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One Million Beer Bottles Later and it’s a Buddhist Temple

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recycled bottle temple
Thai monks from the Sisaket province have used over one million recycled glass bottle to construct their Buddhist temple. Mindfulness is at the center of the Buddhist discipline and the dedication and thoughtfulness required to build everything from the toilets to their crematorium from recycled bottles shows what creativity and elbow grease can accomplish.


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The Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew temple is about 400 miles northeast of Bangkok in the city of Khun Han close to the Cambodian border. Using Heineken bottles (green) and Chang Beer bottles (brown) the monks were able to clean up the local pollution and create a useful structure that will be a visual reminder to the scope of pollution and the potential we can make with limber minds.

bottle temple

The water tower and tourist bathrooms are even made from beer bottle litter. The monks were able to have the local people bring them the building which beautifully reflect the Thai sun.

beer bottle temple

Check out the Temple gallery on the next page

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134 Responses to “One Million Beer Bottles Later and it’s a Buddhist Temple”

  1. The Seeker says:

    Love it! I hope you don’t mind if I reference your post on my blog today.

  2. julie says:

    This is absolutely fantastic. Thank you for sharing this. I tried to stumble the photo but it was too large so I just gave you a giant thumbs up.

  3. cchiovitti says:

    How wonderful! Not only is it \green\, but a beautiful spiritual expression as well, thank you for blogging this.

  4. RubyRobin56 says:

    This is an absolutely wonderful example of what we can with recycling!
    To make another point…. most of the building material was FREE!
    Kudos~ Well Done.

  5. Mark Garland says:

    Incredible! This is a perfect example of creativity with an environmental outlook!

  6. francisonline says:

    no………!!!!………….astounding!

  7. RichInRI says:

    i’m sorry, but i was wondering how many hangovers it took to generate those 1 million beer bottles…

  8. GMIK says:

    this is really cool. they should make a massive temple out of old tires too.

  9. GMIK says:

    and in response to Richinri: i figure people drink between 1 and 12 beers on average so my estimate would be in the range of 166666.66666666666666666666666667 hangovers give or take.

  10. Galindorf says:

    take one down, pass it around…

  11. Cynthia Perry says:

    The textural effect of basketry is wonderful when the bottles are mortored in on the surface in the alternating pattern..
    The bottle path is fabulous,I have been building with bottles for my art studio built of recyled materials.The bottles were used in the floor as well in the walls. The bottles are made into light shafts like a glass brick,only the shape is determined by the shape of the bottle. The light cast from these walls is spiritual indeed, part of the reason it is called Spirit Art Studios. Would like to see more pictures of this and see if the monks used the light shaft idea? Building with bottles is a wonderful green method and has been done in many parts of the world. Wish I had a crew to build with like this.CP

    • Lydia says:

      To Cynthia Perry: I would love to see these bottle shafts!! I want to make a light-exuding wall out of the little coke bottles.

      Lkgnyc2 at gmail

  12. Gwawdiwr says:

    It’s very nice, but it isn’t particularly ‘green’. From a carbon footprint point of view, the best thing to do with those bottles is to reuse them as bottles. The next best thing to do with them is recycle them as cullet.

  13. Ty says:

    Very very cool idea. Would love to own a house made from bottles….i wonder what the breaking strain of a bottle is..

  14. One of the coolest things I have seen. Here’s to recycling and sustainable living!!!

  15. DanielE.TNGuy says:

    I always thought that most Buddhist monks weren’t allowed to touch alcohol, but never mind. This is a very innovative use of ” Dead soldiers “.But how difficult would it be to maintain, keep cooled, heated, etc. ?

    Just curious.

    • Mike E says:

      Actually the way the bottles work with the mortar and such the sealed bottles will make a natural insulation, one due to the over all thickness of the wall, and if things were done right with the proper amount of support along with the bottle walls and such, the whole structure should be well insulated and sturdy.

  16. Manie K. says:

    I do respect and thanks from the comment cause I am in Thailand.

