White Temple Wat Rog Khun.

In Thailand there is a unique architectural object – the White Temple Wat Rong Khun in the city of Chiang Rai , created in the 20th century. Looking at this building, for some reason it is hard to believe that the construction is not a monument of ancient architecture, but belongs to our modern era.

Religious buildings have always been built according to strict canons. However, modern times have made their own adjustments here too.

Many Buddhist wats in Thailand have centuries-old histories. The White Temple is an exception. Its construction began only in 1997.

The author of the project is the architect Chalermchai Kositpipat . He also financed the construction of the temple. Kositpipat considers the White Temple his offering to Buddha. The architect refuses any other financing from private individuals and the state, as he does not want any interference in his project from anyone.

Wat Rog Khun is an example of absolute freedom in the choice of artistic means. It is a surprising combination of Thai architectural traditions, Buddhist canons and modern surrealism. The picturesqueness of the images, silhouettes and forms of the monastery is beyond doubt. All the elements seem to have come from an artist’s painting.

According to the architect’s plan, the complex consists of nine buildings. Three of them have been built so far - the main White Temple , the art gallery and the golden palace.

The walls of the temple are made of sculpted concrete, painted white and inlaid with mirror mosaics. White is the color of Buddha’s purity.

You can enter the White Temple by crossing a bridge symbolizing the path from earthly life to eternity. At the beginning of the bridge there is a sculpture of the mythological character of the spirit Rahu with large fangs raised to the sky. According to Buddhist beliefs, he swallows the heavenly bodies during eclipses. From under the bridge, many hands of sinners reach out to the visitors of the temple. The garden adjacent to Wat Rong Khun is full of various sculptures.

The interior of the temple is painted by the artist himself. The frescoes are made in the original author’s style. Next to the Buddha and the demon Mara on the walls you can see landscapes of modern Bangkok, images of the September 11 tragedy and even characters from the films Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matrix.

Today, the White Temple is one of the most popular attractions in Thailand, where the flow of tourists never dries up.