Chapel of Wat Rong Khun: The White Temple

Buddhist Temples are abundant in Thailand. Each temple, or Wat as they are called, is unique and has a style of their very own. I will be doing a series of blogs and galleries on the various Wats, and try to share with you the personality and uniqueness of Wats I visit.

The first up is the Chapel of Wat Rong Khun, also known as the White Temple. Located just south of Chiang Rai, this temple is noted for its brilliance and beauty. The White Temple was designed by national artist Mr. Chalermchai Kositpipat. He states

“It was my strong intention to build a temple in imitation of heaven. I wanted it to be a heaven on earth. I built a main building in the Buddhist monastery. I wanted it to be like a house of the Buddha with white color representing His purity and white glass representing His wisdom shining all over the earth and the universe.”


The construction of the buildings began in 1977, and it is expected to take 50-60 years to complete. In all there will be 9 separate buildings, each with their own unique meaning and beauty. The detail is incredibly beautiful.


To enter the main temple you cross a bridge. Every aspect has a very distinct meaning. You can visit

Mr. Chalermchai Kositpipat’s website to learn about the purpose behind each element of the design.

The beauty is everywhere you walk or look.

The Chapel of Wat Rong Khun is a work of love and dedication to the Dharma of Buddha. I would encourage anyone visiting Thailand to make a special trip to visit the White Temple.