Chiang Rai: Three Special Temples

After months of traveling, Thailand has remained one of our favorite countries, so we decided to head back to start out 2018. Our love for Thai cuisine, the friendly Thai people, and the sparkling Buddhist temples is no secret, so another visit when we were relatively nearby was hard to pass up. We also had some unfinished business from our first visit. We wanted to see nearby Laos and Chiang Rai, the home of the famous White Temple.

Chiang Rai is a couple hours north of Chiang Mai, the city we used as our home base for over a month on both our visits to Thailand. We hired a tour guide to take us for a couple days through the gorgeous countryside of northern Thailand, up to the Golden Triangle where Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand meet, and around Chiang Rai.

The countryside is beautiful, but the highlight was definitely the unique Buddhist temples that we saw: the most famous White Temple, the rising star Blue Temple, and the hidden Chang Dao Cave temple.

Chang Dao Cave temple

Chang Dao Cave is sort of in the middle of nowhere, roughly between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, so this stop is slightly off the usual tourist route. Wat Tham Chiang Dao is a natural limestone cave temple that has had special meaning for the locals for thousands of years. Legend has it that a hermit used to live here, and he talked to angels who created wonders in the cave. These wonders, such as a river flowing out from a golden Buddha, are deep within the cave where nobody is allowed to go. The cave system is about 12 km long, but visitors can only tour a small portion. We enjoyed our private tour through the cave and were led by candlelight through small passages that we had to crawl through. This was definitely a much more natural experience compared to the tourist caves that we visited in Spain and New Zealand with their fancy lighting and boardwalks.

Lotus flower-shaped formation

Decorated stalagmite

Tiny elephants left as an offering

This cave didn’t have the same level of impressive formations as others we have been to, but seeing Buddha statues and images of Thai culture decorating nooks and crannies was definitely a unique experience.

We also saw a rare lying face-up gilded Buddha. Supposedly, the hermit who originally lived in the cave placed this sleeping Buddha here. After 2+ months in Thailand and countless Buddhist temples around the world, this is the first time we have seen one like this.

Overall, a unique temple and cave experience that we greatly enjoyed and are glad we made time for even though it was a bit out of the way.

Blue Temple

Wat Rong Suea Ten (House of the Dancing Tiger), more commonly referred to as the Blue Temple, was supposedly built by an apprentice of the more famous White Temple, but the identity of this individual appears to remain a mystery. The sapphire blue has a mesmerizing effect and represents Dharma, the moral code of Buddha. Construction started in 2005, and the main complex was just recently completed in 2016. More buildings are now under construction to add to the temple complex.

Entry gate

Water fountain in the entryway

Nagas leading upstairs to the temple

Interior with giant white Buddha

Intricate paintings of the interior

Not sure who this guy is

Rear of the temple with giant standing Buddha

Blue and gold stupa

This temple may not be as famous as other temples in Thailand, but considering it was just recently completed, we have no doubt that this stunning modern temple will quickly become more popular. The vibrant color, uniqueness, and striking artistry of the Blue Temple make it a must-see when in northern Thailand.

White Temple

Wat Rong Khun, or the White Temple, is a contemporary Buddhist temple built by nationally renowned artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. The glistening temple makes quite an impression at first sight.

The bridge takes you from the pit of human desire and suffering toward the realm of Buddha and Nirvana. The bridge symbolizes the way to happiness by overcoming worldly things and leaving the cycle of death and rebirth to enter a state free of suffering.

At the end of the bridge, the two creatures representing death and Rahu, the one that determines men’s fate, await.

The temple and décor are outlined with tiny mirrors that sparkle in the sunlight. The white symbolizes Buddha’s purity, and the mirrors symbolize self-reflection. All around the temple are elaborate decorations and mythical creatures, such as my favorite, the flying elephant fish.

The temple construction started in 1997; however, the temple is still not finished. The rear of the temple is missing its embellishments, and the artist envisions multiple buildings as part of the temple construction. He estimates that it will take at least 70 years to complete, long past his death. The White Temple could perhaps become the Buddhist version of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, which we visited this past fall. After almost 140 years of construction, the Roman Catholic church is nearing completion long past the designer Antoni Gaudi’s death.

Although both the White and Blue temples are still under construction, we visited at a great time to see the impressive artistry and design of the main buildings and gained a respect for the work that it will take to make the artist’s vision a reality. Years from now, we will enjoy visiting again to see how these two magnificent temples have progressed. There is no doubt in my mind that we will return and spend much more time in beautiful Thailand.