Kingdom of Might and Magic

Wat Chaiwatthanaram

The tour that I took last weekend was called "The Kingdom of Might and Magic". It retraced the footsteps of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in Ayutthaya and Ang Thong Provinces. We saw some of the magic at Wat Muang. Now, it was time to see the might of the ancient empire.

ruins in Ayutthaya

We left the Great Buddha and drove south into Ayutthaya Province itself. There, Noi (our guide) bought us tickets to the Historical Park, and we spent time exploring the ruins of Wat Chaiwatthanaram.

an ancient Buddha statue at the historical park

The temple, the name of which means "The Temple of Long Reign and Glorious Era" was constructed in the year 1630. Wat Chaiwatthanaram was a royal temple of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, and the site where the Ayutthaya kings would perform important royal rituals. It's also the burial site of many important members of the royal dynasty.

there used to be a statue here

I've been to Ayutthaya several times before, but this was my first time to see this particular temple. It's a popular site, but a bit off the beaten track.

an ancient chedi

Ayutthaya, the ancient Siamese capital, was sacked by invading Burmese forces in 1767. After the destruction of the city, the capital was moved first to Thonburi by the short-lived dynasty of King Taksin, then across the river to Bangkok under King Rama I. 

Buddha statues at the ruins of the old temple

During the long wars between Burma and Siam, the Burmese armies frequently invaded and attacked Ayutthaya. Although they never succeeded in conquering Siam, they caused plenty of destruction. In fact, when you are in Ayutthaya, it's not uncommon to see a Buddha statue missing its head. In fact, it's quite rare to see a completely intact Buddha statue.

in Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam

The heads  of the statues were chopped off and pillaged by the invading armies. It's strange, since Burma is a Buddhist country as well. Maybe they hoped to either dishearten Siam or to steal the holy power from their rival kingdom.

ancient Buddha statue

Even though I've been to Ayutthaya several times before, I'm always fascinated by the ancient city. Growing up in the US, all of our oldest buildings are two, maybe three hundred years old. If you really look, you might find a settlement in Massachusetts, or an old Spanish fort in Florida that's four or five hundred years old. The truth is, the US is a relatively young country, and many Native American groups didn't build permanent settlements. There's just not that much old stuff in the US. I'm always amazed when I visit Ayutthaya or Angkor Wat. Every building there dates back hundreds, or even a thousand years. It's incredible to be able to touch the bricks and walk on the footpaths that the ancient kings once used.

Soon, it was time for lunch. We crossed the river by boat, and dined at a local restaurant on the riverfront.

crossing the river for lunch

Then, it was back in the bus and onward to the old Portuguese Village!

The Portuguese were the first European country to establish diplomatic relations with Siam, dating back to 1518. They were granted a piece of land in Ayutthaya to establish an embassy as well as a small village. Today, it's just a ruin, although parts of the old St. Dominic's Church still stand.

the ruins of the old Portuguese church in Ayutthaya

The church is now a historical and archaeological site. Anthropologists are currently working to preserve the skeletal remains of the Portuguese diplomats and merchants who were buried beneath the church. 

ancient crypts at the ruins of the Portuguese church

The rest of the old building has been turned into a historical museum about the early European missions to Siam.

museum at the Portuguese Village

The most interesting part to me was the little spirit house outside of the church building. Unlike most Thai spirit houses, this one was Christian! It's interesting to see how Christianity can be mixed with local Thai culture.

a Christian spirit house

You don't see things like this very often!

I've never seen one like this before

Before heading back to Bangkok, we made one last stop at the Gong Khong Market. "Gong Khong" means to duck. In the past, the market used to be short and narrow, and you had to duck between stalls. Nowadays, it's bigger.

Gong Khong Market

Gong Khong is a vintage market, and walking through there is like going back in time to the early 20th century. Prices are cheap, and it's a great place to buy Thai-style pillows, household goods, decoration, Buddhist amulets, toys, and more. The best part was that the Thai iced tea there was only 12 baht! Some of the other expats and I shared a variety of traditional snacks together before getting back on the van.

it's a very traditional vintage market

Before heading back to the city, there was one more stop to make!