Wat Rong Khun — “The White Temple” of Chiang Rai

Wat Rong Khun, perhaps better known to foreigners as the White Temple, is a privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.

When completed, the white temple compound will have nine buildings, including the existing ubosot, a hall of relics, a meditation hall, an art gallery, and living quarters for monks.

The principal building, the ubosot, is an all-white building with fragments of mirrored glass embedded in the building's exterior. The ubosot embodies design elements from classic Thai architecture such as the three-tiered roof and abundant use of Naga serpents.

Fun fact: It’s not really just a “wat” (temple), despite the monks; it’s more of a wildly expensive and expansive art exhibition.

The circular gold image is a giant wishing well, and I’m standing on “Scorpio” written in Thai. Each of the 12 zodiac symbols has a section around the well and I guess it’s even better luck to toss it in when standing on your zodiac sign.