"Sawadika!" Welcome to Thailand, the capital of southeastern style, in a familiar greeting. It is the land of a thousand Buddhas with temples, the country of smiling people with faith, romantic and lively islands, a variety of food and enthusiastic people. Not only that, but there is also a unique history and culture worth exploring, let's take a look at it together!
Ban Ching Archaeological Site
The Ban Thanh site is located in the Udon Thani region of Thailand, from the 1960s to the 1970s, bronzes were excavated in the tombs of the Ban Ching prehistoric site, archaeologists began to think about the possibility of developing copper and bronze making technology in Southeast Asia, with the continuous deepening of the study of Ban Ching, Ban Ching is regarded as the most important prehistoric settlement in southeast Asian excavation areas, and is the center of human culture, society, and scientific and technological progress.
Through research, it was found that around 2000 BC, the inhabitants of the Banqing area had mastered the technology of bronze smelting. Around 1000 BC was the flourishing period of Ban Qing culture. During this period, the Ban Qing people made a variety of exquisite bronze bracelets, necklaces, rings and long-handled spoons. The handle of a long-handled spoon is carved with a variety of lifelike animals. Among the late bronzes, archaeologists have also unearthed collars forged from bronze with a tin content of up to 20%. Because the tin content is high and it is easy to break, it must be forged into multiple strands and twisted when making. This can prove that the Ban Qing people at this time have mastered the smelting and production technology of bronze.
The Ban Qing site has unearthed a large number of pottery of different shapes, painted with dark red patterns on a pale yellow background. Some of these patterns were freely desired and waved by ancient artists, while others were thoughtful and elaborate geometric figures, like those on the urns of ancient Greece. From the point of view of the shape, some are high vases with a very thin neck, which requires high production skills; some are short and fat tanks, but they have extremely delicate patterns on them, which seem a little incongruous. In addition, a number of portraits carved from ivory and bone have been unearthed, and dazzling bead strings made of gemstones such as glass and porcelain have been unearthed.
Ban Thanh is a small town on the Korat Plateau in northeastern Thailand that has been little known for years, and even its immediate neighbors are unaware of its existence. But ever since a prehistoric cemetery, a large number of bronze artifacts and prehistoric human remains have been discovered under its ground, this once obscure town has suddenly attracted the attention of the world and become an important page in Thailand's history.
In 1992, UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List as a cultural heritage of humanity.
Ayutthaya Historical Heritage Park
Ayutthaya Province, also known as Ayutthaya Province. It was once the capital of the Ayutthaya dynasty in Thailand's history, and the Sanskrit word for "Ayutthaya" has an impregnable and indestructible meaning, but blessings do not bring good luck to the city.
Formally established in 1350, the Ayutthaya Dynasty was the second Southeast Asian superpower after the Khmer Empire, with the capital Ayutthaya being the largest central city at the time. When the Ayutthaya Dynasty reached its peak, the war between it and Burma continued. This tug-of-war lasted until more than two hundred years ago, when the Ayutthaya was captured by the Burmese army, the entire city was slaughtered, the entire city was burned, and the court and temple were spared. The longest dynasty in the history of the Kingdom of Thailand, with all her charm and charm, came to an abrupt end in 1767 AD.
The entire site is still stubbornly standing on the pillars, I don't know which palace was once the pillar, trembling majestically in the sun, half red and half black by the fire. Together with the city walls, the foundations turned into a dark red ocean around them. These bricks, which are said to be dark red, have long been dusted, and the surface is uneven, and some have been damaged and broken. Unbroken, grainy green-black moss grew densely, meandering and dry crawling through the folds of the seam. Everything is an honest account of the burning of the fire, the scorching sun, and the erosion of wind and rain.
The three gray-and-white cement stupas in the middle of the ruins have become landmarks of the Ayutthaya ruins, built in the 15th century and not yet destroyed by time. The many small towers next to them are badly dilapidated, but they still rise into the clouds, like solemn soldiers, mighty, upright, and solemn.
The buildings here, because of the burning, have few roofs, leaving only low brick walls and foundations, which are in tatters and hidden in the sparse woods. Among the ruins are different Buddha statues, all of which have been damaged to varying degrees. In a "house" with no brick walls and only a pedestal, there are many neatly arranged Buddha statues, but they have lost their heads without exception, most likely deliberately cut off by the enemy, because these heads have been pasted with gold leaf on the outside.
When zheng he, an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, went to the Western Ocean, he visited Ayutthaya. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, a man from Poland named Bumig stopped between these red brick walls on the way from Europe to China. As the first European to introduce the achievements of ancient Chinese science to the West, he wrote famous works such as "Flora of China" and "The Key to Medicine". The bricks and stones that he once touched bear witness to the important role played by Ayutthaya in cultural exchanges and religious activities between the East and the West.
In 2021, the Ayutthaya ruins will celebrate its 30th anniversary of its successful application. It buries all the past under the quicksand of time, leaving future generations not only with the unique cultural charm and heritage of existence, but also with the spiritual sustenance and faith of the Thai nation, and the peace and tranquility that flow in the blood of thais can be found here.
