Wat Rong Khun (The White Wat) Chiang Rai
Wat Rong Khun วัดรองขุ่น,
also called „White Wat“ has been on my list and is the reason for this stop in
Chiang Rai on the way back to Bangkok.
It’s 13 km (from bus station) south of Chiang Rai. Free
entry.
There was a sign at the gate that foreign tourists are only
allowed to enter with a guide, but I got in single and I didn’t see anyone else
accompanied by a guide.
Sunday 09.02.2014
I arrive at the bus station in Chiang Rai 15:00 and ask at
information for bus to Wat Rong Khun: platform 7. Bus leaves 15:25 and arrives
15:55, 20 Baht. From the main road (Pahonyothin road, the same as in Bangkok,
but 900 km further north) it’s about 200 m walk.
Coming from the main road, the first impression is: “why did they build this unique wat that close to a road – with all the noise
and traffic – and residential area?”.
But once on the temple area, everything fine.
Warning signs against alcohol and tobacco:
More impressions of the main building:
The mural paintings (work in progress, about half
finished when I visited) in the Ubosot are amazing, closest description I
can think of is fractal geometry or M. C. Escher.
Photography not allowed
inside (and I complied), a few pictures of the mural paintings are here:
Ancillary buildings:
Stuff people lost on the premises (one of two cabinets):
Workshop:
All buildings except the toilet are white, the toilet building is golden:
Several websites say it closes 6 pm, however when I went
only few visitors were admitted after 5 pm, and the gate was closed around 5:15
pm (which allows you to take pictures of the temple at sunset without
people in the picture).
Return on songtaeo to bus station in Chiang Rai 17:49 –
18:16, 20 Baht.
Walk around in town, watch and listen to the clock tower at
8 pm (there is about five minutes music and moving artwork every full hour).
Clock tower is from same artist and in same style as White Wat, but in
gold/yellow.
Further reading:
The entry rule ''with guide'' was posted after some unhappy incidents with tourist who did not know how to behave. From a site like TripAdvisor, I gather its mostly for large groups (so my mind says it are the Chinese)
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