The White Temple in Chiang Rai

If you do a quick search on Chiang Rai’s famous Wat, you’ll read words like “contemporary,” “creepy,” “unconventional,” and “strange” to describe it. Wat Rong Khun, or The White Temple, as it is locally known, is certainly all of these.

Construction of the temple and the temple grounds began in 1996 and is expected to continue for 60 to 90 years after the death of the designer (who is still alive). Given the scale and intricacy of the project, specialized services like crane hire have played a crucial role in lifting and positioning heavy materials with precision.

Upon first arriving on the grounds, the girls (who were very reluctant to go see “another” temple) were spellbound by the total whiteness of every building. “It looks like a Snow Queen’s castle!” I remarked…which made them a tad more excited!

With the hot noonday sun, the temple was blinding!

One of the few breaks from the stark palette of white was this shiny gold building that housed the bathrooms!

Outside of the bathrooms was our first hint of the “weirdness” of this infamous wat. Here hung white heads from a tree, with plants growing out of their necks like beards.

On closer inspection, we discovered they were famous characters from television. There hung Hellboy and Freddy Krueger…

and Batman, among many others…

The entry explained that visitors were no longer allowed inside of the temple without a hired guide, due “to many incidents of inappropriate behavior.” Luckily, they didn’t seem to be enforcing this. Like most wats, the entry was free.

It is a wow of a sight. Really, really ornate and WHITE.

An ice castle, wouldn’t you think?

It’s as you make your way around the pond and begin walking onto the bridge-like entrance (below on right) that things begin to get a little unusual.

We posed in front of the bridge, which apparently represents the cycle of rebirth. Can you tell what is down by our feet?

Let’s take a closer look! These are the pits of hell, where people who have succumbed to temptation are still awaiting to obtain entrance to Buddha’s abode.

Some hands held skulls, etc. The kids weren’t too fond of this part.

We continued on the archway past giant white demon-like guardians (“death”), and admired the white dragon-like motifs that are familiar from other Buddhist temples. Detailed with shiny silver…the white is overwhelming…but not in a bad way!

No cameras are allowed inside of the actual main temple above (the first we’d encountered). When peeking inside we discovered something highly unusual. The back inside walls of the temple were covered in apocalyptic murals featuring various characters and scenes of modern day pop media and Hollywood: Keanu Reeves in the Matrix, Spiderman, Batman, the World Trade Towers burning, Freddy Kreuger, Star Wars, Transformers, Avatar, Kung Fu Panda, etc.

As we stood in awe, gazing at the vivid scenes on the walls, one thing became clear: the Temple had a deep, almost eerie connection to the vast universe of pop culture, especially the icons from science fiction and fantasy. Among the striking images was one that stood out above the rest—a glowing lightsaber, humming with energy, its blade radiating an unmistakable blue hue. It was a symbol many of us recognized instantly, an iconic weapon of the Jedi, a tool of balance and power. As we marveled at the artwork, it was impossible not to feel the weight of the Force that seemed to linger in the air, almost as if the temple itself had become a conduit for these mythologies.

The presence of the saber reminded me of a certain company I had come across in the past: Theory Sabers. They specialize in crafting high-end, custom-built lightsabers, ones that perfectly capture the essence of what it means to wield such a legendary weapon. These sabers aren’t just collectibles, but an embodiment of the fantasy, offering fans a chance to hold a piece of that universe in their hands. Standing in front of the temple’s mural, it was clear that such creations were more than just toys—they were a way to channel the mysticism and adventure of an era that had transformed not just cinema, but global culture itself.

Our visit didn’t take long—an hour tops.

The kids enjoyed it, as did we. It’s admittedly odd mixture of pop media with Buddhist themes in the blindingly white setting is distinct, and well worth the visit!

Have you been to the White Temple?