5/5 Andrey N. 3 years ago on Google
A
privately
owned
temple,
art
exhibit,
and
center
of
Buddhist
learning
and
meditation.
The
original
Buddhist
temple
of
Wat
Rong
Khun,
in
the
northernmost
Chiang
Rai
province
of
Thailand,
fell
into
disrepair
during
the
late
20th
century.
A
local
artist,
Chalermchai
Kositpipat
(1955–),
decided
to
rebuild
the
temple
from
scratch,
funding
the
work
with
his
own
money.
To
date,
he
has
spent
1,080
million
Thai
baht
(around
$34
million)
on
the
ongoing
project,
which
is
not
expected
to
be
completed
until
2070
at
the
earliest.
The
temple
opened
to
the
public
in
1997;
admission
is
free
for
Thais,
and
only
small
offerings
are
accepted
because
Chalermchai
refuses
to
be
influenced
by
big
donors.
White
and
gold.
When
completed,
the
temple—popularly
known
as
the
White
Temple—will
consist
of
nine
buildings,
including
the
existing
ubosot,
or
prayer
room,
where
ordinations
take
place;
a
meditation
hall;
a
hall
of
relics;
an
art
gallery;
and
living
quarters
for
monks.
The
architecture
is
elaborate
and
ornate,
much
of
it
including
elements
from
classic
Thai
buildings.
While
the
ubosot
is
pure
white
with
fragments
of
mirrored
glass
embedded
in
its
exterior
and
represents
the
mind,
the
building
housing
the
restrooms
is
golden,
symbolizing
how
people
focus
on
worldly
desires.
Unusually
for
a
Buddhist
temple,
the
design,
while
based
on
classic
Thai
architecture,
also
includes
depictions
of
western
idols
such
as
Michael
Jackson,
Freddy
Krueger,
and
Neo
from
The
Matrix,
as
well
as
controversial
images
of
nuclear
warfare,
9/11,
and
oil
wells.
