Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)

Wat Rong Khun is the reason many travellers come to Chiang Rai at all. Designed by the Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who began work in the late 1990s and funds much of it himself, the temple is covered in white plaster and thousands of tiny mirror pieces that flash in the sun. White stands for the purity of the Buddha, and the glitter for the wisdom that spreads through the universe. You approach across a bridge lined with reaching hands, a vivid image of the cycle of rebirth and desire, before arriving at the main hall, called the gateway to heaven. It is deliberately a place where tradition meets modern imagination, and the complex is still unfinished, with new buildings and sculptures added over the years. The temple was damaged in the 2014 earthquake and has been repaired, and the site is open to visitors every day. Expect a busy, photogenic place rather than a quiet monastery, and plan around the crowds.

The layout tells a story. The bridge of the cycle of rebirth leads over a sea of outstretched hands and past fierce guardian figures, a reminder of the suffering of attachment, before you climb to the white ubosot where serenity takes over. Look closely at the sculptural details, which are rich in symbolic animals and flowing forms.

Inside the main hall the murals are famously modern, mixing Buddhist teachings with pop-culture figures, and the hall is a place of worship, so dress and behave accordingly. A separate gold-covered building holds the visitor toilets, a joke about the human body that the artist clearly enjoys.

Practicalities matter here. Shoulders and knees should be covered, and staff can turn away visitors in revealing clothing. Foreign visitors pay an entry fee at the gate, and the amount has changed in recent years, so check before you go. Photography is welcome outside but is not allowed in the main hall. The temple sits south of Chiang Rai city and is easy to combine with the Blue Temple and Baan Dam in a single day.

The venue is listed open daily during daytime hours, and guided day tours that include the White Temple suit travellers without their own transport. Go early or late to avoid the tour-bus peak, and allow at least an hour and a half.