  17. Gemma says:

    This is wonderful and amazing. But would have liked to see it done with sauce bottles instead of beer bottles. As one of the precepts Buddha taught is “Abstain from taking any intoxicants”. And using beer bottles to build a Buddhist temple kind of contradicts the basic foundation of Buddha’s moral code.

  18. flippetyjibbet says:

    In response to DanielE.TNGuy. The monks don’t drink, they collected those empty bottles. So it’s a recycling and clean up project in one. Also, living in Thailand, I don’t think they need to worry about heating. And judging from interior photos.. I suppose it’s cool enough on the inside.

  19. Joshua says:

    What happens if one breaks?????

  20. Bruce says:

    If there is ever an earthquake he is sooooooooo dead. Powned by bottles, lol. bad way to go

  21. What is the speciality of the temple ? Does it stop others from taking alcoholic drinks.I want a sacred help.

  22. Cynthia Fuertes says:

    I write for Club Platino Magaine in Mexico City and i just love your photos please contact me i´ll be very pleased on use it and of course i will give you the credits and a copy of the magazine when as soon as it runs.

  23. jean bulger says:

    Amazing! I can believe that the monks were able to create such a beautiful temple out of beer bottles. Very inspiring, I have posted on of your pictures on my blog with a link back to you.

    Thanks!

  24. shezz says:

    Very nice!! I love what I read and see. It contributes a lot to the people how to save our environment. That through recycling we can make the earth better than we expected.

  25. mohammed ibrahim says:

    a beautiful idea. I would like to write an article about this and will need high resolution images to illustrate the article. can any one help? Thanks

  26. dino says:

    Just remember, people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw koans.

  27. Sintanauli says:

    Thanks for UGRADER, This Sustainibility Conception is very good sustainability.

  28. I’ve been considering different recycled / green materials to convert a detached carport into a studio. The monks have taken it to a higher level. Where can I find how-to information.

    To those who focus on the problems (drinking beer & danger) remember that you get more of what you are thinking. Think of problems, get more problems. Think of solutions and “the law of allowing”.

  29. wilamena says:

    This is way cool, but don’t you find it just a little ironic seeing as one of the five principles for living a worthy life Thai-style Buddhism is not to drink alcohol?

  30. Fred Garvin says:

    This looks similiar to the domociles in the commune in the movie, “Easy Rider”.

  31. tabman says:

    remember, those who live in glass (bottle) houses shouldn’t throw stones….

  32. jack frost says:

    I’d like to stand outside and throw rocks at it

  33. eddywally says:

    they probably poured all the heineken in the river to collect all these usefull bottles…

  34. happyseaurchin says:

    a lesson to us all…
    i am happy to volunteer to assist anyone embarking on such a project :)

  35. p says:

    This just goes to show how creative people can be when they disconnect from the TV & video games!

  36. That is one of the coolest things i have seen in a long time. Buddhists rock!

  37. This is amazing. I love how they transformed the garbage of others into their spiritual home, honoring the inherent beauty of all things.

  38. What a fantastic demonstration of emptiness

  39. Sanjay Avhad says:

    It is a best option for building maaterial construction.
    It save our enviorment.

  40. What are great and inspiring article, definitely shows dedication to completing a project and the many uses and reuses of glass bottles.

  41. Damon says:

    Trappist monks make amazing beer. Buddhist monks make amazing beer bottle temples. Kudos!

  42. คนไทย อยู่ที่ไหนก็ไม่ลืมศาสนาพุทธ , Thanks you . Cool Temple.

  43. Look at this. Look at it. A recycled temple. Empty glass bottles.

  44. Thank you for this interesting post.

  45. Thanks for UGRADER, This Sustainibility Conception is very good sustainability.

  46. Carports says:

    I wonder if the monks are the ones that drank all that beer.

  47. They are looking fantastic love it

  48. seo says:

    wow its amazing.

  49. seo says:

    Temple of the bottles…
    amz

  50. Game says:

    part of our house will also be utilizing many types of recycled resources, here is an amazing example of utilizing a free resource, what an amazing

  51. a_rit says:

    Very nice, I love what I read and see. It contributes a lot to the people how to save our environment.

