If you want to learn the ancient history in a thailand tour, visit wat chaiwatthanaram, one of the mustsee attractions inside the city and worthy of the status as a unesco world heritage site. I started out early in the morning and chose to take a motorbike taxi to wat chaiwatthanaram, quite ways away. The entire complex was built according to the khmer style of architecture prevalent in the 17th century and dedicated to victory and progress, a literal translation of the name by which the temple is known. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page for more details on the projects. The brick is from wat phra sri sanphet, while the 3 other pictures are from new walkways around wat phra sri sanphet and wat chaiwatthanaram that are still being laid. Wat chaiwatthanaram is one of the legendary ancient temples to explore at the ancient ruins of ayutthaya in thailand. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fictionfantasy. Its construction was commanded by king prasat thong. The cost was a reasonable 50 baht, but i didnt plan very well. Asia, ayutthaya, thailand february 7, 2015 by xixerone. Identified by cultural historians as the structure most emblematic of buddhisms influence on thai society, the buddhist temple of wat chaiwatthanaram was. If you want to learn the ancient history in a thailand tour, visit wat chaiwatthanaram, one of the mustsee attractions inside the city and worthy of the status as a unesco world. The wonderfully designed temple has architectural influences from both hinduism and buddhism, featuring detailed edifices, towers and extensive carvings. This book is a wellresearched and longawaited comprehensive history of the most important ancient siamese kingdom.
Wat chaiwatthanaram is a buddhist temple within the ayutthaya historical park. Book your tickets online for wat chaiwatthanaram, ayutthaya. Wat chai watthanaram on old maps maps of ayutthaya with an indication of wat chai watthanaram were first published in 1724. The name wat chaiwatthanaram means the temple of long reign and glorious era. Overview of the main prang at wat chai wattanaram, with surrounding smaller prangs and towers. Jul 17, 2010 wat chaiwatthanaram is an imposing monastery located in the west of ayutthaya on the chao phraya river. Photos of tourists sporting traditional thai outfits, a trend started by a hit historical tv drama in 2017, with this temple as background are popping up on social media sites, too. Wat chaiwatthanaram in the ayutthaya historical park. Wat chai wattanaram ayutthaya private tour from bangkok.
Wat chaiwatthanaram in ayutthaya, thailand mg edwards. Wat chaiwatthanaram is a restored buddhist temple on the west bank of the chao phraya river across from ayutthaya island. The king built the temple as a means to gain buddhist merit and as a memorial to his mother. If youre going to hit only one of ayutthayas outlying sites, this is arguably the best choice. Now, than than aye is mapping conditions at wat chaiwatthanarams slender merus, eight conical masonry structures that surround the massive central tower, so that comprehensive records of conservation activities exist for the fine arts department of thailand. Wat mahathat temple of the great relics of ayutthaya in thailand. The ruins of ayutthaya, thailand the bug that bit me. River booksthames and hudson, bangkok 1996, isbn 0 500974292. The headless buddhas in ayutthaya, the burnt capital of. In 21stcentury ayutthaya, however, all that remains as a witness of its longgone glory is a handful of temple ruins, headless buddha statues and other stone and brick buildings dating back to a time when ayutthaya was the trading center of the world.
Immersive history and the 3d virtual buildings project journal of the association for history and computing 6, no. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller. Wat chaiwatthanaram is an imposing monastery located in the west of ayutthaya on the chao phraya river. A group of elephants at wat chaiwatthanaram temple in ayuthaya historical park, a unesco world heritage site elephants at wat chaiwatthanaram temple in ayuthaya elephants at wat chaiwatthanaram temple in ayuthaya historical park, a unesco world heritage site, thailand tourists with elephants at wat chaiwatthanaram temple in ayuthaya historical park, thailand wat chaiwatthanaram temple in. Wat chaiwatthanaram is a restored buddhist temple on the west. Posted in ronlifetravelapp by udharmaincense 5 points and 0 comments. The powerful past of the former siamese capital revealed in the. Mar 26, 2014 the ancient city of ayutthaya was once the capital of the kingdom of siam. Wat chaiwatthanarams series of brick and stucco towers.
