Where is the White Temple in Thailand and why is it so popular?

Thailand - a paradise on our planet,annually attracting millions of people from all over the globe. The abundance of historical monuments, ancient ruins, Buddhist pagodas. Thanks to all this, the love of Thailand's travelers is so won. The White Temple contributes a great deal to this admiration. It is so beautiful and amazing that many people come here first to see it.

Location of the White Temple

Seeing this beautiful creation of man onphotos, any person more or less familiar with this country will be able to unmistakably say that it is Thailand, the White Temple. Where exactly this majestic and unusual structure is located - not everyone can already answer, because, despite its obvious popularity, the temple is still located away from the most "untwisted" resorts in Thailand - such as Pattaya or Phuket.

And there is this temple in the north, in a smalla city called Chiang Rai (not to be confused with the city of Chiang Mai, which is also in the north and is the cultural capital of Thailand). Wat Rong-kun - this is the name of the White Temple in Thailand - is not the only, but the most important recognizable landmark of the city. At the same time, it is so recognizable that it is known even more than Chiang Rai himself.

The real name of the temple and the history of the building

Wat Rong-kun was built on the idea of ​​the famousartist and architect of Chalermchaya Kositpipata. In appearance, an ordinary person, Mr. Kositpipat is a well-known and wealthy person. Confirmation of the latter is the fact that the White Temple in Thailand was built solely on his money. In addition, it is being built to this day - the whole process of erection has been going on for almost two decades. The construction of Wat Rong Kun began in 1997.

It is known that the father-creator of this beautifulThe church basically does not accept any financial help from sponsors. As the architect himself says, he deliberately refuses money for construction, so that no one can dictate to him the conditions for erecting the temple of his dreams. This is not surprising, given that the artist is sometimes noticed for an independent painting of the walls of the temple.

Earthquake in May 2014

In May 2014, there was an earthquake in the cityChiang Rai. The white temple in Thailand is destroyed. It was after this sad event that the famous architect nevertheless agreed to accept assistance for the reconstruction of the destroyed complex, but not from philanthropists, but from ordinary parishioners who were determined to help restore the shrine. Note that it was originally announced that it is impossible to reconstruct the White Temple in Thailand. However, inspired by the support of fellow citizens, Chalermchay Kositpipat still decided to repair it and bring it to its original state.

The beauty of the White Temple

The first word that comes to mind when you seethis temple is "splendor". Indeed, this building is striking in its beauty and elegance of forms. The skillful carving, the striking patterns - all this wonderfully harmoniously intertwined in the image of Wat Rong Kun, which represents not only the White Temple, but a whole temple complex full of bizarre and symbolic statues, frescoes, sculptures of mythological creatures.

White Temple, perhaps, can be called if not the mostunusual, then one of the most unusual Buddhist religious buildings accurately. If in all the rest of Thailand, as well as in nearby states, all cotton wools - Buddhist temples - are built in a completely different style and are cast in gold and warm colors, then Wat Rong-kun gets out of their row. Evidence of this is the dazzling whiteness of everything around - practically everything in the complex is made of alabaster and painted in a marsh-white color. In addition, the surface of the buildings in Wat Rong Kun is encrusted with a mirror mosaic reflecting the light and giving the temple even more radiance.

It is worth noting that in the complex you do notfind identical figures - they are all unique, and each of them symbolizes something. Together they allow visitors to immerse themselves in the history of the country and Thai mythology. So, while walking around the temple you will pass along the "road of enlightenment", meet the guards of Hell and Paradise, see a lot of amazing imagery and even amusing sculptures.

Sam White Temple in Thailand, unfortunately some,from the inside, it will not be possible to take a picture, since there is a complete ban on any shooting inside it. So the image of Buddha on the wall and his two statues can only be seen with his own eyes.

Completely white?

By the way, all the same one is not whiteYou can find a building in Wat Rong Kun. This building is a gold-casting ... toilet. Yes Yes exactly. Perhaps this luxurious lavatory is one of the most beautiful in the whole kingdom. And all the guests of the temple complex can use it without exception. At the same time, it is impossible to say that the golden toilet is out of the ordinary - it is so unusual and beautiful, however, like everything else in the White Temple.

And another small remark. Speaking of visitors, it is impossible not to mention that there are many in Wat Rong Kun, no less than in similar popular places, for example, in Bangkok. Therefore, we recommend you to arrive there early in the morning or closer to the evening, if you want to have fewer people next to you.

How to get there

The best thing to see live is the famous whitetemple in Thailand. Photos - even the most high-quality and professional - will not be able to convey and a fraction of all the admiration that will cause you to Wat Rong-kun. Especially getting to it from Chiang Rai is very simple. It is located 15 kilometers from the city of Chiang Rai, and you can get there by bus, paying a symbolic 20 baht.

And to Chiang Rai you can get from the capitalThailand Bangkok - such large low costers (budget airlines) like Air Asia or Nok Air, offer a very inexpensive flight to this city. For example, a round-trip ticket can cost you only one hundred dollars. And for the shares that are regularly held by these carriers, the cost of the flight can be even less.