Wat Rong Khun is a contemporary
unconventional Buddhist and Hindu temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand. It was
designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat. Construction began in 1997,finished
in 2008.
Style and construction Wat Rong Khun is
different from any other temple in Thailand, as its ubosot 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.
Visitors will find it rather bizarre to
find modern images throughout this temple. Images of the Predator from
the Hollywood film, Spiderman, Batman, Keanu Reeves character in the
Matrix, rocket ships, etc.
The sea of hands rising up towards the
bridge to the temple, some holding skulls are very striking. 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.