It was one of the grandest monuments of the ayutthaya kingdom. King prasat thong and the building of wat chaiwatthanaram by jstor. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. About wat chaiwatthanaram a stunning buddhist temple, wat chaiwatthanaram is the place to visit if you are interested in learning more about the historical cultural of thailand. The place reminded me of taj of deccan which too was built for the same sentiments. Wat chaiwatthanaram was constructed in 1630 by king prasat thong. Identified by cultural historians as the structure most emblematic of buddhisms influence on thai society, the buddhist temple of wat chaiwatthanaram was commissioned in 1630 by king prasat thong in the traditional khmer style. This article falls within the scope of wikiproject buddhism, an attempt to promote better coordination, content distribution, and crossreferencing between pages dealing with buddhism. The king and his descendants performed religious rites here. Ayutthaya, thailand part 2 in the last travel post i started to describe what we saw in ayutthaya concentrating mainly on the city island. Wat chaiwatthanaram ayutthaya historical part i share. One of the most impressive ancient temples in ayutthaya, wat chaiwatthanaram was established in 1630 a. Posts about wat chaiwatthanaram written by jofranciszek.
If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. Wat chaiwatthanaram is a buddhist temple in the city of ayutthaya. Click here to read about wat phu khao thong, a historical buddhist monastery. Wat chaiwatthanaram was commissioned in 1630 by king prasat thong. Wat chai wattanaram was built during the later period in. It is one of ayutthayas best known temples and a major tourist attraction. The remainder will feature other sites in ayutthaya historical park, including wat phu khao thong, wat mahathat, and wat yai chai mongkon. Located on the bank of the maenam chao phraya, to the west of the city island is wat chaiwatthanaram. Wat chai watthanaram is a magnificent restored temple ruin located off ayutthayas city island in the western area in ban pom subdistrict. I have to say that bicycling is the best option around ayutthaya. Wat chaiwatthanaram temple in ayutthaya historical park.
It was built in 1629 by king prasat tong, probably on the site of his mothers cremation. The temple comprises a main prang or tower which is 35 meters tall surrounded by a. The wikiproject is also a part of the counteracting systematic bias group aiming to provide a wider and more detailed coverage on countries and areas of the encyclopedia which are notably less developed than the rest. May 01, 20 one of the most impressive ancient temples in ayutthaya, wat chaiwatthanaram was established in 1630 a. The ayutthaya kingdom was founded in 51 by king ramathibodi i, also known as uthong. The luang prasoet version of the royal chronicles of ayutthaya put its construction in 736 chula sakarat cs or 74 of the christian era, during the reign of king borommaracha i r. When i was finished looking around, i couldnt hail another bike, so i was stuck with a tuktuk. Elephants at wat chaiwatthanaram temple in ayuthaya. Wat chaiwatthanaram had been constructed by the reigning ruler prasat thong back in 1630 who held sway over the ayutthaya kingdom. King prasat thong and the building of wat chaiwatthanaram studies in southeast asian history editor. Wat chaiwatthanaram news newspapers books scholar jstor may 2019 learn how and when to remove this template. Serving as a royal temple, wat chaiwatthanaram also used to be the holy place for princes and princesses cremation.
Her ashes are enshrined in two square chedis flanking the ubosot on the east side of the. See all 50 wat chaiwatthanaram tours on tripadvisor. The powerful past of the former siamese capital revealed. The central prang is 35 meters high, and four smaller prangs are all located on a rectangular platform.
King prasat thong and the building of wat chaiwatthanaram studies in southeast asian history no. Media in category wat chaiwatthanaram the following 197 files are in this category, out of 197 total. At the height of its power, the city undertook an ambitious construction program o. At the height of its power, ayutthaya was one of the worlds largest and wealthiest cities with over a million inhabitants. This is the second in a fivepart series on ayutthaya, thailand about the temple ruins at wat chaiwatthanaram.
Built in 1630 by king prasat thong to honor his mother, wat chai wattanaram was conceived as a replica of the angkor temple. Wat chaiwatthanaram, ayutthaya historical park, thailand oc. This is where queen suriyothai and her thailand troops had a battle against myanmar when the burmese invaded here a long time ago in this world. Is virtual reality the best way to get inside the history books. I have to say that bicycling is the best option around ayutthaya because it gives you the charm of this historical place. Although a magnificent monument, for those who have seen angkor wat, the view of wat chai watthanaram will only be a far cry. The temple is situated 80 kilometers north of bangkok, within the ancient city of ayutthaya. In 1991, unesco designated the complex a world heritage site in ayutthaya historical park. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of scipess book is its focus. King prasat thong and the building of wat chaiwatthanaram studies in southeast asian history editor, john villiers fouser, beth louise on. Red inked rubber stamp top corner of half title page. Established in 1424 by king boromaraja ii, the temple was built to hold the ashes of his elder brothers, who killed each other in battle on elephant back fighting over the throne. Photo by justin gaurav murgai wat chaiwatthanaram is one of the most impressive temples in ancient ayutthaya.
