The White Temple in Thailand are the main features of this unusual religious complex. White Temple in Chiang Rai - a fusion of art and religion Chiang Rai White Temple

The purpose of our first trip to Chiang Rai was the magnificent White Temple Thailand (Wat Rong Khun). It is located just a few kilometers from the city of Chiang Rai, we noticed it on the road when we were heading to. The white tops of the White temple (as Wat Rong Khun is called by foreigners) shimmering in the sun are visible directly from the highway. Then we came here again, traveling by car in the north.

When the entire snow-white, mirror-carved temple opens up to your gaze, you realize that you didn’t see anything from the road. This view is mesmerizing, and you get the feeling that you are in a fairy tale. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the Snow Queen's castle. Wat Rong Khun is beautiful, perhaps even too beautiful to be a temple. This is a real work of art. Oleg very aptly compared it to the Tretyakov Gallery. And although Thais come here to pray, it seemed to us that in terms of energy this place is largely inferior to the same dilapidated old wats in Chiang Saen.

Probably, this impression is due to the fact that, firstly, this place is relatively new (construction began in 1997 and, by the way, is still underway), and secondly, because it is very touristy. There were quite a lot of visitors, although they were somehow evenly distributed throughout the surrounding area and were not very often seen or captured in the frame.

At the entrance to the White Temple territory, there is a guard sitting and a sign hanging that due to indecent behavior (which we did not understand), foreign tourists are allowed only if accompanied by their guide. We hesitantly stomped around in front of the gate, and then finally decided to try our luck, they would stop us, they would stop us. But they passed calmly without being stopped by law enforcement officers.

A beautiful bridge leads to the entrance to Wat Rong Khun, symbolizing the road to enlightenment, the place where Buddha lives (in our opinion, simply Paradise). But before you get there, you need to overcome the human world (the small semicircle right in front of the bridge itself), and then go through Hell with the reaching hands of sinners (the large semicircle ending in fangs is the mouth of Rahu). It’s a pity that before the trip I didn’t read about all this on the Internet in advance; it would have been more interesting to wander around there, understanding what’s what.

And now, we are at the doors of Paradise of the Wat Rong Khun temple. We take off our shoes and go inside. And there... there is almost nothing. Only original painted walls and a seated figure of some saint, apparently a monk. I found on the Internet that he was embalmed, like our Lenin, others claim that it is just a doll. I don’t know what’s true and what’s not, but he looks quite alive, which makes it creepy. The same .

I was impressed by the original wall paintings. We, however, did not understand who made it. Either by the creator of the Chalemchai Kositpipat temple, or by several authors. Having pestered someone else's guide with questions, we learned that the drawn heroes of the Matrix, Avatar, Terminator, etc. are a symbol of the fact that people now mostly live in an illusory world invented by themselves, and not in reality, which is not good. Well, I’m generally silent about weapons, missiles, the twin towers and the events of September 11th.

And also, as we were told, the painting is constantly updated with various phenomena from our modern life (Avatar is proof of this), so to speak, keeps up with the times. This was done so that later it would be clear when exactly these paintings were created, such temporary milestones. One wall, by the way, is still completely empty. It’s interesting what will appear on it in about 50 years or so...

And a year ago Avatar wasn’t here...

By the way, photography inside the temple is prohibited. We learned the reason later, from one of the drivers who gave us a lift. The drawings on the wall are original works and for some reason their creator (creators?) do not want them to be distributed via the Internet.

Construction is still ongoing. This is evidenced not only by the white, but also bald, without frills, blank buildings, as we called them, standing behind the Wat Rong Khun temple, but also by the preparations of those same white-mirror beauties not far away under the canopy. It was interesting to study how it is all born and created. They say the complex will include nine of these amazing buildings. It will be interesting to come back here in 10 years, it will be a real fairy tale!

Throughout the territory there are various sculptures, no less amazing and original than the white temple of Wat Rong Khun itself. Each of these sculptures probably carries some kind of sacred meaning, but, unfortunately, we only understood that smoking and drinking are not good for dummies.