  52. Thank you for this interesting post.

  53. Very interesting article thank you so much for sharing

  54. I really enjoyed the blog. I have just bookmarked. I am reguler visitor of your website i will share it with my friends
    Thanks

  55. It was very helpfull thank you so much for sharing. I will share it with my friends.
    Thanks

  56. I really enjoyed the blog. I have just bookmarked. I am reguler visitor of your website i will share it with my friends
    Thanks

  57. Weedbox says:

    It was very helpfull thank you so much for sharing. I will share it with my friends.
    Thanks

  58. Macarons says:

    You wrote very interesting post i love your blog it contains very informative article i will share it with my friends.

  59. birthday sms says:

    Yes that is amazing building and nice i am happy

  60. mickey says:

    I always thought that most Buddhist monks weren’t allowed to touch alcohol, but never mind. This is a very innovative use of ” Dead soldiers “.But how difficult would it be to maintain, keep cooled, heated, etc. ?

  61. This is an absolutely wonderful example of what we can with recycling!

  62. that’s some good stuff

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. [...] Using a million recycled beer bottles, these Thai monks created one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. The Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew temple is about 400 miles northeast of Bangkok in the city of Khun Han close to the Cambodian border. Using Heineken bottles (green) and Chang Beer bottles (brown) the monks were able to clean up the local pollution and create a useful structure that will be a visual reminder to the scope of pollution and the potential we can make with limber minds. - GreenUpgrader.com [...]

  2. [...] via: Para ver todas as fotos desse maravilhoso Templo Budista, entre no GreenUpgrader [...]

  3. [...] bottle to construct the Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew temple, some 400 miles northeast of Bangkok. Says GreenUpgrader.com, “Using Heineken bottles (green) and Chang Beer bottles (brown) the monks were able to clean [...]

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  6. [...] Greenupgrader You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Related Posts: Hanger: [...]

  7. [...] | Green upgrader trackback ¿Recomendarías este post? Más noticias sobre: Cultura, Asia Tags: Budismo, [...]

  8. [...] There are more pictures of Empty Bottles Temple from greenupgrader.com [...]

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  11. [...] Maha Chedi Kaew temple. It makes the drunk Eskimo’s pad look like an arts and crafts project. Link [via] Read More Ring Ring Ring - Beer Bottle PhoneBeer Bottle Organ Is Not A Waste Of BeerBeer [...]

  12. [...] in verschiedenen Blogs Fotos eines Buddhistischen Tempels aufgetaucht, der vollständig aus Bierflaschen erbaut ist. Wenn DAS kein Pragmatismus ist [...]

  13. [...] Bilder gibt es hier. Dazu passt das Budweiser [...]

  14. [...] Pa Maha Chedi Kaew temple. It makes the drunk Eskimo’s pad look like an arts and crafts project. Link [...]

  15. [...] of a Million Bottles clipped by: JohnWaterman Clip Source: greenupgrader.com Thai monks from the Sisaket province have used over one million recycled glass bottle to [...]

  16. [...] Malz. In Khun Hang, etwa 600 km nordöstlich von Bangkogk, errichteten buddhistische Mönche einen Tempel aus einer Millionen Bierflaschen. Die grünen Heineken und braunen Chang Bierflaschen waren Spenden der Einwohner Khun Hangs und [...]

  17. [...] Green Upgrader Tags: beer, Buddhism, Chang Beer, Heineken, recycling, temple, [...]

  18. [...] El templo Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew levantado en la ciudad de Khun Han, 400 millas al noreste de Bangkok, es un edificio único en el mundo: está construido a base de botellas de cerveza. [...]

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  20. [...] One Million Beer Bottles Later and it’s a Buddhist Temple | greenUPGRADER [...]

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  22. [...] dan info lebih lanjut : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, [...]

  23. [...] to see some recycling. I want to know where the party was where they drank a million beer bottles. Buddhist Temple from Beer (No Ratings Yet)  Loading [...]

