCEPTION, the White Temple or better called Wat Rong Khun.
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How to get to the White Temple Wat Rong Khun
In my case, I visited it in passing when I was traveling from Chiang Mai to the Lao border to make the crossing in slow boat on the Mekong River (I mentioned this in another article)The van that transported me included a 1-hour break at the Temple, and it was a perfect fit.
There are excursions to the White Temple from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, but if you want to go on your own, you can go:
- From Chiang Mai There are buses that leave from Chiang Mai Arcade Station and take at least 3 hours to arrive.
- From Chiang Rai There are buses that leave from the terminal, next to the night bazaar. The cost can be as high as 20 baht per person. There are also taxis and tuk-tuk options, which can be convenient if there are several of you.
The White Temple is open from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The entrance fee is 50 baht (previously free).
White Temple or Wat Rong Khun
When you see the architecture of the White Temple, it'll blow your mind. You'll think you're in some fantasy or horror story.
The temple is located on the outskirts of Chiang Rai, in an area where other equally striking annexes are still being built, which will make this place an emblematic point of Thailand.
To enter the temple, we have to cross a bridge with a multitude of hands emerging from the depths, seemingly asking for help or wanting to take us with them. Some of them hold skulls or vases (quite eerie).
If we manage to survive :O, we will face 2 Warriors (or demons?) guarding the main entrance.
And if we finally pass the custody, it means that we have reached enlightenment!!!. I couldn't reach it (it seems that I wasn't ready yet o_O), but other enlightened people have told me that in the interior of the temple, there are walls painted with quite strange images, such as Neo from Matrix, Harry Potter and Terminator…what the fuck.
It's clearly not just another Buddhist temple. It has a disruptive design, completely atypical for these places. I doubt you'll ever see another temple with these characteristics (unless you visit the house of the Cancer Knight from the Saint Seyia series :D).
Understanding a little about the design and history of the White Temple
Based on the information in the WikipediaWat Rong Khun was redesigned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, an artist born in Chiang Rai, with the intention of revitalizing the temple (which had already existed for years), mixing traditional culture with modern influences.
The complex is not only made up of the main Temple, but in a few years they will be adding other annexes around it (this place is going to become a Disney Park if it continues like this :D).
The white color of its entire structure signifies the purity and enlightenment of Buddha.
I copy the following extract that details each part of the complex:
The “Cycle of Rebirth” Bridge: The main building in the White Temple, the Ubosot, is reached by crossing a bridge over a small lake. In front of the bridge are hundreds of hands, symbolizing unbridled desire. The bridge proclaims that the path to happiness is through temptation, greed, and desire. Beside the lake are two very elegant Kinnaree, half-human, half-bird creatures from Buddhist mythology.
Heaven's Gate: After crossing the bridge, the visitor reaches the "Heaven's Gate," guarded by two creatures representing death and Rahu, who decides the fate of the dead. In front of the Ubosot are several meditative images of Buddha.
Ubosot: The main building, the Ubosot, is a completely white building with fragments of mirrored glass embedded in the exterior. The Ubosot incorporates design elements from classical Thai architecture, such as the three-tiered roof and the abundant use of Naga serpents.
“Inside the temple, the decor moves quickly from pristine white to fiery and unnerving. Murals depict swirling orange flames and demonic faces, interspersed with Western icons such as Michael Jackson, Neo from The Matrix, Freddy Krueger, and a T-800 Terminator. Imagery of nuclear war, terrorist attacks—such as the attack on the World Trade Center—and oil bombs emphasizes the destructive impact humans have had on Earth. The presence of Harry Potter, Superman, and Hello Kitty muddles the message somewhat, but overall the moral is clear: people are evil.”
Reflexiones sobre la visita al Templo Blanco de Wat Rong
If you are in Chiang Mai, or better yet Chiang Rai, you have to pay a visit to the magical white temple.
Although it is far from Chiang Mai (almost 3 hours by car), you can take advantage of the day and visit it as well. The Black HouseIt's a museum of 40 huts of various sizes and shapes that recall Thailand's past, but from a modern perspective.
I didn't visit it because, as I told you before, I was only there for an hour, but otherwise, it would have been a good plan.
Without further ado, I say goodbye until the next story.
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