Wat Rong Khun
is a contemporary unconventional buddhist and hindu temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand. It was designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat. Construction began in 1998.Wat Rong Khun is different from any other temple in Thailand. It is designed in white color with some use of white glass. The white color stands for Lord Buddha's purity; the white glass stands for Lord Buddha's wisdom that "shines brightly all over the Earth and the Universe".
The Bridge leading to the temple represents the crossing over from the cycle of rebirth to the Abode of Buddha. The small semicircle before the bridge stands for human world. The big circle with fangs is the mouth of Rahu, meaning impurities in the mind, a representation of hell or suffering.
All the paintings inside the assembly hall have golden tones. On the roof, there are four kinds of animas representing earth, water, wind and fire. The elephant stands for the earth; the naga stands for water; the swan's wings represent wind; and the lion's mane represents fire.
Nowadays, Wat Rong Khun is still being constructed. When completed, the construction project of Wat Rong Khun will consist of nine buildings: the ubosot, the hall containing Lord Buddha's relics, the hall containing Buddha images, the preaching hall, the contemplation hall, the
