Wat Rong Khun

Wat Rong Khun ( Thai วัด ร่อง ขุ่น ) is a Buddhist- Hindu temple in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand. It is located near the highway 1 between the small towns Bua Sali and Pa O Don Chai ( ⊙ 19.82433333333399.763333333333 ). Construction began in 1997 and is (January 2011 ) is not yet completed.

Design

The conception of the temple goes back to the Thai architect Chalermchai Kositpipat. By the white color of the walls and many windows of the temple is unusual. White is a traditional color of mourning in Thailand, but here it is interpreted as Buddhas purity and glass as Buddha's wisdom that " shines over the earth and the universe " bright.

The Bridge - in the upper right picture - symbolizes the transition from the cycle of rebirth to the space of Buddha. The small semicircle in front stands for the human world. The big circle with fangs is the mouth of the Mara (Buddhism ), the challenges of life on Earth.

The paintings in the interior of the Ubosots, the assembly hall of the monks are held in a golden tone. The walls, the floor and the ceiling show allusions to the temptations that come before the world -conquering state. On the roof, four creatures can be seen that the elements of earth (elephant ), Wind ( Swan), water ( Naga ) and fire represent (Lion).

History

Since 1996 Chalermchai volunteered for free at the creation of the temple; he saw it as an offering to Buddha. Later, he changed his plans when he saw that Wat Rong Khun could play an important role to attract both locals and tourists.