Angkor, Bagan, Sukhothai: The Legacy

My article on the ancient Buddhist temples of Angkor, Bagan and Sukhothai, “The Legacy”, has just been published in Asian Geographic magazine.

Here’s the synopsis:
The Legacy
Southeast Asia’s three great temple complexes are enjoying a renaissance of popularity nearly 1,000 years after they were first constructed.

The ancient temples of Angkor, Bagan and Sukhothai are Southeast Asia’s most spectacular testaments to Buddhism. Nearly a millennium old, these three sacred sites still exert a huge influence not only on the faith and society of modern day Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand, but also on the imagination of the thousands of foreign tourists who come to see them. There is something about the very appearance of Angkor Wat’s lotus chedi towers, Bagan’s vast plain of temples, and Sukhothai’s exquisite Buddha statues that moves almost everyone who comes into contact with them, irrespective of their background or beliefs. With the huge increase in tourist numbers visiting all three places, it could be said that since the beginning of the 21th century, Angkor, Bagan and Sukhothai are enjoying the largest renaissance of interest in their existence since they were abandoned or overthrown hundreds of years ago.

You can find out more at the website of Asian Geographic.

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