Sri Ksetra and its Contemporaries: Southeast Asia’s Hidden Historical Gems

via Business Mirror, 23 December 2023: Travel piece visiting four ancient city-states and capitals in Southeast Asia, predating renowned empires like Angkor, Ayutthaya, and Bagan. These sites include the Pyu City of Sri Ksetra in Myanmar, My Son Sanctuary in Vietnam, Sambor Prei Kuk in Cambodia, and Si Thep Ancient Town in Thailand. It’s great to feature these lesser known sites, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to be touring (and encouraging tourism in) Myanmar at this time.

Before the world saw the rise of Angkor, Ayutthaya and Bagan, three powerful empires that dominated mainland Southeast Asia, there were other kingdoms that existed that we hardly hear of. The great civilizations did not just suddenly appear from thin air after all, so there must be predecessors that set the construction frenzy and served as their models.

Across the region, the period prior to the 9th century is largely not a topic of discussion and their relics are hardly appreciated, let alone visited. They simply are treated as trivial footnotes of the greater, the bigger, and the more famous.

Source: SOUTHEAST ASIA’S ‘OLD FOUR’: Sri Ksetra and its Contemporaries | Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero