Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

You're visiting a construction site, and that's precisely the point. This Mahayana-style temple in the hills outside Kanchanaburi, built in the Chinese style, is in the midst of a massive expansion, which will include a Buddha statue that will stand 165 meters tall. Right now, you'll see sculptures in temporary storage, half-finished structures, and the entire project in pieces. Come back in ten years, and it will be a completely different place.

What's already completed alone is worth the trip. The twelve-meter-high, carved wooden statue of Guanyin with a thousand hands is the centerpiece, and its attention to detail is so impressive that you can stand before it for hours, speechless. Alongside it are over a hundred other wooden Guanyin figures and dragons, all entwined around the pillars in traditional Chinese carving style. Reviewers repeatedly use words like "peaceful," which is remarkable considering the construction workers.

The grounds are not well-organized. Parking is confusing, so just take the first available spot and continue on foot. Arrive early if you want to have the place almost to yourself.