This temple in Chiang Rai is one of the more recent constructions on our list, having been built by Thai artist Chalermchai Kosipipat just two decades ago in 1997. The gleaming white structure is an ode to Buddha’s purity, as well as samsara—the cycle of birth, existence, and death. There’s a sculpture of hands raising up from the earth, seemingly from the underworld, beside the bridge leading into the temple, with warrior sculptures flanking each side. But Wat Rong Khun also shows its modernity in many art installations, including nods to superheroes and aliens.
