various waterbirds, which are often
seen stalking fish among the luminous
pink lotus flowers – a Buddhist symbol
for enlightenment.
The Sukhothai Historical Park
covers a vast area of around 45 square
kilometres, home to ruins from the era
that historians consider as “the golden
age” of Thailand. The Sukhothai period
was seminal in the establishment of
Buddhism in the country, introducing
Hinayana Buddhism from Ceylon (what
is today Sri Lanka). The World Heritage
Site, recognised by UNESCO in 1991,
is a showcase of classic Thai-style
architecture, with strong influence
from Sinhalese design and Khmer art.
The impact of Indian theology is also
evident in many of the monuments:Besides the anticipated Buddha
images, carvings of Hindu gods are
abundant, owing to extensive influence
from Brahmanic deities at the time. The
kingdom also borrowed much of its art
and sculpture from the Gupta period.
That being said, Sukhothai remains
quintessentially Buddhist, and its
construction ushered in designs that
would become the prototypes of Thai
architecture: the wat, or monastery;
viharas, or temples; the stupa; and
stone imaginings of the Buddha –
sitting, walking and reclining.
The best way to explore the
historical park is by bicycle. The
landscape is, somewhat surprisingly,
a far cry from your typical Southeast
Asian jungle vegetation: Covered intop left Creatively inclined
visitors can also pay a visit to
Prasert Antique, a craft shop
that specialises in sangkhalok –
a type of ceramic ware
top right A sacred Bodhi tree in
the Sukhothai Historical Park
bottom right The best way to
explore Sukhothai is by bicycle.
Many locals still use them as
their means of transportation