A series of photos showing a woman dressed in a white hanfu posing at Wat Rong Khun in Thailand has made rounds on the Internet, with many praising the beauty of the photos.
The photos were taken by photographer Dang Xiaoshi, who posted them on her Sina Weibo account, as part three of her "Travel with Hanfu" series of photographs. The model in the picture is Xizi.
The photos have gone viral, prompting many netizens to comment on the beauty of the hanfu, a traditional Chinese garment, as well as Wat Rong Khun, a structure in Thailand's Chiang Rai Province also known as White Temple.
While most of the comments online have been positive, Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpitpat, the owner and designer of the temple, has made known that he is dissatisfied with the pictures.
Kositpitpat has circulated a video via a local TV station saying that he is satisfied with most of the photos taken, but he believes that the photo of the woman lying on a bench in a seductive manner did not fit the design of the temple.
"Many photographers come to the White Temple to take photos and most of their photos are very beautiful. The hanfu photos have been very popular so far and I am benefiting from them since the culture of our country being promoted and more people around the world will know that there is such a beautiful place in Thailand," Kositpipat said in his video.
"I won't try and stop the photos as it involves the honor of our country, but please don't commit blasphemy against our artwork and religion. Don't negatively impact the sacred things that we respect," Kositpipat added.
Dang has justified the photo by claiming that the bench was normally used by visitors changing shoes.
"It was very crowded. A lot of people were waiting, so we didn't have much time to take photos," she said.
Dang added that she believes that Kositpipat had the right to be dissatisfied as the owner of the temple.