Symbolism in the White Temple

Every detail of the white temple carries meaning and encourages the visitor to reflect on the Buddhist teachings that show the way to escape from the worldly temptations, desires and greed and focus on the mind instead.

If you are staying in Chiang Mai, you can visit the White Temple and other Chiang Rai highlights such as the Golden Triangle, a Karen hill tribe village and the Blue Temple on a day trip from Chiang Mai.

The bridge of “the cycle of rebirth”

The ubosot, the main building of the white temple, is reached by crossing a bridge over a small lake. In front of the bridge is a circular area with hundreds of reaching hands that symbolize desire. This area represents human suffering and hell.

The bridge towards the ubosot, called the bridge of “the cycle of rebirth” signifies the crossing over from the cycle of death and rebirth into a state free of suffering. It symbolizes the way to happiness by overcoming worldly things as temptations, greed and desire.

Next to the lake stand two very elegant Kinnaree, a creature from Buddhist mythology, half human, half bird.

The “Gate of Heaven”

After crossing the bridge the visitor arrives at the “Gate of Heaven” guarded by two huge creatures that represent Death and Rahu, who decides over men’s fate. At the end of the bridge in front of the ubosot are several Buddha images in meditation.

Chiang Rai: Small Group Day Trip from Chiang Mai City with Golden Triangle

• Mae Khachan Hot Spring
• Visit the White Temple
• Explore the ancient city of Chiang Saen
• Take a boat trip on the Mekong river
• Visit the Golden Triangle
• Hall of Opium
• Including guide & lunch
• Duration 13 to 14 hours

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The ordination hall

The most important building of the Wat Rong Khun, the ubosot or ordination hall is an all white building with fragments of reflective glass in the plaster. The very ornate ubosot shows some design elements of classic Northern Thai temples like the three tiered roof and stylized Naga serpents on the barge boards.

Whereas the murals of many old temples depict scenes from Buddhist stories, the walls of the white temple contain colorful murals that depict modern representations of good and evil, contemporary figures like Batman, Spiderman and Elvis, villains and superheroes from movies and comics and even spaceships.

On the back wall of the ubosot is a golden mural of the Buddha, a few images of the Buddha in front of it.

The golden building

A structure that stands out because of its color is the rest rooms building. Another very ornately decorated structure, this golden building represents the body, whereas the white ubosot represents the mind. The gold symbolizes how people focus on worldly desires and money. The golden building represents the idea to make merit and to focus on the mind, instead of material things and possession.

The crematorium

Another elaborately ornamented structure is the crematorium. This is where the deceased are cremated.

In Buddhism death is the transition from this life to the next, a cycle of death and rebirth that can only be ended by reaching enlightenment. After death a person is reborn into one of several states including human, animal, Heaven and Hell. The state he or she is reborn into is determined by the deceased’s good and bad actions in life and accumulated merit.

The people attending the cremation are reminded of the temporary character of everything on earth, as opposed to the mind that lives for ever.

Other structures

Around the temple grounds are several concrete “trees” with thousands of medallions hanging down from them. For 30 Baht you can add yours with your name written on it.

Visitors of the temple make a wish throwing a few coins into the wishing well.

To get an impression of the tremendous amount of work done to build the white temple take a look in the large building behind the temple. In the hall staff apply hand made pieces of mosaic mirror to various parts before they get assembled onto a building.

The White Temple

Also read: Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple)

• The White Temple

Attractions in Chiang Rai

• The White Temple
• The Blue Temple
• The Black House
• Big Buddha Chiang Rai
• Hill Tribes
• Akha Way of Life
• Akha Homestay
• The Golden Triangle
• Wat Phra Kaew
• Wat Phra Singh
• Wat Ngam Muang
• Wat Klang Wiang