The White Temple ... and our 15 seconds of fame

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We left the hotel at 9am in heavy rain and thunderstorms, in our own mini bus, heading for Chiang Khong, 180 kms away, where we will overnight in a guesthouse tonight before boarding our boat tomorrow morning for our cruise down the Mekong River for the next couple of days. It will take us all day to get to Chiang Khong and will arrive this afternoon, about 4-30pm but, not before making a number of stops along the way.

Our route today would take us over the mountains where the country will then level out. An hour out, we were still winding our way down the other side but, at least the rain had stopped.

We stopped for a short break at the Hot Springs in Chiang Rai - a pit-stop, a coffee and a foot soak in the hot springs, which was really lovely and afterwards, my feet and lower legs felt really soft, supple and relaxed. Off again by 10-45am and, the rain had cleared with the sun now breaking through. Now being the end of the rainy season, this seems to be a regular pattern with the weather each day.

We continued on over the mountains and now the countryside had well and truly flattened out. We were passing through continual small villages and hundreds of acres of rice paddies stretching away into the distance.

A short while later, we stopped at a cashew nut factory for a bit of a break and a leg-stretch and to see how they extract the raw nut from the shell, which is kidney-shaped, and anywhere from about ¾” to 1 and ¼” long.

We each had a go at opening several nuts on the do-it-yourself, foot-operated, guillotine press in the shed out the back (bearing in mind that, many of the “factories” in Asia, are really cottage industries). Given our combined skills, we figured that we would get a long way in a long time but, guess if you were proficient in its use, things would go much quicker.

After some practice and, without any of us lopping off any digits, we then headed into the nearby shop to have a look around and to try some of the products inside where they had little screw-topped glass jars full of small pieces of each product for you to try before you bought. After a bit of a look around and doing some taste tests from the little jars of goodies, Ted and I bought two different types of rice cookies as snacks, to share for when we are on the boat - which really had nothing whatsoever to do with cashews.

We spent about half an hour at the factory before continuing on and were now passing through rich farmland. Some of the crops we could see growing as we drove along were: corn; rice; lemongrass, bananas and mangoes. Some of the cornfields were growing right along the edge of the road. We also saw lots of Paulinia (or Powton/Sapphire Dragon) trees in bud and getting ready to flower. These grow into massive, tall trees. We do have them at home and there is a big plantation of them just outside Windsor in Sydney but, don’t know what they use them for. There were also lush, green rainforests and lots of jungle, with rampant vines and creepers swallowing up vast areas of trees, shrubs and vegetation as they tumbled over everything in their path.

As Aussies and coming from the driest continent on earth, it really was a feast for our eyes, seeing so much verdant greenery in every direction. I (Jan) certainly don't have a prize-winning garden at home but, when we do travel, I delight in looking at and identifying some of the plants and flowers that are familiar to me. Some of the flowers and trees we could see growing here and there were: cannas, poinciana trees, the same as we have at home in the tropics in the northern parts of the country and, also frangipani, which seems to be the international flower in tropical areas throughout the world.

We stopped in Chiang Rai around 12-30pm for lunch, and were right across the road from the White Temple, where we would go and visit after we had fed the inner man. The temple closes for an hour at lunchtime, re-opening again at 1pm so, our timing was impeccable.

The restaurant where we had lunch was cheap and cheerful and the food really good. This was the first time that we had encountered a restaurant operating on a coupon system where, upon entering, you paid the cashier 100 baht per person, then went and ordered your meal and drinks from the cafeteria-style restaurant, then handed your coupon to the cashier who processed the cost of your meal. You repeated this process each time you ordered any food or drinks and then, at the end, you re-presented your coupon to the cashier again to receive any refund due to you. (Job creation??) Most meals cost between 40-60 Baht (AUD$2-$3) and were very good. Although, we did see an amusing sign upon entering the restaurant, advertising some of the meals on offer, which, upon closer inspection, may have had you thinking twice before venturing forth.

Lunch consumed, we then made our way across the road to the temple, just as it was re-opening. What a stunning sight greeted us! Magnificent Thai-style architecture, pristine white and sparkling in the sunshine. The surrounding mini lake and park-like surrounds were equally as impressive.

Simple in its overall effect, the temple is constructed of concrete, painted white, with millions of tiny mirrors embedded in the surface, symbolising self-reflection. The effect is astonishingly beautiful. Of all the temples I have seen in Thailand and throughout the rest of Asia over the years, appearance-wise, this one would have to be my pick of them all. It is truly magnificent and absolutely stunning.

Wat Rong Khun, better known to most visitors as the White Temple, is one of the most recognizable temples in Thailand and is also one of Chaing Rai’s most visited attractions. The temple itself is unique in that the white colour symbolises the purity of Buddha, whilst the glass mirrors, the wisdom of Buddha and the Dhamma, or Buddhist teachings.

In direct contrast to what we may consider to be a “normal” or conventionally-styled temple, the White Temple is a contemporary, privately- owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple. The owner is local Chiang Rai artist, Chalemchai Kositpipat who designed and built the structure, and is continuing to build and extend this unconventional temple which he opened to visitors back in 1997. It is open all year-round and admission is free, although donations are gratefully accepted so long as they are no greater than 10,000 Baht (about AUD$500) as the owner refuses to be influenced by big donors.

