Ibrahim Jabbari
In the midafternoon sun, Wat Rong Khun, also known as the White Temple, can appear downright blinding. Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat looked to Buddha for inspiration when creating this intricately designed temple, selecting a whitewashed facade tinged with mirrors that perfectly reflect the sunlight. Kositpipat chose the all-white color palette to represent “righteousness and the encouragement of good karma,” according to Tourism Thailand. Other symbolic touches include a bridge crossing called the “bridge of the cycle of rebirth” that passes over a sea of outstretched hands reaching out from the depths of hell, and the “gates of heaven,” guarded by Death and Rahu, two creatures who decide the fates of the dead.
Although originally built in 1997, the sprawling temple in Chiang Rai, a city in northern Thailand, remains a work in progress and has not yet reached completion. Over the years Kositpipat has added other white structures to the property, each with its own unique architectural style. Interestingly enough, the spot that receives most of the attention is the restroom, housed inside a building covered in gold leaf.
