Thailand 2017 - Wat Rong Khun - Chiang Rai

Its architecture is distinctive and unique

Entrance Fee - 50Baht.
By the end of the 20th century, the original Wat Rong Khun was in such a bad state of repair, and at the time funds were not available for renovation.

Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist from Chiang Rai, decided to completely rebuild the temple and fund the project with his own money, costing him 40million Thai Baht.

1. Bridge of "the cycle of rebirth"
This is the main white building (ubosot), and is reached by crossing a bridge over a small lake. In front of the bridge are hundreds of outreaching hands that symbolize unrestrained desire. The bridge proclaims that the way to happiness is by foregoing temptation, greed, and desire.

Thousands of hands outreaching before you enter the temple

Next to the lake stand two very elegant Kinnaree, half-human, half-bird creatures from Buddhist mythology.

2. Gate of Heaven
After the crossing, two creatures guard the temple, representing Death and Rahu, who decides the fate of the dead. In front of the ubosot are several meditative Buddha images.

3. Ubosot
The main building. It is an all-white building with fragments of mirrored glass embedded in the building's exterior. The ubosot embodies design elements from classic Thai architecture such as the three-tiered roof and abundant use of Naga serpents.
Inside the temple, the decor swiftly moves from pristine white to fiery and bewildering. Murals depict swirling orange flames and demon faces, interspersed with Western idols such as Michael Jackson, Neo from The Matrix, Freddy Krueger, and a T-800 series Terminator. Images of nuclear warfare, terrorist attacks, and oil pumps hammer home the destructive impact that humans have had on earth. The presence of Harry Potter, Superman, and Hello Kitty confuses the message somewhat, but the overall moral is clear: people are wicked.
Please note no photography is allowed inside the Temple

The main building

4. The golden building
Basically, the rest room. It's structure stands out because of its color. Another very ornately decorated structure, this golden building represents the body, whereas the white ubosot represents the mind. The gold symbolizes how people focus on worldly desires and money. The white building represents the idea to make merit and to focus on the mind, instead of material things and possession

One of the many statues guarding the temple

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This is our first ever entry for the #smartphonephotography contest by @juliank.

Cheers for the great opportunity.
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