Is not only a popular resort with a hot climate and exotic landscapes. In addition to the tourist beauty, this country also attracts with its unique architecture and pacifying 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, strikes with the originality and uniqueness of the architectural solution.

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 buildings, 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 for this complex belongs to the Thai artist Chalermchay 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 all over the world? First of all, its white color, thanks to which it got its second name. Everything from the floor to the décor features in this place is made in shining white. In addition, the walls are covered with a mosaic of mirrored pieces.

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

The entrance to Wat Rong Khun begins with a walkway through the gates of Hell ... This is the path called the path of doubt and suffering. On both sides it is surrounded by the hands of sinners reaching out from under the ground - narak... According to legend, they serve sentences for all sins in Buddhist purgatory, which is called Naraka... The sight is both frightening and bewitching.

Next, you need to go through the huge sparkling horns, which symbolize the mouth Rahu- a 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 is worth knowing that, for ideological reasons, the movement along the bridge is only one-way. However, you will definitely not forget about this, since a special person with a megaphone stands next to him and constantly warns visitors about this. 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:

• The earth symbolizes an elephant,
• water- fabulous naga snakes,
• 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 they can be viewed and studied for hours.

The temple itself is not large in size when compared with other temples in Thailand. But it is worth considering that this is just a part of a 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 awaits them inside Wat Rong Khun. But many can expect disappointment and even a small shock. Inside the temple is far from snow-white ... Moreover, all its walls are painted with colored graffiti, which in a peculiar way illustrate world events and modern heroes. For example, the tragedy in New York on September 11 is presented in a very interesting interpretation.

Also on the walls you can see:

• 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 disasters of the Earth. There are two Buddha statues in the temple and his large image on one of the walls.

The painting is constantly complemented by various events and phenomena from modern life... The idea is to make it clear in the future 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 frightening. According to some sources, this is a wax figure, and according to others - the embalmed body of a real monk. Either way, it looks very plausible.

Taking photos and filming 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 downtown Chiang Rai ... 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 the ticket will cost the tourist about 20 baht... You don't have to take a return ticket, because you can go back. Hooked on any bus passing by.

The second option is 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, there will certainly be a signpost.

The third way is 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 the tourist any sights.

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

The White Temple of Wat Rong Khun is a real find for those who appreciate art that incorporates ancient religious and mythological motives and contemporary 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 Black Temple in Chiang Rai is one of Thailand's eerie landmarks.

Even finding your way here is not so easy

How to get to the Black Temple in Chiang Rai

An easy option is to tell the taxi driver to Baan Dam or Black House. The more difficult option is to rent a bike and drive to it on your own (the main thing is not to miss the desired turn off the road). We hope the map helps.

For those who are for the first time in Chiang Rai, it will be interesting that the creator of the Black Temple - Thawan Duchanee - is a famous sculptor, artist and architect, also known for having built with his own money (with the support of sponsors ) one of the most unusual temples in Thailand - the White Temple.

When you get to the Black Temple (which is the least like a temple in the world), the sensations are eerie. It seems that all this was invented by a man with a clearly sick fantasy.

Here you have bones and skins, creepy skeletons, ostrich feathers, horns and dark dark wood.

Alas, a bus with Chinese tourists arrived with us at the same time - the main curse of rest in Asia (in Europe they are the British, if you believe the rumors), so we ran away from them as best we could in the opposite direction. The crocodile was clearly running ..

There are many objects in the Black Temple that are difficult to associate with the culture of Asia - for example, similar wooden totems.

A toilet with phalluses and charms made of wood will not leave anyone indifferent. By the way, he is active.

Architecture, like music, is one of the most vivid ways to express yourself. Perhaps, in the case of the Black Temple, this is felt in every building.

To say that Tavan Duchani is eccentric is to greatly understate his "madness". In a good sense of the word. You have to be incredibly brave to do this kind of thing. By the way, an open-air workshop

There is a shower and a toilet nearby - I decided to freshen up a little and used the shower - very cool!

The first associations with the bottom photograph - he shoved a whole hedgehog or porcupine into the tube. I hope not.

An impromptu feast. He should shoot horror films .. Or a ball scene in The Master and Margarita.

There are a lot of phalluses - wood, metal, bone. It looks like the topic of male boobies is more relevant than ever.

