佛影下，歲月悠長

Ayutthaya, full name Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, sits on a vast stretch of plains divided by rivers. The capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1350-1767) in ancient Thailand was home to a host of Buddhist stupas and Buddha statues, which have witnessed the rise and fall of the ancient city.

As we arrived at Ayutthaya, we were greeted by the warm glow of the setting sun across the Menam River.

The Menam River, or Chao Phraya River, is the largest of all rivers in Thailand, running from north to south through the country into the Pacif i c Ocean at Bangkok Bay. At one section in Ayutthaya, the river is embraced by a cluster of lofty stupas, which have put millions of visitors in search for what is behind.

Thais are very tolerant people thanks to the profound inf l uence of Indian, Chinese and Burmese cultures. Historically, the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya several times. The Thais absorbed elements of the Burmese culture as they fought against the invaders. A result was the construction of numerous Buddhist temples and statues in unique Khmer style.

The heart of Ayutthaya used to be the site of imperial palaces in different dynasties. It has witnessed the rise and fall of Thailand.

The old city was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong after his defeat of the Sukhothai Kingdom andwas given the name of Ayutthaya, which means“undefeatable” in Sanskrit. During the period of Ayutthaya being the Thai capital, 33 kings of different dynasties ruled the kingdom until it was almost completely burnt to the ground by the Burmese in 1767.

Instead of being rebuilt over the 200 years since, the ancient site was turned into a historical park and has been included in UNESCO's list of world heritage since 1991.

In its heyday, the metropolis housed three imperial palaces and more than 300 temples. Yet only the surviving Buddha statues really know what it was like in its golden era.

大城府（泰語阿育陀耶），是一片河道縱橫的廣闊平原。作為泰國歷史中大城王朝的都城，這里眾多佛塔和佛像見證了曾經(jīng)的繁盛過往，仿佛時(shí)光匆忙的一瞥。

抵達(dá)大城府時(shí)，天色將晚，我們與湄南河的晚霞相遇。

湄南河是泰國第一大河，自北而南縱貫泰國全境，最后在曼谷灣注入太平洋。在大城府一段，河兩岸矗立的佛塔吸引著旅行者去探索這里的歷史。

大城府的中心區(qū)域，是泰國歷史上大城王朝的古王宮所在地，這里，記載著泰國歷史上一段從繁華到淪落的往昔。

1350年，烏通王戰(zhàn)勝了素可泰王朝，在這里建設(shè)都城，以梵文“阿育陀耶”命名，語義為“不可戰(zhàn)勝”，這美好的愿望傳承了33位國王。1767年，緬甸的軍隊(duì)攻陷此城，用一把大火將完整的城市燒成一片廢墟，終結(jié)了大城王朝。

此后200多年，泰國人沒有修繕古城，而是辟為國家公園，供人憑吊。1991年，這里被聯(lián)合國科教文組織列入《世界遺產(chǎn)名錄》。

New Discoveries 新發(fā)現(xiàn)

AN ANCIENT CITY BLESSED BY BUDDHA

Text by Baihe Photos by Zhou Xingxing & CFP Translation by Leo

1. The Fight for Elephant Protection大象保衛(wèi)戰(zhàn)

2. Thai Massage皇家禮遇泰式按摩

3. The Largest Flea Market in Asia亞洲最大跳蚤市場