Ayutthaya Historical Park

Nicknamed ‘The Venice of the East’ with a network of canals, the ancient city of Ayutthaya is one mighty place filled with a long history and interest.

Founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1950, Ayutthaya was the site of the crossing of three major rivers and provided land fortification and security. Over 400 years ago, Ayutthaya was Thailand’s capital city until the Burmese Army came through and ransacked the city and left it in ruins. The capital city of Thailand was then relocated to Bangkok.

Ironically, Ayutthaya stands for ‘Invincible.’ Modern Ayutthaya has nestled itself around the ruins of the once great city, which creates an interesting mix of the new and the old and rivals some of the worlds most historical sites.

The predominately Buddhist following of locals don’t need to travel far for worship as there are over 500 watts or temples all over the city, with the grandeur of the temples dominating the skyline. Ayutthaya is one of the few temples that wasn’t destroyed because it was previously used as a military campsite. The Burmese Army would fire their weapons from the temple across the river to the grand palace.

The Burmese were also intent on defacing as many statues of Buddha. They did so, and now countless have been destroyed. Rows of the dismembered torsos of Buddha are scattered throughout the ruins.

Ayutthaya covered up to 12 square kilometres and was a previous home to over 500,000 people and one of the most important trading centres in Asia. The Ayutthaya period was Thailand’s golden age of architecture and has been heavily influenced by designs from Sri Lanka and Cambodia. Ruled by 33 kings, the Ayutthaya kingdom was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 and continues to be preserved today.

For more information, visit the Tourism Authority of Thailand website: www.thailand.net.au