Glad that these reproaches and warnings did not apply to us, we set off to explore the amazing golden building-palace. I wondered for a long time what it could be. And from the fact that a man and a woman are depicted at the top almost kissing, I decided that this was some kind of semblance of our registry office. Naive, can you imagine how disappointed I was when I read the inscription that horrified me - Toilet?! Yes Yes! Golden toilet! It's mind boggling! But beautiful, like a fairy tale...

Well, having finally bought a magnet from this fascinating place, we also studied the Lost and Found display stands with the exhibits presented there - lost things. Do you know what they lose the most? Camera cases and caps! But what struck me most was the money sealed in bags with the signed amount! And there are many of them there.

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Visiting information

Entrance 50 baht. Children under 120 cm are free.

Open from 7 am to 5 pm. In the season (November-February) it is open until 6 pm. But since the territory is not very large, at any time of the day you can get quite close to the temple and do something beautiful photos. It is at night that the lights come on and the temple looks especially magical. Well, what I mean is that even if you drive by in the evening or at night, then take a look, it’s only 100 meters from the highway.

How to get there

The easiest way, of course, is by rented car. It allows enormous freedom to plan and move around the country. Otherwise, you can take a minibus from Chiang Rai from the old bus station (city center) for 20 baht. Or take a minibus or bus from Chiang Mai and ask them to drop you off on the highway opposite the temple.

Overnight

It’s convenient to spend the night in Chiang Rai so you don’t have to rush anywhere. You can see a little of the city itself, its central part and visit several attractions in the area, for example, the antagonist of Bely. An overnight stay is also convenient if you have a whole trip to the north of Thailand.

I once stayed at the cheap Baan Nukanong Guesthouse (), but it was very simple and not suitable for everyone. He fell in the first place he came across; there was no strength to look for him. I think it makes sense to look at something else and book in advance. The easiest way is to look for hotels on, there are all the discounts and the most complete database of hotels. Well, you’ll make further bookings either at Booking or at Agoda, whatever they offer.

Here are a couple of hotels that I have my eye on for my next trip: Sirin Place Boutique and Nice Inn Town Hotel and Apartments. Both in the center, with high rating, quite inexpensive. Nice Inn Town generally has very cool Deluxes and Superiors (with a kitchen). Prices in the north are, of course, very encouraging. Everything is 2 times cheaper than in the south at the resorts. Use it!

Where is the temple

The White Temple is located about 13 kilometers from the city of Chiang Rai, south towards Chiang Mai. Near the main highway that connects Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

Wat Rong Khun Temple is unconventional Buddhist temple, which is located in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. Among tourists it is better known as the “White Temple”, and really looking at it you can see that it was not for nothing that it was called that, it dazzles the eyes with its whiteness and brilliance.

The owner of this white temple, as well as its creator, is the famous Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. Construction of the temple began in 1997 and continues to this day. It is noteworthy that he is building the White Temple with his own money, which he collected for 20 years by selling his paintings. He does not take money from sponsors so that they do not influence his ideas in any way and do not impose their conditions. Naturally, the creation of such a project is beyond the capabilities of one person; his plans are embodied by a whole team, led by the chief engineer, who is Chalermchai’s brother. As the artist himself says, nothing and no one will stop him from making his dream come true, except perhaps death itself. He sincerely believes that the construction of Wat Rong Khun will provide him with "eternal life." Most likely, this will be the case, because as long as his paintings and this temple live, this talented artist, and now also the architect, will live in the memory of people.

The White Temple is the main building of the temple complex, it is painted white and covered with a mosaic of mirrors and symbolizes the purity of Buddha; according to the author, the temple is a symbol of Paradise. To get to it you need to go through the gates of Hell along the path of suffering and doubt, where hands stretch out on both sides of the path, this is an absolutely terrible sight. Then we pass through the fangs and mouth of Rahu (according to myths, this is a demon-serpent who devours the sun during eclipses), then through a bridge over a pond, symbolizing the river separating the worlds.

