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Thailand travel notes

The more collision, the more fusion, the more interesting border town - Chiang Rai

By NaiyapakPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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When traveling to Chiang Mai, you can’t do without a walk in the surrounding areas. Chiang Rai, a small border town at the junction of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, which is a three-hour drive away is one of the best places to visit in recent years. The Kunman Expressway opened at the end of 2013 allows self-driving enthusiasts to drive directly from Kunming to Chiang Rai. As the first international highway in China, it is also known as "the most beautiful one in the Asian highway network", and the first stop in Thailand is Chiang Rai.

Chiang Rai was the first capital of the Lanna Dynasty. Its Golden Triangle location was once considered a mysterious triangle by drug lords. And the collision and fusion of culture and art brought about by the intersection of national life makes this small area more artistic than Chiang Mai, with much less commercialization and more diverse culture. It is no wonder that many artists have settled in Chiang Rai.

Art is the highest form of figuratively embodying religion - Blue and White Temple

If the more than 300 temples in Chiang Mai are historical relics, then the blue and white temples in Chiang Rai are treasures of modern fusion of art and religion.

There is a saying that "The White Temple is the purest place in the world", and many people only know Chiang Rai because of the White Temple. The White Temple has also exploded in China a few years ago, but it was because of a Chinese girl's inappropriate pose in the White Temple. At that time, many people were amazed at the charm of the White Temple when they accused the girl of disrespecting the local culture.

Unlike other gilded Thai temples, the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) stands out with its pure white exterior. Its pure white carvings are inlaid with mirror fragments, with various exquisite and complex combinations, majestic and exquisite ingenuity, interpreting the wisdom of Buddhism.

It was designed and constructed by Thai architect Charlermchai Kositpipat with a 100 million baht investment. Construction began in 1998 and is still under construction. Charlermchai said that white represents purity, and sparkling glass is a symbol of wisdom. The reason for the construction is also very legendary. It is said that the Buddha dreamed that he saw a pure white shining white temple, and made him realize that it was his responsibility to build this temple.

It is said that Charlermchai declined the financial aid from other people for the sake of a pure heart. And he insisted on not accepting tickets, parking fees, and incense money for 20 years, and and only relying on the sale of his paintings as the funds for building the temple (now 50 plants/person are charged to tourists, and Thai people are still free). In this sense, this temple is indeed "the purest place in the world". How many people can achieve such pure piety and persistence?

Have you ever seen a pure blue sci-fi temple?

If you are still fascinated by the uniqueness of the White Temple, the unheard of Blue Buddhist Temple (Wat Rong Sua Ten) has opened the door to a new world for us. (There is also a Blue Temple in Chiang Mai called Wat Ban Den, which is a century-old temple, don’t confuse it.) This young temple completed in 2016 is the work of Phuttha Karbkaew, the apprentice of the designer of the White Temple. High-saturation blue with gilt pattern, supplemented by a variety of colors gives a visual feast. These blue buildings show different colors in different weathers. On the cloudy day I went, it looked like a deep and heavy blue. Unlike the main hall of the White Temple, you can't take pictures here. The murals and walls in the hall are all blue, the main description

The life of Shakyamuni. The main Buddha is a holy white Buddha statue with a base full of treasures. The Blue Temple continues the concept of the White Temple, which does not charge tickets, incense money, or parking fees.

Chiang Rai is more leisurely and ecological than Chiang Mai, but the infrastructure and facilities are not as complete as Chiang Mai. However, in such a small house, you can still find restaurants with online standards. Unlike the traditional Internet celebrity restaurants, which are short-lived, this Chivit Thamma Da Coffee House is a treasure forest recognized by the local area with a stable appearance and taste. Department restaurant. The colonial white houses along the river have been carefully remodeled, the small gardens are green, the furniture is arranged in American retro style and the cafes that are willing to go all the time will not get tired of it.

No wonder it's the #1 restaurant in the area! And all this, there is also a beautiful love story (I also heard about it). Mr. Europe who was just "passing by" fell in love with the beautiful Chiang Mai woman. So he went to live here with her and opened a restaurant of his own. And among the countless tourists who were just "passing by", will they have a different intersection with this quiet place and stay?

Perhaps the emotional fusion of Eastern and Western styles makes this place offer a variety of flavors of Thai and Western food. None of the dishes that we went to eat stepped on the thunder. The elders who went there together also felt the taste is good. Presumably the owner couple took pains to choose the chef and design the menu. Suddenly I remember the sentence, "The best state for two people together is not that we are exactly the same, but that we are willing to accommodate each other and are not reluctant.

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