We visited Wat Rong Khun aka the White Temple. The white color symbolizes purity, and the mirror pieces symbolize enlightenment. Opened in 1997, this place is privately owned. Admission fee for an adult is 50 Baht (USD $1.57). It is the brainchild of the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat who designed and constructed the structures. His many paintings are available for sale in the gift shop. When it first opened, critics did not like the unconventional artistic expressions.

Visitors can only walk one way (forward) along the route, perhaps a strategy to move them along. Over the loudspeakers, I could hear Mandarin and English warnings telling people not to turn around. I assume the Thai warning says the same thing. I find that amusingly ironic; a temple which is kind of big on forgiveness and salvation forbids people from turning around.

On both sides of the bridge leading to the temple hall are hands coming up from the ground symbolizing temptations. A few of them were holding donation jars. It will probably be wise for one to quickly walk past these temptations and enter the temple and start praying. No photos are allowed inside the actual temple hall where a realistic wax figure of a monk sits.

All the buildings including the gold building housing the toilets, and the wishing well are very ornate. The whole place is very photogenic. If I was a spiritual person, visiting the White Temple would leave me wanting. That’s just me. On our way out, we saw a monk approaching. I snapped a photo. A monk in front of a glitzy temple made me think of Martin Luther arriving in Rome in 1510.

Map of Places Visited