Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew, or the “Temple of a Million Bottles”, as it is known by locals, has become a major tourist attraction in the Khun Han district of Si Sa Ket province, in northeast Thailand.
The temple was constructed from more than 1.5 million bottles of all sizes, shapes, and colors.
The sanctuary dates to 1984, when Phra Khru Vivek Dharmajahn, a Buddhist monk, set off to walk around the province. Once, he pitched his tent in a burial ground and area residents flocked to him to discuss the teachings of Lord Buddha.
The monk decided to build a temple on the deserted burial ground. He discovered that the area was scattered with hundreds of empty glass bottles, and he utilized them to decorate the shrine instead of paint and tile. When the neighbourhood got wind of this extraordinary idea, they supplied the monk with more bottles.
The temple compound now includes a main hall, bell tower, crematorium, parking lot, and monks’ quarters - all made from or embellished with bottles.