Walking towards the Wat Rong Khun temple, you will be greeted by many figures and statues along the way, the roof is decorated with various animals symbolizing natural elements, you can look at it for a long, long time, everything is so beautiful that you can walk for a very long time to the temple itself. But still, curiosity about what is inside this mysterious and mysterious temple overcomes us and we go to it. The fact that being inside is already surrounded by legends among the people, since it is impossible to go there with photographic equipment, it is prohibited, as stated in the signs in front of the entrance to the building.

The building houses two statues of Buddha and a large image of him; the opposite wall is decorated with a painting by the artist himself, which identifies the eternal battle between good and evil. Instead of depicting heroes fighting demons, the artist decided to take modern manifestations of good and evil, and put it in a Buddhist context. In this picture you can see modern heroes fighting evil, such as Batman, Superman and even Keanu Reeves in the role of Neo from the Matrix, the Jedi from Star Wars, as well as various monsters and robots, and all these plots are united by the demon Mara, who in Buddhist mythology personifies temptation and consistently tries to hinder the Buddha's quest for enlightenment. The side walls are not yet completed, but on them you can already see the plot of when the plane crashed into the twin towers; on the other wall you can see spaceships and a scene depicting the cataclysmic event of the destruction of the earth.

The territory of the temple itself is well landscaped. There are many fountains, fancy sculptures, among them many dragons, which are very popular in Asia, and other various mythological creatures. Near the pond in which beautiful fish swim, you can see sculptures of fairy-tale princesses. Each sculpture in the park is unique and carries its own meaning.

The walls of the temple and numerous sculptures are made of alabaster, painted white and inlaid with mirror mosaics, thanks to which it sparkles in the sun. The temple complex is located on an area of ​​about three hectares of land. There are currently three buildings on the territory of the complex: the white temple itself, an art gallery, and the third building is no less remarkable than the White Temple; it is golden in color, like a royal chamber, and, oddly enough, is a public toilet. According to the author's plan, it is planned to build six more buildings: a monastery, a chapel, a pavilion, a museum, a pagoda, a sermon hall and a rest room.

To visit Wat Rong Khun, it is better not to wear short skirts, shorts, your legs should be covered, if for some reason you still come to the temple in prohibited clothing and you don’t have anything with you to cover your legs, it doesn’t matter, At the entrance you will be given wide trousers and skirts to cover your excessively exposed legs. Entry to Wat Rong Khu is free, but tourists who visit the temple can donate money for development or you can buy paintings by Chalermchai Kositpipat in the art gallery, but since the paintings are expensive and not everyone can afford to buy them, in this case you can buy postcards or souvenirs. There are also tourist shops and cafes nearby near the temple complex where you can have a snack.

This is amazing and unusual place, in order to look at the beautiful creation of human hands, tourists come from all over the world.

Perhaps the most unique temple in the Kingdom of Thailand, the White Temple of Wat Rong Khun is located in the province of Chiang Rai (Chiang Rai), thanks to the imagination of the Thai artist Chalermchai Kozitpipat. A deeply devout Buddhist famous for his religious paintings, Chalermchai began designing the building in 1997. However, Wat Rong Khun temple appearance is not a traditional temple.

The artist reinterprets Thai art to present it to the modern world. When you walk through the temple grounds, you find yourself in a surreal vision of an object of Buddhist teaching. Superheroes, movie stars and cartoons become part of temple murals depicting traditional Buddhist motifs. Fantastic sculptures and architecture form the basis of the overall landscape.

In May 2014, an earthquake caused serious damage to the temple. Initially, the artist stated that he had no plans to restore the building. But later it was decided to reconstruct it to its original form. This unique architectural work still impresses tourists from all over the world.

