Wat Rong Khun

For Thai language, Wat means “temple” and Rong Khun (ร่องขุ่น) is the name of the district in Chaing Rai where the builder had been raised when he was young.

Wat Rong Khun had been built since 1997 by Chalermchai Kositpipat, the Buddhist artist who has spent his own money in building this temple. He does not ask anyone for money for donation and neither does he receive subsidy from the government. His declaration forbidding the faithful to give a donation of over 10,000 Baht is a clear testimony of his standpoint, retaining the freedom of his creative thinking.

Up to now, Wat Rong Khun has not been completed yet; however, it has become Chiang Rai’s top tourist destination because of its white-color spectacular design and the Buddhism paintings inside. If you have a chance to go there, don’t miss a hall of masterwork of Chalermchai Kositpipat. There are a lot of beautiful paintings with various kinds of arts.

Wat Rong Khun (วัดร่องขุ่น) is different from any other temple in Thailand, as its ubosot  (Pali: uposatha; consecrated assembly hall) is designed in white color with some use of white glass. The white color stands for Lord Buddha’s purity; the white glass stands for Lord Buddha’s wisdom that “shines brightly all over the Earth and the Universe.”

The bridge leading to the temple represents the crossing over from the cycle of rebirth to the Abode of Buddha. The small semicircle before the bridge stands for the human world. The big circle with fangs is the mouth of Rahu, meaning impurities in the mind, a representation of hell or suffering.

All the paintings inside the ubosot (assembly hall) have golden tones. The four walls, ceiling and floor contain paintings showing an escape from the defilements of temptation to reach a supramundane state. On the roof, there are four kinds of animals representing earth, water, wind and fire. The elephant stands for the earth; the naga stands for water; the swan’s wings represent wind; and the lion’s mane represents fire.

In 1997, Chalermchai Kositpipat volunteered his service to carry out the construction of the ubosot at his own expense as an offering to Lord Buddha, but he later altered the plan as he saw fit in such a way that Wat Rong Khun developed into a prominent site attracting both Thai and foreign visitors.

Nowadays, Wat Rong Khun is still being constructed. When completed, the construction project of Wat Rong Khun will consist of nine buildings: the ubosot, the hall containing Lord Buddha’s relics, the hall containing Buddha images, the preaching hall, the contemplation hall, the monk’s cell, the door façade of the Buddhavasa, the art gallery, and the toilets.