This temple is unique. Not only is it unfinished, and it is completely white, but it is being built by an individual, a native of Chiang Rai who made a fortune painting religious art. He decided that he wanted to give something back to the religion that he glorified in his art, so he decided to design and have built a special wat. The thing that sets this religious building apart from all the other places of worship is that it is completely white. No gilded chofas or brightly colored mirrored glass are to be seen in any part of the complex. The entire complex is white, and the decorations are done in white or white plain mirrors. The effect is awesome. As you watch the temple while the sun drifts across the sky behind a cloud and then peeking out the glass in the design of the facade sparkles and glitters. Unfortunately, the sparkle doesn't translate well to a photograph, but you can try to imagine what it would look like. The main temple has a pale gold painting of the Buddha that reflects the style of the artist. There is a strange display at the entrance to the bridge that leads to the temple. It consists of arms reaching up from the ground. One of the hands holds a pot, and the people visiting have been tossing coins into the display. It made me think of hell with people reaching to get out, but I have no idea if that's what the artist wanted people to think of. If you want to see a few more photos of this spectacularly beautiful temple, click on this Extra photos of the White Temple. Some of them are prettier than these but didn't make the cut on selecting those that show all the aspects of the temple.
Click a picture to see a larger view.