White Temple Concept

Wat Rong Khun White Temple in Thailand is a complex, detailed composition where every element carries deep religious symbolism. Although, according to the Thais, not every meaning of the details is clear to them. Refusing the expected gold, Chalermchai decided to build a temple in white alabaster, symbolizing the purity of the Great Buddha. Mirrors built into the structure reflect light representing the Buddha's wisdom sparkling through the Earth and the Universe.

Much of the temple's message relates to the theme of desire, greed, passion and the pursuit of the sublime through Buddhist teachings. To reach the main temple hall, one must cross a threshold guarded by demons and cross a bridge over an ocean of ghostly hands, rising from the cycle of death to rebirth. The temple building symbolizes the kingdom of Buddha and goes back to the state of nirvana.

What to see in the temple?

Thailand White Temple is still in the process of reconstruction. All details of the white ubosot, the main temple hall, have recently been completed. A number of other buildings are at various stages of construction and finishing. Full recovery is expected to take decades.

• Definitely visit the shimmering White Temple. Walk through the building to see its sculptures and fish pool.
• Look at the golden toilet. Remember how Chalermchai felt that white was a more appropriate color for the temple? He specially chose gold for his toilet, going to modern world. Perhaps this is the most luxurious toilet not only in the kingdom, but in the whole world. Apparently this is a commentary on how people worship worldly desires and what their real value is.
• Visit an art gallery. This relatively small building contains a number of the artist's masterpieces. You can also purchase high quality prints, books and cards upon request.

How to get to the White Temple from Pattaya

Wat Rong Khun is located 13 km from the city of Chiang Rai (Chiang Rai). You can get there by your own transport, heading south towards Chiang Rai. If you leave from Chiang Rai, you can take a bus or minibus from 6 or 7 of the old bus station (Chiang Rai has two main stations - old and new). Ask the bus driver to let you off near Wat Rong Khun.

You can get from Pattaya to the city of Chiang Rai by car, it will take about 1.5 hours, the ticket price will cost 1,650 baht.

You can also get there by bus. WITH central station Buses depart from Pattaya every day; a ticket costs 700-800 baht one way, but the trip takes 12-13 hours. In addition to regular buses, there are also buses with increased comfort, so ticket prices are different. The bus is perhaps the cheapest option for traveling around the temple. How are the roads in Thailand? good trip the bus will be comfortable.

By bus is 20 baht. Buses and minibuses for the journey back to Chiang Rai depart from the front of the police station. Most routes will be on the way into the city. You can also take a tuk tuk. If you make an agreement with the driver, he can wait and pick you up on the way back.

Temple visiting time

Wat Rong Khun is open every day from 6:30 to 18:00. The art gallery is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 17:30. On Saturdays and holidays the gallery is open from 8:00 to 18:00. How long can you spend time in the temple? Plan for approximately 1 hour visit. Visitors typically spend between 45 minutes and 2 hours at the temple, depending on how quickly they explore, how much they relax on the grounds, and how much time they spend in the art gallery and shopping stalls.

Due to the white surface, reflective materials, and generally open, unpolished layout of the temple, the temple can be hot and bright on warm sunny days. To avoid the heat, it is better to go there early in the morning, or wear clothes made of natural fabric, a hat, and take sunscreen and water with you.

If a building contains a number of eerie images, temple complex yet bright and cheerful, and you'll be surrounded by plenty of other patrons in good spirits. Many children visit it. While young children may find some of the details scary, the overall atmosphere of the temple is upbeat and full of beauty.

Rules for visiting Wat Rong Khun

The main purpose of traveling to Wat Rong Khun is to worship in a holy place. The White Temple is honorable sacred place for Thais and a place for prayer and ritual. Many Thai tourists visit the temple to see his work. At the same time, they respect it for its religious significance.

Be respectful of the Buddha images and be mindful of your behavior in the main temple hall. Photography is allowed throughout the territory, but not within the walls of the White Temple. Touching sculptures and works of art is not allowed, and remind your children not to do this.

