Traveling in Southeast Asia

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Wednesday, 22 February 2023 - Visited Chiang Rai to see Wat Rong Khun (White Temple), admired intricate Buddhist and artistic features including outreaching hands, mirrored surfaces, and naga statues, placed a medallion at the temple, had lunch at a Singha Brewery park and restaurant, then toured Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple) with its striking blue interior, giant white Buddha, and artistic details, and ended the day at Wat Phra Kaew observing the jade Buddha and other sculptures.

Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple, is a privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple. It is owned by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.

southeastasia2023 — The artist intends for the area adjacent to the temple to be a center of learning and meditation and for people to gain benefit from the Buddhist teachings. Kositpipat considers the temple to be an offering to Lord Buddha and believes the project will give him immortal life. Today the works are ongoing, but are not expected to be completed until 2070.

southeastasia2023 — Dragon spitting water in the pools in-front of the temple.

southeastasia2023 — In front of the bridge over the pond are hundreds of outreaching hands that symbolize unrestrained desire. One has a read fingernail.

southeastasia2023 — Two very serious guards at the beginning of the bridge to the temple.

southeastasia2023 — Stylized Nagas along the bridge railing.

southeastasia2023 — Salvador Dali?

southeastasia2023 — Small Buddha in the elaborate decorations outside the temple.

southeastasia2023 — The principal building, the ordination hall is an all-white building with fragments of mirrored glass embedded in the building's exterior. The design embodies elements from classic Thai architecture such as the three-tiered roof and abundant use of Naga serpents.

southeastasia2023 — There are several concrete stands with thousands of medallions hanging down.

southeastasia2023 — For less than a dollar you can purchase a medallion and inscribe your name/message.

Virginia Ann with our medallion.

southeastasia2023 — Cal and Virginia Ann under one of the concrete stands for the medallions. We hung our medallion on a small branch with others to be added to the tree when there are several more.

southeastasia2023 — The Ganesha Worship Hall is one of the more recent buildings that are also set in a pond. A bridge leads to a gilded structure with a central open tower with minor roofed pavilions around it. This Hindu god has an elephant head and multiple arms. People worship Ganesha as the god of fortune and success.

southeastasia2023 — Some of the art throughout the complex.

southeastasia2023 — A Buddha sitting under a tree with dry ice like fog around the base.

southeastasia2023 — For lunch we went to a local park and restaurant owned and managed by Singha brewery. We had been enjoying Singha for several days, so it was fun to go to their park for lunch.

Virginia Ann enjoys a cool beer with lunch.

southeastasia2023 — The view of the Singha garden from the restaurant.

southeastasia2023 — After lunch was a visit to the Wat Rong Suea Ten, or Blue Temple. This complex is a real temple - the name translates to "house of the dancing tiger". It is not very old - less than 6 years old.

Another salvador dali?

southeastasia2023 — Very artistic Nagas protecting the temple.

southeastasia2023 — Virginia Ann purchases incense sticks and lights them at the temple entrance.

southeastasia2023 — Detail of art work high on the temple.

southeastasia2023 — Inside is a giant white Buddha which complements the all blue interior.

southeastasia2023 — The ceiling of the temple.

southeastasia2023 — Cute little pig who has had a worshipper put gold foil on him.

southeastasia2023 — Smiling Buddha surrounded by walls covered in art.

southeastasia2023 — A monk on each of the pillars.

southeastasia2023 — Air brush artwork covers the walls. The designer of the temple was an associate of the artist for the White Temple, and they are similar.

southeastasia2023 — Roof line Nagas - we love Nagas.

southeastasia2023 — The big Nagas at the entrance to the temple.

southeastasia2023 — Cal and Virginia Ann outside Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple).

southeastasia2023 — Like the White Temple there are several statues and presentations outside the main temple complex.

Here is a representation of Buddha and his five disciples.

southeastasia2023 — We then visited Wat Phra Kaew a royal temple. The temple gains historical importance as the place where the Emerald Buddha was found. It is also one of the main centers of Buddhist education and administration in northern Thailand.

Wat Phra Kaew is famous throughout Thailand as the original home of the translucent green Buddha which graces the Emerald Buddha Temple in Bangkok's Grand Palace.

This is the jade Buddha that was installed in 1990.

southeastasia2023 — A smaller Buddha at the base of the jade Buddha.

southeastasia2023 — The jade Buddha.

southeastasia2023 — An elephant sculpture outside the temple.

southeastasia2023 — A Buddha with the seven headed Naga protecting him.

southeastasia2023 — A Makara on the stairs to an administration building.

southeastasia2023 — A Buddha in a museum in the temple complex

southeastasia2023 — The museum had an extensive collection of ancient Buddhas.

southeastasia2023 — We went on a short walk into town. We stopped by the Chiang Rai Clock Tower (built in 2005) as the sun was setting.

southeastasia2023 — The Clock Tower looking down the street which has golden light poles.

We walked back to the hotel where we had one of the best dinners of the trip in the rooftop restaurant.

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