Wat chaiwatthanaram is a buddhist temple in the city of ayutthaya historical park, thailand, on. There are a number of different theories for why the temple was built. It is one of the most photogenic temple ruins in ayutthaya. Many text and books tend to describe the architecture of wat chai watthanaram as being similar to angkor wat. Photos of tourists sporting traditional thai outfits, a trend started by a hit historical tv drama in 2017, with this temple as. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Do you need to book in advance to visit wat chaiwatthanaram. Plan readers publication, bangkok 2003, isbn 974 9112679. Aug 20, 2012 this is the second in a fivepart series on ayutthaya, thailand about the temple ruins at wat chaiwatthanaram. In 1991, unesco designated the complex a world heritage site in ayutthaya historical. What i enjoyed the most this trip was the textures and patterns i noticed.
Click here to read about wat chaiwatthanaram, the ruin of a former buddhist temple. The ancient city of ayutthaya was once the capital of the kingdom of siam. King prasat thong ordered the magnificent wat chaiwatthanaram to be constructed along the south bank of the chao phraya river after returning victorious from an invasion of khmer lands in 1630. Click here to read about wat yai chai mongkhon, a historical buddhist monastery. Jan 29, 2016 the ruins in this ancient city are quite spread out around town. Her ashes are enshrined in two square chedis flanking the ubosot on the east side of the temple. Rome2rio makes travelling from bangkok to wat chaiwatthanaram easy. Wat chaiwatthanaram is a buddhist temple in the city of ayutthaya historical park. Book your wat chaiwatthanaram tickets online and skiptheline. Bangkok to wat chaiwatthanaram 5 ways to travel via train. While its certainly possible to walk to some of them, given the space between the sites and the heat, i would recommend either renting a bicycle, a motorbike, or a driver for a few hours. I would like to continue doing so and at the end describe wat chaiwatthanaram and phra mongkonbophit. It was built to commemorate his mothers hometown and to celebrate his coronation.
We recommend booking wat chaiwatthanaram tours ahead of time to secure your spot. It was built by king prasat thong in 1630 and its architecture is similar to that of angkor wat in cambodia and it may have been built to commemorate the king victory over thailand neighbor. In the last travel post i started to describe what we saw in ayutthaya concentrating mainly on the city island. The headless buddhas in ayutthaya, the burnt capital of siam.
Video of wat chai wattanaram at bottom of this page. Dec 16, 2011 located on the bank of the maenam chao phraya, to the west of the city island is wat chaiwatthanaram. Wat chai wattanaram was built in 1630 by king prasat thong during the later period of ayutthaya. Wat chaiwatthanaram wikipedia, a enciclopedia livre. It will remain the standard history for anyone wishing to understand premodern thailand and southeast asia. Wat chaiwatthanaram, ayutthaya historical park, thailand. Somehow this impressive city got under the radar of school history books, to the point where its very much an unknown place to most people. Wat ratchaburana sits right next to wat mahathat, in the symbolic center of the old city. Find all the transport options for your trip from bangkok to wat chaiwatthanaram right here.
The temple ruin, one of ayutthayas most popular tourist destinations. Wat chaiwattanaram how to reach, tips, history, architecture. Its literal meaning is the temple of long reign and glorious era. Wat chaiwatthanaram lies on the west bank of chao phraya river, south west of the old city of ayutthaya. According to tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience wat chaiwatthanaram. Wat chai wattanaram is very popular among both professional and amateur photographers. Some believe that the king constructed the monastery in order to makemerit for his mother although another theory suggests that. There are 5 ways to get from bangkok to wat chaiwatthanaram by train, bus, taxi or car. Bangkok to wat chaiwatthanaram 5 ways to travel via. Rome2rio is a doortodoor travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Conservation project wat chaiwatthanaram, thailand youtube. Standing right on the river, wat chai wattanaram is, in my view, one of the most impressive of the remaining monuments of old ayutthaya. Stub this article has been rated as stubclass on the projects quality scale. After wat ratchaburna, we wanted to visit the most beautiful of the ruins, wat chaiwatthanaram, on the west bank of the chao phraya river, outside ayutthaya island.