Casual dress is permitted to enter the premises. As with all temples, avoid revealing clothing. It is not recommended to wear clothes such as short skirts or shorts for women. Short sleeves are good, but tank tops are not suitable for men or women. It is recommended to remove your shoes before entering the White Temple.

Expenses for visiting the temple

Entrance to the temple is free for everyone. Due to the disrespectful behavior of some foreign tourists, Wat Rong Khun recently developed a policy requiring guidelines for foreign tourists visiting the main temple building. However, the policy is not always enforced. If you would like to order a guide, there are his coordinates at the temple. The fee for a tour with a knowledgeable guide is within a few hundred baht. If you enter the grounds without guidance, please treat the temple with respect and refrain from taking photographs.

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is not only a popular resort with a hot climate and exotic landscapes. In addition to its tourist beauties, this country also attracts with its unique architecture and a peaceful atmosphere.

Many people come here to take a break from the hustle and bustle of life, relax, and also enjoy amazing temples , each of them combines traditional elements of Buddhist culture, but, nevertheless, amazes with the originality and uniqueness of the architectural design.

White Pearl of Thailand

Today, perhaps, the most unusual and memorable temple in Thailand can rightfully be called Wat Rong Khun, who is better known as White Temple. Compared to many other architectural ones, it is one of the newest. Moreover, its construction continues to this day .

The first stone in its foundation was laid in 1997. The idea of ​​this complex belongs to the Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. In order not to depend on sponsors, he invests his own funds in the creation of the temple. The main assistant in this matter and, concurrently, the chief engineer is the artist’s brother.

Why is the White Temple so famous throughout the world? First of all, its white color, thanks to which it received its second name. Everything in this place, from the flooring to the decorative elements, is done in shining white. In addition, the walls are covered with a mosaic of mirror pieces.

White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) is a symbol of the purity of the Buddha, which incorporates the best traditions of Buddhist art and modern design approaches. It looks even more magical and mysterious during the evening sunset and morning sunrise. Bright rays hitting thousands of mirror fragments create a simply magical sight. Many people compare it with residence of the Snow Queen .

The entrance to Wat Rong Khun starts from the passage through the gates of Hell . This is the path called the path of doubt and suffering. She is surrounded on both sides by the hands of sinners reaching out from under the ground - Narakov. According to legend, they serve punishment for all sins in the Buddhist purgatory, which is called Naraka. The spectacle is both frightening and fascinating.

Next you need to go through the huge sparkling horns that symbolize the mouth Rahu– mythological serpent - a demon that devours the Sun and Moon during eclipses. Then the path leads to a bridge over a small pond, which symbolizes the river that separates the worlds of the dead and the living.

By the way, it’s worth knowing that for ideological reasons, traffic on the bridge is only one-way. However, you definitely won’t forget about it, since a special person with a megaphone stands next to it and constantly warns visitors about it. At the end of the bridge in front of the chapels you can see sculptures of Buddha in the lotus position.

The roof of the temple is decorated with statues of four animals, which are symbols of the four elements:

• Earth symbolizes the elephant,
• water- fabulous snakes are naked,
• wind- swan,
• fire- a lion.

Also on the territory of the complex you can see many other sculptures of various mythical creatures and, especially, Buddha. In general, there are so many different figures, sculptures and other decorative elements here and they are so thought out to the smallest detail that you can look at and study them for hours.

The temple itself is not large in size when compared to other temples in Thailand. But it is worth considering that this is just part large complex, the construction of which is still far from completion.

What surprises the temple inside?

Many tourists, based on the external beauty of the temple and the first impression, anticipate that something incredible and otherworldly will be waiting for them inside Wat Rong Khun. But many may be disappointed and even a little shocked. The inside of the temple is far from snow-white . Moreover, all its walls are painted with colored graffiti, which uniquely illustrate world events and modern heroes. For example, the tragedy in New York on September 11 was presented in a very interesting interpretation.

You can also see on the walls:

• Spiderman
• Neo from the movie "Matrix",
• Batman,
• Superman,
• Jedi from "Star Wars".

