ANGKOR THOM

ANGKOR THOM was founded by King Jayavarman VII, one of the most important figures of the Khmer Empire. He was a Buddhist, and during the time of his reign oversaw a wholesale conversion of the Khmer people from Hinduism to Buddhism. He was a great believer in public works, creating schools, hospitals, and reservoirs. He is also famous for resurrecting the Khmer Empire following Cham invasions, and creating a glorious new capital city – Angkor Thom – which was the central hub for a population of around 1 million.Angkor Thom remained the capital of the Khmer Empire throughout its decline – and was probably fully abandoned in the 16th century. It is now, as with the other temples in the Angkor Park, a World Heritage site. The city of Angkor Thom is surrounded by a wall, 8m high and 12km long, with five gates (two in the eastern wall). The entrances to some of the gates are lined with statues of gods and demons holding nagas, and the gates themselves are adorned with the face of Avalokiteshvara, the goddess of compassion (although it’s thought they also strangely resemble King Jayavarman VII). The wall itself is circled by a 100m wide moat. Bayon is in the center of this area, with Baphuon slightly to the west, and some of the smaller temples further north. The stunningly intricate Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King are to the north of Bayon.

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#Source: SIEMREAP.NET

បន្ទាយ ក្ដី (BANTEAY KDEI TEMPLE)

BANTEAY KDEI was built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries under the reign of Jayavarman VII. The temple was created in a very similar architectural style as Bayon, Ta Prohm and Preah Khan. However, it is small in size compared to other Angkor temples. The layout of the temple is three enclosures within an outer compound wall. The inner enclosure is lined with galleries that run along its axis and lead to the main temple. Unfortunately, it was built with a poor grade of sandstone and construction methods were inferior compared to other Angkor temples. The very deteriorated condition today is evidence of that. However, ongoing renovation is being conducted in order to restore much of the original condition of the temple. An interesting part of its style is that its gates are adorned with the same face towers, also called gopuras, as Angkor Thom‘s 5 gates. The most agreed upon theory among historians is that the face towers as Jayavarman VII’s signature, and represent both himself and the god Lokesvara (also known as Avalokiteshvara). Another interesting similarity between Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm is the hall of dancers located just before the entry way on the temple’s east side. It is decorated with apsara dancer bas-reliefs and a seated Buddha that watches over the corridor. Within the courtyard, if you look up at the towers, you can see the historic and interesting devatas. These designs are well-preserved in comparison to the rest of the ruins. As stated earlier, the lack of crowds is extremely refreshing. Being in an ancient temple alone and in peace is a very spiritual experience compared to elbowing your way through a crowd of gawking photographers. If you seek a good location to watch the sunrise, Banteay Kdei is an excellent choice along with its neighbor Srah Srang. The experience of entering the temple is great, as a Buddhist monk or nun guards a small shrine located near the entrance. A blessing and donation are not expected, so do not feel obligated to interact with the monk or nun if you do not wish. Photo opportunities abound at Banteay Kdei, with its labyrinth of overgrown halls and courtyards.
A good strategy for enjoying the Angkor park the most is to begin with a sunrise tour of Banteay Kdei and return to the more popular main temples within Angkor later in the day after crowds have died down. If you hear an extremely loud chirping sound, it’s not a car alarm. It is a species of cicada known for its loud noises, making the jungle surrounding Banteay Kdei almost deafening at times. Also, within the shadowy corners of the temple hang very rare kinds of arachnids, whose colorful bodies make for excellent photos. Banteay Kdei is located within Angkor Archaeological Park, so a temple pass is needed to visit. It is also part of the small circuit, which is a 17-kilometer loop that contains all of the “must-see” temples within Angkor Park. Banteay Kdei is located opposite of Srah Srang, which is an ancient and historic man-made reservoir (also known as the “royal bathing pool”). The total one-way distance from Siem Reap is about 10.5 kilometers (or approximately 6 miles). This is a 15-minute tuk-tuk journey or about one hour by bicycle. Tuk-tuk or bicycle are the best options for visiting Banteay Kdei. The “small circuit” is on completely flat ground and is very reasonable to tour on bicycle from Siem Reap city center. For more transportation options, see the Getting Around page. Also note that you should allot 30-60 minutes to explore this fascinating set of
ruins.
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#Source: SIEMREAP.NET

