Sukhothai: UNESCO World Heritage City

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Historical city of Sukhothai
After residing in Thailand for thirty years, I finally fulfilled my dream to visit Sukhothai. I have often been told by my Thai friends, “If you enjoy visiting Ayutthaya which is only one hour drive from Bangkok, you are going to fall in love with Sukhothai.” And, they are perfectly right. The most historically significant and splendid temple ruins are inside the Sukhothai Historical Park and nearby Si Satchanalai Historical Park. Sukhothai and associated cities, namely Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet were declared the 574th UNESCO World Heritage in 1991. Located over 400km from Bangkok with a five hours drive, this partly explains the reason for less foreign visitors without the convenient transportation. Frankly admitting that the current Covid situation has encouraged everyone like me to appreciate domestic travelling. I am totally enchanted by the rustic lifestyle of what Sukhothai offers as a quiet rural city in Thailand. Given the opportunity of a long weekend stay, one will not be disappointed! Sukhothai worth’s deserved as a UNESCO World Heritage city.

 

Cradle of Thai civilisation
The Sukhothai Kingdom (1238-1438) was considered as the cradle of Thai civilisation, with Sukhothai city as the first capital of Siam. “Sukhothai” means “the dawn of happiness” which launched the birthplace of Thai art, architecture and language. The kingdom enjoyed 200 years of peace and prosperity until the Ayutthaya Kingdom annexed it. Under King Ramkhamhaeng the Great (1239 – 1317), the second ruling monarch of the Phra Ruang dynasty, the Ceylonese school of Theravada Buddhism was established as the state religion. Thai alphabets were documented from ancient Khmer scripts and an administrative system for the government was set up. It was marked as golden period for Siamese art and architecture.

 

Sukhothai Historical Park
The Sukhothai Historical Park ruins are one of Thailand’s most impressive World Heritage sites. It is a great testimony of the glorious part of Thailand. The park covers an area of land totally 70 square kilometres with 193 ancient monuments, including 60 ancient monuments inside the town walls, 27 ancient monuments outside the town walls in the North, 37 ancient monuments outside the town walls in the South, 19 ancient monuments outside the town walls in the East and 50 ancient monuments outside the town walls in the West. In terms of visiting the whole compound, the ground is divided into three separate but adjoining areas. Most visitors concentrate in the central area. I found the most amazing site in the North with Wat Si Chum. The roofless mondop building enshrines a huge Sukhothai style Buddha image named Phra Achana (translated as “He who is not frightened”). It is the largest Buddha image in Sukhothai measuring 15 metres high and 11 metres wide.

 

The Sukhothai style image wearing a serene facial expression occupies the total space of the mondop’s interior. At the centre of the mondop is an opening diminishing in size towards the top through which the image can be seen from the outside. Local people also refer this amiable image as “Speaking Buddha”. The architecture of Sukhothai temples is most typified by the classic lotus-bud chedis, featuring a conical spire topping a square sided structure on a three tiered base. Generally known as the Sukhothai style, these lotus-bud chedis, brick-over-stucco construction techniques present the Buddha images with a signature graceful form. Some sites exhibit other rich architectural forms introduced and modified during the period, such as bell shaped Sinhalese and double tiered Srivijaya chedi. The grounds of the historical park are so expansive and I saw so many tourists renting bicycles to joyfully enjoy the scenery at their own pace. I hope my next visit to this beautiful historical park is during the Loy Krathong festival, as it is the most important festival of the year in Sukhothai. The local guide explained that during the Loy Krathong Festival, the Sukhothai Historical Park offers exceptional evenings with performances, ceremonies, monuments illuminations, entertainment, booths of all kinds of local products and food mixed with the famous krathongs, small rafts that people launch on the pounds of the park. The night ends with a light and sound and fireworks on the pond in front of Wat Sa Si. Ramkhamhaeng National Museum The National Museum was built for history and archaeology aspect to honour King Ramkhamhaeng the Great, the King of Phra Ruang Dynasty of Sukhothai. The Ramkhamhaeng National Museum was officially opened in 1964 for over 50 years. It is located inside the Sukhothai Historical Park. The museum displays detailed exhibition on “Sukhothai: the Past and the Present.” A replica of the famous Ramkhamhaeng inscription, said to be the earliest example of “Lai Sue Thai”, the Thai letter of the alphabet, is kept here among an impressive collection of Sukhothai artefacts.

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/travel-and-leisure/sukhothai-unesco-world-heritage-city-2/

 

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