Another wall depicts a modern interpretation of the end of the world, showing the catastrophes of the Earth. There are two Buddha statues in the temple and a large picture of him on one of the walls.

The painting is constantly supplemented by various events and phenomena from modern life. The idea is that in the future it will be clear when these paintings were created. The side walls are not yet fully completed.

The figure of a monk, which is also located inside the temple, is a little scary. According to some sources, this is a wax figure, and according to others, it is the embalmed body of a real monk. In any case, it looks very plausible.

Taking photographs and filming videos inside is prohibited. In addition, you must take off your shoes when entering.

Where is the White Temple in Thailand

There are several ways to get to Wat Rong Khun. It is located at a distance 14 kilometers from Chiang Rai city center . The first and most comfortable option is take a bus at the old bus station, which can be found in the city center, next to the night bazaar. The cost of a ticket will cost a tourist about 20 baht. Return ticket You don’t have to take it, because you can go back. Hop on any passing bus.

Second option - rent a moped and go on your own. In this case, the traveler needs to go straight along the highway towards Chiang Mai, the temple will be on the right side, and there will definitely be a sign there.

Third way - use local cheap transport , which is called knock-knock. In addition, there are always taxis and travel agencies that are ready to quickly and comfortably show tourists any sights.

• Temple opening hours from 6.30 to 18.00. Entry is free for everyone.

The White Temple of Wat Rong Khun is a real find for those who appreciate art that combines ancient religious and mythological motifs with modern art. But it will be interesting and ordinary people who just want to relax and enjoy the divine beauty of the creation of human hands.

The White Temple in Chiang Rai is the most unusual place we have seen during our travels. When you see it in photographs, it is very difficult to believe that it exists in reality. A snow-white structure, decorated with a thousand unusual sculptures and a million tiny mirrors. The temple sparkles in the sun and makes you spend hours looking at the small details on the facade and inside the building. Today is a photo report from the White Temple in Chiang Rai.

We found ourselves in the north of Thailand during the winter in January 2015. We wanted to meet the unusual ones who wear rings around their necks, which makes them look like giraffes. They live in villages near Chiang Rai, a town on the border of Thailand with Burma and Laos. But in Chiang Rai, besides the ancient tribes, there are several more attractions - the Black Temple (more on that later) and the handsome White Temple. It is located 13 kilometers south of the city.

We went to the White Temple on a bike. Renting a bike in Chiang Rai costs 200 baht ($6.25) per day, and if you rent for 3-4 days, you can negotiate up to 150 baht ($4.7) per day. The roads in Chiang Rai are wide and well-paved, so the journey took us no more than 20 minutes. Finding it is not difficult, you just need to turn left off the road at the right time. To do this, follow the signs on the highway or turn on your GPS navigator.

What do you expect to see in a Buddhist temple? Monks, altars, Buddha statue, incense sticks, finally. The White Temple has all this, but in addition to traditional elements, it is also full of very strange things. For example, turtles that are everywhere. These are the traffic cones you see at the entrance to the temple.

And here are more horror stories at the entrance.

And this is the iconic villain Freddy Krueger! Do you recognize the cutie?

But Arinka is not afraid of anyone and pulls the villains’ beards. By the way, scary heads are just flower pots!

Monsters not only hang on trees, but also appear from underground! The alien scarecrow is just asking to come into our world.

Let's go to the temple. In front of him was a small lake with fountains.

Wat Rong Khun temple belongs to one person. This is Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. He began building the temple back in 1997. He spent his own money, hard earned from selling paintings. The author and owner of the temple is very proud that he did not take a penny from the state and did not attract sponsors. Thanks to this, he has the opportunity to create the temple of his dreams and not depend on the opinions of others.

The temple itself is heaven on earth. At least that's how the architect intended it. Look, this is the main entrance. You need to cross the bridge over the river of human hands. It’s like they’re in hell, and you can pay off the evil spirits by throwing a coin into one of the pots.