Large metal fish

Many objects are closed, apparently for safety - on the territory of the temple there are guards only in large halls, and you can walk around the perimeter without much control. Although sometimes the guards notice that you are going somewhere you don’t need to go, and then they begin to desperately gesticulate and speak in all languages ​​that you cannot go there.

There are quite a few interesting sights in Thailand, and one of these places is the White Temple or Wat Rong Khun. This temple can hardly even be called a temple; rather, it is a work of art that enchants with its beauty. It seems that you are in a fairy tale and there is a snow castle in front of you. The temple is located a few kilometers from Chiang Rai, so if you are in these places, be sure to visit the White Temple in Thailand.

The construction of the temple began relatively recently in 1997 and continues to this day. The idea of ​​the White Temple, as well as the temple itself, belongs to the talented artist Chalermchay Kositpipat. The magic building is his dream come true. The artist has been collecting funds for the construction of the temple complex for 20 years. He does not want anyone to dictate their own rules for the construction of the temple, so he does not take money from sponsors. Even the chief engineer is his brother. Chalermchayu Kositpipat is sure that thanks to the White Temple, his memory will live on for many years.

Temple territory

The territory of the temple is well-groomed and well equipped. There is a beautiful pond with fish swimming in it, as well as many fountains and sculptures of mythological creatures. Among all this beauty, it's nice to sit on a bench and take great photos.

There are currently three buildings on the territory of the temple: the White Temple, an art gallery and a golden structure that looks like a small palace, which is actually a public toilet. I would never have thought that an ordinary toilet could be so beautiful.

The owner plans to build 6 more buildings. The construction of some of them has already begun.

Near the temple complex there is a souvenir shop where you can buy magnets, postcards and more. There is also a cafe where you can eat.

The main building is the White Temple, which symbolizes Paradise, and in order to get into it, you need to go through the mundane world full of temptations, and then through Hell with the outstretched arms of sinners and the fangs of Rahu (the mythical demon-snake). And only then you get to the bridge, which symbolizes the road to enlightenment, and leads to the temple.

What's inside the temple?

At the entrance to the White Temple, there are signs that say that it is forbidden to take pictures inside the building. Despite this, there are quite a few photos on the Internet.

Once in the temple, you realize that it is half empty: only a lonely sitting statue of a monk and painted walls around. All drawings were created by the owner of the temple and symbolize the constant war between good and evil. Here you can see various characters fighting for good: Superman, Batman, Avatar, Terminator, heroes from the Matrix and many others. Also on the walls are twin towers, missiles, weapons, spaceships... Over time, new paintings appear and many of them reflect our modern life.

How to get there?

The easiest way to get to the White Temple is from Chiang Rai, for this you need to drive in the direction of Chiang Mai for about 12 km. There will be a signpost on the road next to the White Temple, as well as a lot of buses and cars, so it's hard to miss this place. You can also get from Chiang Rai to the White Temple by minibus from the old bus station.

See the exact location of the White Temple on the map.

Schedule

The temple is open during the daytime, seven days a week, admission is free.

As in any other Buddhist temple, you must dress appropriately: knees and shoulders must be covered. If necessary, you will be given pants, a skirt or a scarf at the entrance.

The White Temple in Thailand is striking in its unusual beauty and many tourists come here from different countries... This place is uniquely included in.

Wat Rong Khun is an unconventional Buddhist temple 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 and creator of this white temple is the famous Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. The construction of the temple began in 1997 and continues to this day. It is noteworthy that he builds the White Temple with his own money, which he collected for 20 years 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 own conditions. Naturally, the creation of such a project is too much for one person, his ideas are embodied by a whole team, headed 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 that death itself. He truly believes that the construction of Wat Rong Khun will provide him with "eternal life." Most likely, it will be so, because as long as his paintings and this temple will live, this talented artist, and now the architect will also 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 the Buddha, according to the author's plan, 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 on both sides of the path, this is an eerie sight to the will. Then we pass through the fangs and mouth of Rahu (according to myths, it is a demon-snake that devours the sun during eclipses), then across the bridge over the pond, symbolizing the river that separates the worlds.