By the end of the 20^th century, the temple was in a bad state of repair and, with no funds available for restoration, Chalemchai Kositpipat took it upon himself to completely rebuild and restore the temple as a centre of learning and meditation, at his own cost. Beginning in 1997, to date, the project has cost him TBT40 million Baht or around 2 million Aussie dollars. The artist considers the temple to be an offering to Lord Buddha and that his offering will give him immortal life. The project is ongoing with completion not expected until 2070, long after his death.

At present, the site consists of the Ubosot, the principal building - the White Temple itself - and meant to represent the mind; the Golden Building (which is really the restrooms and probably the most extravagant and luxurious toilet block you will ever visit), represents the body. The golden colour being symbolic as to how people focus on worldly desires and money. It is also meant to represent the idea “to make merit” or to do good deeds to enable the individual to focus on the mind instead of on wealth and worldly possessions. In years to come, upon completion, the site will comprise 9 buildings altogether and be a centre for learning, meditation and teaching of the Buddhist faith as well as accommodation for the monks who will live there.

The Gate of Heaven and the Bridge of the “Cycle of Rebirth”, which crosses over the surrounding small lake, enables you to gain entrance to the temple itself. The bridge symbolises the connection between heaven and hell. Below you, the ocean of ghostly hands and agonised faces reaching up from the cycle of death and rebirth, have you hurrying across the bridge whilst, psychologically, you have the feeling that those ghostly hands are reaching for your ankles, ready to drag you down into the depths of despair and damnation.

The ubosot itself is an example of classic Thai architecture from the outside but, once inside, the interior becomes a swirling mass of reds and oranges of gaudy and colourful murals, depicting the shortcomings of humans and the age-old tug-of-war between good and evil. Look behind you as you enter and you are instantly transported into a surreal world of grotesque, demonic images staring down upon you with piercing eyes, with other images of superheroes, movie stars and pop stars such as Marilyn Monroe; Michael Jackson and Elvis, etc, and also cartoons, covering the walls from top to bottom.

Scenes from The Matrix, and paintings of Superman, Spiderman and other superheroes, where the artist has tried to depict that these are not part of our reality whilst the images of the nodding pump-jack oilfield machinery, the burning Twin Towers and scenes of nuclear war, are uncomfortably confronting and meant to depict the effect that humans have had, and are having, on our physical world.

If this is all a bit much for you to take in, turn around, and directly opposite you on the facing wall, are calming, symbolic images of Buddha, portraying the need for humans to denounce their drive of desire, greed and passion for material wealth and possessions and to enter a world of enlightenment and serenity where worldly possessions are insignificant to one’s well-being.

Afterwards, it was just as we were leaving the Golden Building (restrooms) that our tour leader, Katie, came racing over and calling to us to “hurry, hurry” whilst madly beckoning us towards her.

We thought that something must be wrong, which really belied her happy, excited, smiling face but, raced over to where she was, as she was saying, “quickly, quickly!”, as she scooped us up by the arms as we arrived and started pulling us over towards the shaded pathway in front of us.

Exclaiming, “what’s up, Katie?” as we got to her, she said “quickly, have your photo taken” as she propelled us off towards we didn’t know who or what. We looked in the direction that she was taking us and couldn’t see what all the fuss was about as, there were a few people around in the grounds - all tourists, we thought, for they all looked quite similar in appearance – but, there weren’t that many and we couldn’t see anything else that warranted us to hurry to have our photo taken except, perhaps, for the White Temple in the background and, we had already taken a number of photos whilst visiting it earlier.

“The artist … the artist”, she said, pointing towards the pathway, “there he is – come and have your photo taken with him.”

We were somewhat bemused by all of this which was all happening within a matter of seconds, and with me thinking, “here’s this world-famous artist walking in the grounds of his own temple – why on earth would he want to have his photo taken with a couple of foreign tourists?”

Chalemchai Kositpipat looked just like any other tourist wandering the grounds of the temple but, here was the man himself, the benefactor, designer and owner of the White Temple and the man responsible for its reconstruction at his own cost. Not only that, but he is a very famous artist in his own right, with his paintings having been exhibited world-wide and are widely sought-after. He is, perhaps, best-known for the Buddhist imagery in his paintings.

It all happened so quickly that I can’t really remember what we spoke about but, he was very gracious and welcoming as he greeted us and was more than happy to have several photos taken but, I do remember him asking us if we were enjoying visiting the temple. We chatted for a few minutes before he was once more on his way again.

How lucky were we? We had enjoyed visiting his beautiful White Temple, nestled in its immaculate gardens and peaceful surrounds and somewhat quirky sculptures here and there, and then got to meet the artist himself. Was this, our “15 seconds of fame?” It was certainly a very, unexpected delight on our behalf anyway, and he presented himself as just any other ordinary person, dressed in his jeans, T shirt, baseball cap and sunglasses.

We still had a little bit of time before we had to re-join our group and be on our way to Chiang Khong where we were staying tonight so, with the time we had remaining after this delightful encounter, we went on to visit his small art gallery in the grounds a short distance away and, in the subdued lighting inside, ensuring the protection of his artwork, being totally enamoured with the beautiful paintings and drawings of this very prolific artist, that covered the walls of his gallery.

These days, the rebuilding of the temple now takes up most of his valuable time as he oversees all aspects of the 3-acre site whilst also training a team of 54 artisans, architects, builders, painters and other workers, to ensure that his work will be carried on long after he has passed on, thereby fulfilling his dream and leaving behind a national treasure and work of art in his beloved Thailand ...

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