Ayutthaya
was once one of the most beautiful cities in the world and renowned in Asia and
Europe. It was founded in 1350 by King U
Thong from Lopburi and named after the city of Ayodhya (the Indian city of King Rama
of the Ramayana). Its glorious era ended when it was raided and razed by the
Burmese in 1767. Today, it is UNESCO world heritage site.
Ayutthaya,
essentially an island, sits on a great plain at the confluence of three rivers,
the Chao Phraya, the Pa Sak and the Lopburi rivers. There are many pagodas and temples to go
about and see. The largest temple is the
Wat Phra Si Sanphet.
To
discern just how beautiful this city must have been in its heydays, you must
visit the Sanphet Prasat Palace which has been reconstructed from its ruins. This palace was where the King of Siam received
the Asian and European envoys to Siam and gave the world a glittering introduction
to Siam. The Dutch had built a trading
post in 1608 and it was destroyed by the Burmese raid of 1767. On this ruined site, the Baan Hollanda museum
was established with an initial donation from Queen Beatrix.
And of
course, you can get the usual great Thai food.
From Boat Noodles, the usual Thai dishes with rice to vegetarian food!
This
video by MrKhobKhun shows Ayutthaya in its current splendour.
And
this video on Baan Hollanda by HolidayTVThailand, gives you a good idea on the
historical links and importance of Ayutthaya to Europeans, in this case the
Dutch.
