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The origins of Theravada Buddhism, the historic town of Sukhothai and associated towns.

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Sukhothai is 400 kilometers north of Bangkok.

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The Sukhothai Kingdom, founded in 1238, was Thailand's first unified state and was strictly Buddhist.

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The royal temple of Wat Mahathat is the largest.

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Ten meter high pillars are lined up around an image of Buddha.

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Walking Buddhas adorn the base of the central prang where the Buddha's ashes are said to have been stored.

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The carvings depict Buddha descending from the heavens and coming into contact with ordinary people,

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a form that appears in no other Buddhist monument.

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Six kings reigned during the 200-year dynasty which enjoyed its heyday under the reign of its third king, Ramkhamhang.

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A stone monument is inscribed in Thai alphabet which the king himself invented.

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It depicts how the country prospered religiously, agriculturally and economically under his rule.

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A 17 meter high statue of Buddha appears at the end of a narrow corridor.

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The space for meditation surrounded by stone walls is the Wat Sri Chum.

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The Buddha is designed in a way that its eyes meet the eyes of the people standing below.

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A rectangular window has been carved into the wall beside the giant Buddha's head.

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The walls are three meters thick.

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As visitors proceed through the narrow passage, they can see the statue's face in profile.

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Legend has it that the king spoke to his people from here.

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Sukhothai hosts the Loy Krathong festival each year.

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Lanterns in the shape of lotus flowers are floated down the river to please the great king Ramkhamhang.

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They float slowly across the water just as they did 700 years ago.