When I was planning my stay in Thailand, I wanted to spend a few days in Chiang Rai. In the end, it was not possible, but I did book a day tour from Chiang Mai to see some of the highlights of Chiang Rai, including the incredible White Temple.
The White temple – Wat Rong Khun
This temple is well-known by tourists, it was packed when our group arrived and when we started queuing. You visit the whole site very slowly, following all the other tourists who are there. Note that I did the visit at a really busy time, during the lantern festival. It might be better during another season, but I’m not sure.
Still, this temple is magnificent and full of realistic and sometimes disturbing details. From away, it looks like a jewel with its white architecture decorated with scintillating mirrors. As you approach though, you start to notice things: hands reaching out, trying to escape, skulls, monsters… and also some references to pop culture.
The local artist who rebuilt and funded the temple, Chalermchai Kositpipat, had thought about every detail before the renovation: the white color was chosen to symbolize the purity of Buddhism and the mirror to represent illumination. The theme of death is omnipresent in the temple.
Next to the white temple, there is a golden building. It is said that the white is the mind and the gold the body, sometimes too focused on money and property.
Despite the crowds, I really think it’s worth a visit. It is one of the most beautiful temples I have ever seen!
The Blue Temple – Wat Rong Sua Ten
The Blue Temple was a little bit less packed, but there were still a lot of people. And for good reasons: even if I preferred the White Temple, the blue one is also a really beautiful place, with stunning decorations. It felt calmer, the colors were less shiny inside and quite peaceful.
The artist, Putha Kabkaew, was a disciple of Chalermchai Kositpipat. This second temple is also very modern, but also mixes classical architecture with traditional Buddhism. Just like the White Temple, the Blue Temple was abandoned and recently renovated. The village decided to rebuild it in 1996, and the project started in 2005. Officially, it was completed in 2016.
The Black House – Baan Dam Museum
After the temples, we went to the Black house and, honestly, that was very weird. Unless you are into Hell, dicks and killing wild animals. I admit that the architecture is beautiful, but the rest is a bit unsettling (to say the least).
Apparently, the Black House hosts the world’s largest collection of animal remains transformed into furniture and artistic installations, so you get the idea.
There’s more than that, there are several buildings and some are less creepy. We saw a dance show and a gentle buffalo, but the creepy things are what remained in my brain.
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