The people at UNESCO World Heritage do a pretty fantastic job of assessing, inscribing and protecting natural and cultural heritage sites around the world, so that we - the people of this wonder-full world - can gain knowledge and inspiration from the humanity of the past, appreciate its value in the present and help protect our cultural and natural inheritance for the benefit of future generations.
Southeast Asian Cultural World Heritage
Those visiting Southeast Asia are in for a World Heritage treat! With numerous World Heritage sites in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia and Thailand, inquisitive travellers are not only spoilt for choice, they will also find themselves on the doorstep of some of the most outstanding World Heritage on the planet. Visit one cultural site and a door into the fascinating world of Southeast Asia –past and present – will begin to creak open. Visit all ten cultural sites and begin to uncover the evolution of one of the most intricate and spellbinding cultural tapestries the world has ever known.
Southeast Asia’s Ancient Kingdoms
Central to the evolution of Southeast Asian culture, the Khmer Empire (9th-14th centuries) and the first Kingdom of Siam (13th-15th centuries) played the most significant roles in shaping the Southeast Asia of present day. The physical legacy of these two great kingdoms can be found at the famous UNESCO World Heritage sites of Angkor, in Cambodia (the ancient capital of the Khmer Kingdom) and at Sukhothai, the ancient capital of the first Kingdom of Siam. Here to assist visitors with a little background to these two monumental heritage sites is a brief historical introduction, that may just aid the curious explorer in opening the mind and letting the awe inspired imagination run wild.