The White Temple & Blue Temple of Chiang Rai

The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) and Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten) are unmissable; and make this pit stop to Chiang Khong (gateway to Laos) well worth it.

The city of Chiang Rai is nothing to write home about - it lacks the cultural charm and food scene of its sister city, Chiang Mai. The real sparkle lies in its natural surroundings and hill tribe experiences outside the city which we didn’t have the time to experience.

We took a public bus to the White Temple, which runs every 30 minutes for 20 baht ($0.65) each way. It’s about a 25 minute drive, dropping you off very officially on the side of the highway - worth it for the savings! This bus looked like it belonged in a museum more than on the road. Visiting during the dry season, each day that passes becomes smokier and smokier, hence the washed out skies.

The White Temple is the brainchild of Thai national artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, and he has dedicated his career to expanding the temple, believing it will bring him immortal life. White in color, it symbolizes the purity of the Buddha. Much of the temple's imagery represents escape from greed and desire, moving towards enlightenment through Buddha’s teachings.

Note: images below are in slideshow format - click the arrow for more photos!

The White Temple breaks with convention in nearly every aspect. You enter the temple via The Bridge (the Cycle of Rebirth), a visceral presentation of sculpture skulls, ghouls, reaching hands, and imagery of the underworld. The walls within the temple are canvases for vibrant murals that marry pop culture iconography with apocalyptic political metaphors. Photography is unfortunately not permitted inside the temple.

Later that afternoon we made the long walk in the blistering sun to Blue Temple, which was also stunning. While didn’t spend much time here, we really enjoyed the vibrant color palette and overall artistry. Like the White Temple, it was recently built and is still under construction.