Fodor's Expert Review Wat Sra Sri

This peaceful temple sits on two connected islands within a lotus-filled lake that supplied the monks with water and served as a boundary for the sacred area. A Sri Lankan–style chedi dominates six smaller chedis, and a large stucco seated Buddha looks down a row of columns, past the chedis, and over the lake to the horizon.

Especially notable is the walking Buddha beside the Sri Lankan–style chedi. The walking Buddha is a Sukhothai innovation, and the most ethereal of Thailand's artistic styles. The depiction of the Buddha is often a reflection of political authority, and is modeled after the ruler. Under the Khmers, authority was hierarchical, but the kings of Sukhothai represented the ideals of serenity, happiness, and justice. The walking Buddha is the epitome of Sukhothai's art; he appears to be floating in air, neither rooted on Earth nor placed on a pedestal above the reach of the common people.