The Tourism Area in Buddhist Temples : Wat Rongkhun and Wat Huayplakang.

Abstract

This article, The Tourism Area in Buddhist Temples : Wat Rongkhun and Wat Huayplakang, has objectives to provide the context and to organize tourism in Wat Rongkhung and Wat Huayplakang. Wat Rongkhun is an ancient temple of Rongkhun village, 13 kilometers south of Chiang Rai. Chaloemchai Kositpipat is a famous artist in the village. In B.E. 2540, he had three ideologies to build Wat Rongkhun, including, to create as a Buddhist shrine, to create as a national treasure, and to create as the fine art of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (the 9^th king). While, Wat Huayplakang is a long abandoned temple, a hillside area 15 kilometers northwest of the city. In B.E. 2548, PhraPobchok Tissawongso began construction. The ideology is to be the center of the Buddhist mind. It is a temple with Mahayana Buddhist concept.

There are 5 places in Wat Rongkhun and 2 places in Wat Huayplakang as the tourism area. Both temples have organized the tourism area based on the 7 Sappaya Principle with the same and different concepts. Wat Rongkhun was built with the introduction of lay people, while, Wat Huayplakang was built with the introduction of the monks. Both temples give a different sense of travel. Wat Huoyplakang has more atmosphere of the temple than Wat Rongkhun. However, both temples are a popular tourist attraction in Chiang Rai.