Jade Buddha Temple
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, located in the northeast corner of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, is the most famous Buddhist temple in Thailand and one of the three national treasures of Thailand.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is the holiest place of Thai Buddhism, is the Guardian Temple and The Gokoku Temple of the Chakuri Dynasty, built in 1782, the Jade Buddha Temple is part of the Grand Palace of Thailand, accounting for about 1/4 of the area of the Grand Palace. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is a place where Thai royals worship the Jade Buddha statue and hold religious ceremonies, so named after the Jade Buddha enshrined in the temple.
The revered Jade Buddha is placed in the Daxiong Treasure Hall, and every summer, rainy season and winter season, the king will personally change the clothes of the Jade Buddha, and the two Buddha statues in front of the Buddha represent the first emperor and the second emperor, each of which weighs 38 kilograms of gold. The four sides of the temple are painted with frescoes, completed by Rama I before and after, and the left and right sides are works from the third and fourth dynasties, the doors and windows are square spire-shaped, the frames are covered with gold leaf and stained glass, and the door panels and window panels are wonderful works of inlaid shells.
The buildings in the Jade Buddha Temple also include the Jade Buddha Hall, the Ancestral King Hall, the Buddha Bone Hall, the Scripture Cabinet, the Bell Tower and the Golden Pagoda.
Tom Yin Gong soup
Tom Yin Gong soup is arguably one of the most famous Thai dishes, known for its sour and spicy, and is a characteristic sour and spicy soup in Thailand and Laos, also known as Dong Yan soup, which is very common in Thailand.
The soup is made with licorice, lemon, winter onion, pepper, fish sauce, etc., accompanied by a variety of seafood, and served by a Golden Charcoal Stove, which feels quite grand. And tom Yin Gong soup is extremely spicy, which also puts a lot of curry, a bite down, often sour and numb, generally put a few "prawns", so in the sour and spicy at the same time there is a stimulation to the root of the tongue deep fresh.
Legend has it that during the Thonburi Dynasty in Thailand in the 18th century, the Chinese King ZhengXin was in power, and the princess Miaoyun at that time was sick and did not want to eat anything, so King Zhengxin asked the imperial chef to make some appetizer soup for the princess. Unexpectedly, after the princess drank this bowl of soup, her whole body was comfortable and her condition was alleviated. So King Zhengxin named it Tom Yin Gong Tang and designated it as "National Soup".
As for why it is called "Tom Yin Gong" soup, it is because in Thai, "Tom Yin" means sour and spicy, and "Gong" means shrimp, so the literal translation of "Tom Yin Gong Soup" is "sour and spicy shrimp soup".
In China, Tom Yin Gong has been discovered new ways to eat, such as the combination with hot pot, sour and spicy is the best partner this winter.
Wat Mahathat
The temple in the center of Ayutthaya has the wonder of "Bodhi Holding Buddha" – the head of the Buddha blends with the big tree, which makes people exclaim wonders.
The main pagoda of Mahathat is a vegan Kotay stupa with a budded lotus in the shape of a lotus flower, which was rebuilt during the reign of King Li Tai. Originally, this was a Khmer-style stupa, but because King Lee Tai did not want to be influenced by the Khmer, he wrapped up the original Khmer Pagoda and built it on the outside into a vegan Kotaese-style stupa, which is an example of not destroying the works of the predecessors (Dynasty) can be seen all the time in Thailand, because the Thai people believe that destroying temples or Buddha statues is disrespectful to the gods, so they are wrapped up or built outside, and new ones are built outside, so the buildings will become more and more "tolerant and large".
During the annual Loy Krathong Festival, Wat Mahathat is the "main stage" of Ayutthaya, where wonderful programs such as large-scale historical dramas and court dance performances set against the backdrop of ancient ruins are staged. At this time, the Mahathat Temple is brightly lit and bustling.
Cliff Cha Mongkong Temple
The temple was built in 1592 AD and has been built for more than 400 years to commemorate the defeat of the Burmese army by King Narisuan. Behind the hall is the tallest octagonal bell-shaped stupa here, the oldest temple building in Ayutthaya.
The central octagonal stupa combines the Ceylon style and is built in the form of a round-bottomed minaret. Surrounded by a row of seated Buddhas on the platform, solemn and sacred. On the west side of the pagoda is a pure white Buddha statue, which is the scene of the Buddha preaching, surrounded by Buddhas.
To the left of the entrance, there is a "reclining Buddha", which is famous here. The 86-year-old "Journey to the West" and "Tai 囧" were filmed here. The most worth mentioning is that the cliff cha mongkong in Thai means good luck, here it is popular to press a dollar coin the soles of the reclining Buddha's feet, if successfully stuck and did not fall, it means that there will be good luck!
Panakon Kiri Historical Park
Panakhon Chiri or Khao Wan Palace is the only palace in Thailand built on a hill, located on a hill within the territory of Phetchaburi. King Rama IV of Thailand was so fond of the spirit of the mountains that he built the palace on top of the mountain and named it "PanakhonChiri", which means "City in the Mountains". Built in 1860 by King Rama IV of Thailand, it is the first summer palace in Thailand and the prototype for the Chinese royal palace in the movie Anna and the King. The view from the highest point of the mountain on the foot of the palace is good, and you can enjoy the beautiful scenery.