  24. [...] to Treehugger and GreenUpgrader for this [...]

  25. [...] had been so busy I barely kept up with the reading. Now onto the subject at hand: A Thai temple was built right out of a supply of beer bottles.  Impressive at the very [...]

  26. [...] — and even wrote about it on Gadling — but I just now came across more photos of it at Green Upgrader. The Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew temple is about 400 miles northeast of Bangkok, making it just far [...]

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  28. [...] One Million Beer Bottles Later and it’s a Buddhist Temple | greenUPGRADER (tags: buddhism recycling) [...]

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  31. [...] greenUPGRADER has several pictures of the recent buddhist temple in [...]

  32. [...] из миллиона бутылок. Подробнее о нем можно прочесть здесь и [...]

  33. [...] used over one million recycled glass bottle to construct their Buddhist temple. Read more about it here and [...]

  34. [...] Once again, proving Alex Steffen’s point that there is no such thing as garbage, just useful stuff in the wrong place. Thanks to Greenupgrader [...]

  35. [...] from greenupgrader.com Thai monks from the Sisaket province have used over one million recycled glass bottle to construct [...]

  36. [...] Ein Tempel aus einer Millionen Bierflaschen. 1.000.000 Bierflaschen. Mehr Fotos gibts hier. (via) Tags: 1000000, bier, Buddha, Flaschen, [...]

  37. [...] Mehr Fotos der Gebäudenachbildungen gibt es bei Green Updater. [...]

  38. [...] Cam, I know you helped with this project Commenta 1st April , 2009 Where else could Buddhist monks get so many beer bottles? [...]

  39. [...] ++ More on GreenUpGrader Share/Save 0 a2a_linkname=document.title;a2a_linkurl=location.href;a2a_color_main=”969073″;a2a_color_border=”c2b98e”;a2a_color_link_text=”d9d9d9″;a2a_color_link_text_hover=”333333″;a2a_color_bg=”202020″;a2a_color_arrow=”fff”; [...]

  40. [...] Veja mais aqui. This entry was posted on terça-feira, abril 14th, 2009 at 1:48 and is filed under Arquitetura, Fotos, Reutilize, Sem categoria. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. [...]

  41. [...] One Million Beer Bottles Later and it a Buddhist Temple Posted by root 1 hour 59 minutes ago (http://greenupgrader.com) The bottles are made into light shafts like a glass brick only the shape is i 39 d like to stand outside and throw rocks at it reply to this comment goes to show how creative people can be when they disconnect from the tv amp video games 2008 greenupgrade Discuss  |  Bury |  News | One Million Beer Bottles Later and it a Buddhist Temple [...]

  42. [...] Via Green Upgrader [...]

  43. Bagelpower says:

    [...] part of our house will also be utilizing many types of recycled resources, here is an amazing example of utilizing a free resource, what an amazing [...]

  44. [...] 这也许代表着极大的坚韧和耐心——泰国一座佛寺的僧侣们用回收啤酒瓶搭建了一整座寺庙。这些在Sisaket省的神圣的僧侣们收集了百万只绿色喜力啤酒瓶和棕色Chang啤酒瓶,并用这些瓶子搭建了Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew寺庙。甚至连洗手间和火葬场都是用瓶子盖成的。 [...]

  45. [...] Check Out the Temple of the Drunken Monk! [...]

  46. [...] 这也许代表着极大的坚韧和耐心——泰国一座佛寺的僧侣们用回收啤酒瓶搭建了一整座寺庙。这些在Sisaket省的神圣的僧侣们收集了百万只绿色喜力啤酒瓶和棕色Chang啤酒瓶,并用这些瓶子搭建了Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew寺庙。甚至连洗手间和火葬场都是用瓶子盖成的。 [...]

  47. [...] Look at this. Look at it. A recycled temple. Empty glass bottles. All of it. [...]

  48. [...] Sanja omg… meiner würde ja beinhart so heiraten wollen… genauso beeindruckend wie das da. eine gesamte sammlung von [...]


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