This white temple in Thailand is heaven and hell

Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple of Thailand, was built with a very simple idea. Its creator, Chalerchai Kositpipat, wanted to create the most beautiful temple in the world. Undoubtedly, the one who steps into this temple comes out with an indelible impression. There is simply no other place on Earth like Wat Rong Khun.

10 PHOTOS

1. When you first appear in front of the temple, you are confronted with a group of desperate hands. This hell is an endless pit of desires and human cravings, according to Buddhism. As soon as you cross the bridge over "hell", you are greeted by statues of heavenly guards.

2. Now there is no turning back, the only way forward. The symbolism of crossing the bridge from "hell" to "heaven" signifies the Buddhist path to enlightenment.

3. The inside of the temple is full of modern cultural references intertwined with traditional Buddhist imagery. It is a work of art in itself.

4. However, you cannot truly appreciate the history of this temple without shedding light on the fascinating life of its creator. Born in Chiang Rai, Chalerchai Kositpipat graduated from a traditional Thai art school. Although his early works include Thai Buddhist-style temples and murals, in Thailand his art is considered controversial by some as it is a combination of contemporary cultural symbols and traditional Thai art.

5. Throughout his life he lived in Sri Lanka and London, selling his art and making exhibitions in Europe and Asia.

6. When Chalerchay received enough funds to work on his own project, he returned to his hometown and decided to reconstruct Wat Rong Khun.

7. To this day, he has spent over a million dollars of his money on the project. While he does not shy away from donations, the artist has put up a top border for any donations so he can prevent donors from influencing the way the temple develops.

8. In 2014, unfortunately, an earthquake in Chiang Mai damaged the temple. For a while, Chalferchay thought about abandoning the project. Fortunately, the engineering team reported that there was no significant damage to the temple. Not only did he decide to pursue the project, but he also made it his life's work.

9. Oddly enough, the temple seems almost the same as life. Once new, it collapses in separate parts from old age. It was then rebuilt but was struck by an earthquake. Finally, the creative genius stepped forward and took over the future of the temple.

10. This is an incredible love story between an artist and his art, which is very charming.