Ayutthaya — Legacy of Broken Kings

Your quest begins at Wat Lokayasutharam, the ancient ruined temple in late Ayutthaya style, aligned on an east/west axis. Here you decipher the first symbols on the remains of its three vihans at the eastern entrance and on the large 30-meter high structure that still stands. This heavily restored monastery, with its floor tiles and brick floors, retains a portion of a third chedi's spire, a silent witness to the past grandeur of the ancient capital of Siam, Ayutthaya, founded in 1350.

Continue to Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the major royal temple of Ayutthaya Historical Park, built in the 15th century within the old royal palace. You walk along a long ceremonial royal road lined with brick walls, once reserved for royalty and pilgrims. Here, between the three main chedis housing the ashes of Kings Borommarachathirat II, Boromkot, and Ramesuan, you perceive the echo of the dynasties that shaped the history of this city in Thailand, a UNESCO site since 1991.

Adjacent to Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wiharn Phra Mongkhon Bopit houses an imposing seated Buddha statue of gilded bronze, 12.45 m high and weighing 40 tons. Built in the 17th century, this temple was restored after its destruction in 1767 by the Burmese army. By observing this work, you measure the resilience of Ayutthaya's culture in the face of invasions, and the devotion that allowed the reconstruction of these edifices, key elements of Thailand's heritage.

Your journey then leads you to Wat Ratchaburana, built in 1424 by King Borommarachathirat IV on the cremation site of his elder brothers. This temple, included in the 300 Baht combined ticket for 7 major sites of Ayutthaya Historical Park, reveals the funerary practices and dynastic dramas of the era. Then, at Wat Mahathat, you discover the famous Buddha head rooted in the branches of a bodhi tree, dating from the 14th century, founded in 1369 by King Ramesuan, the main religious center of the ancient capital.

Finally, Wat Phra Ram, a picturesque temple with its central prang surrounded by ponds, built on a royal cremation site in the 14th century, offers a setting to reflect on the legacy of Ayutthaya's kings. Its intricate stucco decorations invite detailed observation. After passing through the Portuguese Settlement, an ancient trading post, and Wat Chaiwatthanaram, you take away not only the answers to your quest, but also a deep understanding of Ayutthaya's history, from its splendor to its fall in 1767, and its rebirth as a UNESCO Historical Park.