ayutthaya: kingdom of retrospect
Thai history was never my strongest suit, so when I visited the former capital of Siam with my girlfriend this past weekend I had to do a fair bit of reading to catch up on the surrounding lore. The city as it stands today is a mere echo of its past glories, having been set ablaze and utterly destroyed by the Burmese empire of the Konbuang dynasty in 1767. Though you might sense the rich history and legacy of this once-great city, the city as it stands today bears little-to-no resemblance to its past splendor.
My second ever visit to Ayutthaya had me recounting its history and the various cycles of chaos and order to my girlfriend who wished only to try the delicious traditional desserts and food that were unique to the city (such as Roti Sai Mai). As we strolled through the remarkably well-preserved ruins of old, a few thoughts came to mind - it occurred to me that the city never really meaningfully developed beyond its echoes, it never became anything other than what its identity was built upon. The past. It troubled me that the city never became anything other than what it once was, entirely dependent on tourism but never becoming anything more.
That being said, the locals are proud of their heritage. They are proud to call this city home. It might be strange to call Ayutthaya a city when the population is a mere 50,000 people, which may as well be a small town, but this will never take away the legacy of grandeur from those who live there. From the incredible sprawl of Wat Mahathat and Wat Ratburana to the impeccably preserved Buddhist ruins of Wat Yai Chai Mongkon, there are few other opportunities to observe such stunning Buddhist architecture outside of India from 700 years ago.
History is a beautiful thing. The more time passes by, the more you appreciate the resilience of the things that continues to endure its uncompromising test. These structures re a valuable part of our history as humans. They are a testament to our genius as peoples and we can only be thankful to have a past to compare to. Last weekend, I visited the BACC in Bangkok where they hosted some rather interesting exhibits, predominantly exhibits which delved into the experiences and psyche of those who manifested them. But the one I wanted to touch on in this case was a section containing photography from the reign of King Rama V from over 130 years ago. This was a period of cultural transition during which Siam had tried to evade the grasp of European colonialism by the likes of Great Britain and France. It made me think about how Siam had effectively abandoned its past while glorify its history, its legacy. The fall of Ayutthaya had precipitated the rise of Thonburi and Bangkok as the subsequent capitals but Ayutthaya's destruction was so absolute that we never looked back. To this day, Bangkok is the only city in Thailand that could be called a modern city - there really is no comparison. As a result, the only people who ever had the pleasure of living in a "developed society" are the people who were part of this change while others have effectively been left behind.
When we think of the great capitals of the world, perhaps those of Rome, Constantinople, Beirut, Damascus, and Jerusalem. These are all cities that stand to this day in all their splendor and while Ayutthaya is no Athens, I think we can look back a little and treat the past with more kindness.
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