Passing to the Wat Rong Khun temple, you will be met by many figures and statues on the way, the roof is decorated with various animals symbolizing natural elements, you can look at it for a long time, everything is so beautiful that you can go to the temple itself for a very long time. But all the same curiosity about what is inside this mysterious and mysterious temple overcomes us and we go to it. The fact that the people are already inside is overgrown with legends, since it is impossible to enter there with photographic equipment, it is forbidden, as stated in the inscriptions 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 as Neo from the Matrix, the Jedi from Star Wars, as well as various monsters and robots, and all these plots are combined by the demon Mara, who personifies in Buddhist mythology temptation and consistently trying to obstruct the Buddha's quest for enlightenment. The side walls are not yet completed, but they can already see the plot when the plane crashed into the twin towers, on the other wall you can see spaceships and a scene depicting the event of an earth destruction catastrophe.

The territory of the temple itself is well ennobled. There are many fountains, bizarre sculptures, among them there are many dragons which are very fond of in Asia and other various mythological creatures. Near the pond in which beautiful fish swim, you can see sculptures of fairy 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. On the territory of the complex there are three buildings so far: 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 the royal chambers and is, oddly enough, 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, legs must be covered, if for some reason you still came to the temple in prohibited clothes and you have nothing with you to cover your legs, it doesn’t matter, you will be given wide trousers and skirts at the entrance so that cover overly bare legs. Entrance to Wat Rong Khu is free, but tourists who have visited the temple can donate money for development or you can buy Chalermchay Kositpipat's paintings in an 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. Also near the temple complex there are tourist shops and cafes where you can eat.

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

The people call this temple white because of its appearance(this is really a white temple). Another name for the temple is Wat Rong Khun (in the English interpretation it sounds like Wat Rong Khun). The temple is located in the vicinity of the Thai city of Chiang Rai and, without exaggeration, is one of the main attractions of the country. This is a snow-white Buddhist palace, which was built with a deep meaning, which is not understood by all locals, not to mention tourists. But for tourists, the meaning of the temple does not matter. They come to see the masterpiece of architecture. The most interesting thing is that the construction does not belong to some ancient times - it is a modern structure. The temple began to be built at the end of the last century by a Thai artist, and it was originally planned as a place of worship for local residents. But after this creation gained worldwide popularity, the artist decided not to stop there, and developed a plan for the development of the temple for 100 years in advance (the artist's work will be continued by his students).

On the territory of the temple, a large number of different sculptures, statues, which are made in the style of Buddhism, have been erected. The main building is located next to a large pond where the live fish... To get to the temple, you need to walk along a path, under which visitors can see a huge number of human hands, there is also a bridge with Thai demons. Inside the temple, many are gripped by incomprehensible (mixed) feelings. The thing is that along with traditional Thai painting, there are such modern images of drawings of Avatar, Spider-Man, Sermen. For a person who is accustomed to Christian churches, such a combination seems at least strange.

The person who built this temple did it exclusively with his own money and on his own land. At the same time, he refuses any sponsorship. There is an unusual well in the temple, which attracts tourists like a magnet. It is believed that if you throw a coin at it so that it is exactly in the center and make a wish, then it will definitely come true.

A big disappointment for all tourists is the fact that inside the main temple it is forbidden to take pictures and generally carry out any shooting. This requirement was put forward by the artists painting the walls of the temple. These people do not want this beauty to become public. A strange requirement, but it can't be helped.

In addition to the main temple, there are many other interesting objects on the territory: a gallery, gazebos, libraries, a number of souvenir shops. Even the toilet is built in such a way that it looks more like a palace. The temple looks most beautiful in the morning (until 11 o'clock) or at sunset.

If you are not going to go alone, then the best option can be called a car rental. Renting a car has many benefits. In addition to the fact that in this way you can save money and time, so even on the way to call in and see others interesting places(village of long-necked women, hot springs). The journey by car will take about 1.5 hours. Inconvenience may be the peculiarities of Thai traffic and cars with right-hand drive. The second option is to contact a travel agency, which will offer you several types of excursions, but in this case, you will have to pay about 100 baht per person. Also, in three hours and about 150-200 baht per person, you can take a bus (comfortable buses). Such a trip will not be painful. Since the temple is located away from the city, you can rent a bike directly in Chingraya.

For visits, the White Temple is open daily from 6.30 am to 6 pm and admission is absolutely free.