 Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand from 1350 to 1767, when it was virtually
destroyed by Burmese invaders. In the mid 1600s is was a major power in Southeast Asia and
an impressive site. It had 375 Temples and was larger than Paris or London.
Today, all
that remains are still impressive leftovers of the once beautiful temples –
pagodas,
prangs and many many images of Buddha. A truly special place to visit for those who want
to understand more of Thailand‘s culture than just a few street blocks in downtown
Bangkok. Besides the
historic district, Ayutthaya as a town and as a province also has many
temples that are still in use and filled with worshippers today. Wat Na
Phra Men and Wat Phananchoeng are just two examples of beautiful and
intact temples, which date back several hundred years. Though old and
beautiful they are not our preferred temples to visit of the hundreds
available in Ayutthaya. The reason is simply that tourism has taken it's
toll and turned Wat Na Phra Men into a temple museum where one has to pay
entrance fees to pay respect to the Buddha with some very unfriendly
people greeting the non-Thai visitors. Wat Phananchoeng is still a great
temple but it is also a serious business which makes much of its funding
from selling (renting) Buddha images. Visiting it can turn into a
stressful adventure due to the sheer mass of people visiting here. The
constant "advertising" of events and specials over loudspeakers
make any decent conversation impossible. Wat Yai Chaiyamonkhon is another
example of a temple were every tourist will be taken and where entrance
fee has to be paid, while Thai visitors drive around the temple and enter
from the backside for free. It was at this temple that one nun lured me
into her hut and offered to take her meditating picture for a fee. There
are smaller and more "true" temples which teach the word of Lord
Buddha and provide a real place of meditation and worship. To
us, Ayutthaya is always worth another visit which offers another exciting
temple to be discovered and we are "thankful" to the People's
Alliance for Democracy for blocking the international airport in November
2008, since it provided us with a great opportunity to visit 40 additional
temples in this great ancient place. At the same time we hope that they
never again fight their political war on the back of tourists and other
travellers. Ayutthaya
is a World Heritage Site and was approved on the list in 1991 for the
following reasons (in short words): 1.
Location and city planning 2.
Archetype for later establishment of Bangkok's Rattanakosin 3.
Unique characteristics without parallel in Asia or the world 4.
Architectural styles, which cannot be found elsewhere 5.
Paintings and objects of art, which are unique 6.
One of the most peaceful and long-lasting civilizations of S.E. Asia |
