The First Kingdom of Siam (Part 2)

Ok, here we go…the reason we came to Sukhothai: the Historical Park! We spent the entire day here, and we still didn’t see it all. To be fair, some ruins really are more impressive than others and once you see one slab of bricks, the next one just isn’t as earth-shattering. We did hit up almost everything on the must-see list, and they really were incredible. Get ready for a history- and photo-heavy post (and remember—you can always click on an image to see a larger version)!

 

Wat Chana Songkhram

This temple appears to have been built around the fourteenth century. The bell-shaped stupa is a very good example of the "Sukhothai" style that is considered the highest form of Thai art.

King Ramkhamhaeng Monument

The King Ramkamhaeng Monument was erected near the center of old Sukhothai in 1971. The bronze statue is about twice life size, and depicts the king sitting on the Managkhasila-Asana throne. By his side sits the Sword of Victory, the symbol of state. Read why he was important here.

Wat Mahathat

The largest, most important, and most popular ruin in Sukhothai! The main construction was probably done from the late 13^th through to the mid 14^th centuries was continually modified and added to up until the old city was abandoned in the 18^th century. It used to house 10 prayer halls and 20 chedis. (And it’s a great opportunity for some creative photo processing!)

At some of the more popular ruins, the park has reconstructed images of what the temples may have looked like:

Wat Traphang Ngoen

The name means “temple of the silver pond,” and it was built some time in the 14^th century. The remains consists of a main chedi, a prayer hall, and an ordination hall, which sits on an island in the middle of the silver pond. The chedi was built in a lotus-bud shape with four niches to enshrine standing and walking Buddha images, a feature which makes this one different from other lotus-bud chedis.

(The ordination hall:)

Wat Si Sawai

This is the most Khmer-styled temple remaining at Sukhothai and the only one that appears to have originally been build for Hindu worship.It dates from the era of Khmer rule and was probably built in the late 12^th or early 13^th centuries. The three massive prangs represent the Hindu trinity. The stucco decorations on the towers depict guardians, garudas (large mythical birds) and naga serpents. The prayer halls were probably added when the temple was converted to a Buddhist monastery around the 14^th century.

(From the back:)

Wat Sa Si

This temple’s name means “temple of the colored pond,” and it was probably built in the late fourteenth century. The chedi is thought to contain the ashes of King Li Thai, who reigned between 1347 and 1374. On a separate island, there are the remains of the ordination hall. Not much remains of it, but what’s left is used as a seating area for the monthly sound and light shows put on at the temple during the cool season.

Wat Sorasak

According to the stone inscription of Wat Sorasak, Nai Intha Sorasak was granted a piece of land by a Sukhothai governor, where he built this temple dedicated to himself. The motif of elephants around the base of the chedi shows the influence of Sri Lankan religious architecture.

Ta Pha Daeng Shrine

During the excavation of Ta Pha Daeng Shrine undertaken by the Fine Arts Department, fragments of god and goddess images adorned with beautiful ornaments were discovered. Based on comparative studies, these finds may be connected to the Angkor Wat art style during the reign of King Suriyavarman II (1113 - 1150 A.D.) of Cambodia. This ancient monument serves as evidence for the embrace of Khmer culture and Hinduism in this area around the late 12th century AD.

Wat Mae Chon

There isn’t much information out there on this tiny wat, but apparently it is often used in stock photos.

Wat Si Chum

This "temple of the bodhi tree" was built in the late 13^th century and is one of the most photographed places in Sukhothai. The most striking feature of the temple is the large solid building (mondop) at the rear of what remains of the main prayer hall. A single narrow slit, almost the full height of the mondop, is all that pierces the structure. Through this narrow entrance, you glimpse the serene face of a single large seated Buddha image that almost completely fills the space enclosed by the building. The image is known as Phra Acana, which means “one who is not frightened.” The fingers of his right hand, which is extended down to summon the Earth Goddess, are long and delicate and have been covered in bits of gold leaf by contemporary Thais. According to legend, a Burmese army invading Sukhothai fled at the sight of this image.

(The prayer hall adjacent:)

Wat Phra Phai Luang

This is the largest temple outside the city walls, and is second only to Wat Mahathat in size. In fact, the temple is older than the city and was most likely built late in the 12^th century during the reign of the Khmer king, Jayavarman VII. The whole area is enclosed by a moat 600m long on each side, and on the way in we found some local children swimming in it.

Wat Saphan Hin

The temple's name means "stone bridge," which comes from the 300m slate stone pathway to the top of the hill. According to the inscription on the stone pillar found by the future King Mongkut at Sukhothai, King Ramkamhaeng would ride his white elephant up to Wat Saphan Hin on the full moon to pay his respects to this Buddha.

Wat Chang Rob

The pedestal of this chedi is supported by 24 elephants, although not many remain.

Wat Phra Bat Noi

This site contains a vihara enshrining Buddha footprints currently exhibited at the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum, buildings for monks to practice meditation and a large chedi base made of laterite, unique in that its body is covered in thin lines like the impression of a fishing net.

Wat Tuk

Oddly enough, this temple has never been mentioned in any documents. Only old photographs taken 90 years ago serve as evidence for these ancient monuments.
The remains of Buddha images. You can hardly make out what they are!

Wat Chetuphon

The first image you see as you approach from the east is a massive and very striking walking Buddha, a form of Buddha image which is quite rare. On the reverse side of the massive structure is a more traditional standing Buddha, while there was a seated Buddha on the north and a reclining Buddha on the south. The entire complex is enclosed by a slate wall which was carved to look like wood. There is no evidence as to when it was constructed.


So there you have it, more than you probably ever wanted to know about ancient Sukhothai. This was quite an exhausting day for us, but we are very glad we went. And next weekend is another long weekend!