Wat Rong Khun

Also known as the White Temple, is actually an art exhibit. Built in the style of a Buddhist temple, it was built by Chalermchai Kositpipat as an offering to Buddha in the hope that he will be rewarded with immortal life.

He spent more than 40 million baht building this monumental work of art and construction isn’t expected to be completed until 2070.

To avoid being influenced by rich donors, Kosisipat has refused all donations greater than $300.

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In addition to the temple buildings, the grounds also hosts a museum filled with intricate art by Kosipipat whose work is absolutely mindblowing and beyond comparison.

If it even could fit into a category, the closest would be psychedelic Buddhist art.

The Shooting

Although we arrived at our destination exactly as it opened, I was dismayed to find that there were already three tourists tour buses on site and the temple grounds were far from empty. Gilles and I had planned to do a photoshoot, however I didn’t see how that would be possible given how many tourists had already arrived. Moreover, as an introvert who gets anxiety before large groups , I was already freaking out about the number of people staring as I walked by. My sparkly high priestess dress attracted a lot of attention from the tourists who didn’t try to hide that they were taking my photo.

In what was a testament to his photography skills, Gilles was able to photograph the White Temple from perspectives that made it appear as if we had the entire place to ourselves.