If you want to take a good look at this composition, pause in front of the bridge. If you step on it, the guard orders you to quickly go inside the temple and not block the narrow bridge. As soon as you start looking at the details, you realize how much time and work has been put into this composition. I can’t imagine how all these thin cobwebs and thorns hold together. Also pay attention to the small mirrors, thanks to which the temple becomes magical and sparkles in the sun.

After purgatory, you need to go through the mouth and teeth of the devil and meet the warriors who guard the temple itself.

As you walk across the bridge, count the demons guarding it. There are sixteen of them, like the sixteen causes of sadness in Buddhism.

You are not allowed to take photographs inside the temple. This is a place for prayers as many pilgrims come to Wat Rong Khun.

These touching Thai grandparents clearly came from the outback. In elegant suits, with braided ribbons in their braids. For them, a trip to the temple is like a holiday! They were so embarrassed to be photographed, but in the end they burst into smiles.

Wonderful people. Modest and friendly.

But these church parishioners are younger. Of course, ladies in cities don't dress like that. These beauties most likely came from the provinces.

Grandmothers, like other pilgrims, circle the temple many times in a clockwise direction. This is one of the Buddhist rituals.

Then everyone goes inside the temple to pray. There is a sculpture of Buddha and, oddly enough, cartoon characters on the walls.

Now it’s hard to believe that in May 2014, a year ago, the temple was partially destroyed due to strong earthquake in the north of Thailand. This shocked the artist-creator Chalermchai Kositpipat. He stated that the temple would not be restored: “I spent almost 20 years creating it, and now I’m too old to spend another 20 years restoring it.” "But then I decided to finish grandiose project. Now only small cracks remind us of that terrible earthquake of magnitude 6.3.

But Wat Rong Khun is not limited to the White Temple building. There is still a lot of interesting things to do on the territory of the complex. We come out from behind the fence and find ourselves on the alley of desires.

In the photo above is a wishing tree. It consists of small metal plates. You can buy them at a nearby kiosk for 30 baht ($1), write a wish with a marker and hang it on a tree. If you believe strongly, your wish will come true. Can you guess what Arinka wished for?

There is also a magic well with coins on the wishing alley. We threw a whole fortune of baht, rubles and hryvnia there, we really want to return to such a place one more time.

While Arinka and Sasha were having fun throwing coins into the well, I wandered into a nearby alley. Here is another white temple. Maybe not as chic as the main one, but still beautiful. And how it sparkles in the sun!

We slowly move towards the exit and come across a luxurious gilded building. It turned out that it was just a toilet. Can you imagine the scope? Gilded toilet!

The park closes at five in the evening. From this time on, no one is allowed into the territory. But if you entered earlier, you can stay inside a little longer after closing.

I highly recommend staying until sunset to film how the sun disappears behind the temple.

Useful information about the White Temple in Chiang Rai:

How to get to the White Temple (Wat RongKhun):

1. On a bike rented for 150-200 baht per day. You need to drive along a straight road south towards Chiang Mai for 13 kilometers, and then turn right.

2. By bus Chiang Rai - White Temple. The bus leaves from the old bus station.

3. You can also take any bus from Chiang Rai that goes to Chiang Mai, Lampang or Bangkok. You need to immediately warn that you need to get off at the turn to the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun). Walk 200 meters from the highway.

How much does it cost to enter the White Temple?

Not only does the artist build the temple with his own money, but he also does not charge entry fees from visitors and tourists! Entrance to the White Temple is free.

What time is it better to come to the White Temple in order to photograph it from the most favorable angles?

I would advise arriving before lunch. At this time the sun is most well positioned. The entire temple is illuminated, sparkling in the sun and contrasting with the blue sky background. After lunch, the sun is already on the side of the temple, and the blue of the sky loses its color. Closer to sunset, the photos turn out whitish against the background of a light sky. The sun sets behind the temple, so it is at sunset that you can catch a couple of interesting shots.

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