PRE RUP

The temple attracts visitors at sunrise and sunset, due to the reddish tint to the structure. The combination of brick, laterite and sandstone means that morning rays of sun, or a sunset glow, catch the stonework’s unique hue. Its situation on a plain ensures that temple views are unfettered by encroaching jungle or foliage. Use of grey sandstone, a less durable material than the stone used in most temples built at that time, means that the weather-worn structure’s decay has been accelerated. Despite their gradual fading state, it’s possible to walk the series of long galleries and libraries – a typical feature of 10th Century architecture and never again seen in temples built after Pre Rup’s completion. Visitors can still see lion statues guarding, lintels, 
Kavindrari-mathana, doorways and colonettes in stone,with decorative work in lime mortar. The architect, designed gopuras, cross-shaped openings, in each wall, and each featuring three doorways. Later buildings were added during the time of Jayavarman V. The legendary stone ‘cistern’ lies in the central enclosure. This is assumed to be the base for a bronze statue of Nandi that was once housed there, rather than for use in cremation ceremonies, as was a popular belief in later times. The symmetry of the city’s square layout is further emphasised by the square-based pyramid in its centre, consisting of three tiers, reaching 12 metres height. The lower tier is surrounded by 12 small shrines, and the top tier features five towers; one in each corner and one central tower. A two-tiered platform supports this central tower, now crumbling, but impressive for its scale and endurance nevertheless. The eagle-eyed may spot false doors. The only real door can be seen on the tower’s east side, guarded by carved Deities.

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BAPHUM TEMPLE

The Baphuon temple is the prototype for the Baphuon style of design which covers every available surface with intricate carvings. These carvings include both realistic and fanciful depictions of lotus flowers, wild animals and hunters, devata figures, and men in battle. There are also carvings with indirect references to Hindu mythology and scenes illustrating epic poems such as the Ramayana. The sandstone temple-mountain symbolically represents the sacred five-peaked Mount Meru important in both Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. There are three enclosures in the Baphuon temple complex, and the main structure is situated on a high base. With the bronze tower that was part of the original structure it would have been roughly 50 meters high, but without this tower it stands 34 meters tall.
This magnificent temple was built by King Udayadityavarman II in the middle of the 11th century, before the city of Angkor Thom was established. Originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, it was converted into a Buddhist temple in the late 15th Century, and a huge reclining Buddha (nine meters tall by 70 meters long) was added to the west side of the temple’s second level around this time.

Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Baphuon was built on a too-soft foundation of sandy soil which proved to be inadequate for such an immense structure. This shaky foundation caused the temple to be unstable for most of its history, and it is very likely that large portions had already collapsed by the time it was converted to a Buddhist temple. The stones from the collapsed portion of the structure were utilized in the creation of the reclining Buddha, which is one of the largest in Southeast Asia.By the early 20th century, Baphuon was on the verge of complete collapse. A massive restoration project began in the 1960s, which involved dismantling the temple stone by stone, reinforcing the foundation, and then re-assembling the structure. 300,000 blocks of stone were labelled and numbered, and carefully arranged in the 10 hectares surrounding the temple site, waiting to be put back together. Unfortunately, the project was abandoned when civil war broke out in 1970, and the plans identifying the stones’ intended location were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. A second restoration project, which came to be known as the largest three dimensional jigsaw puzzle in the world, was launched in 1996 under the guidance of the architect Pascal Royère. Modern technology greatly aided in the process, but it still took 16 years to complete the puzzle. The lighter colored stones are the restored pieces. We are truly fortunate to be able to visit this remarkable site, and owe a debt of gratitude to the hundreds of workers responsible for reconstructing this magnificent temple.
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BAYON TEMPLE

Bayon Temple is distinctly different from Angkor Wat and other temples in the Angkor complex and it has undergone numerous​ modifications and additions during its history. Unlike the magnificent façade of Angkor Wat, Bayon doesn’t look terribly impressive from a distance. You can’t fully appreciate its beauty until you enter the temple.
Most of the Angkor temples are constructed with features oriented in the four cardinal directions, but Bayon’s face towers seem to point every which way. While most of the towers do have four faces, some have only two or three, while the central tower has many more. The number of

face towers is seemingly random, and there is some dispute about how many towers were included in the original design of the temple. Some believe there were 49, and others say it was 54. One theory holds that there was one tower for each of the 54 provinces in the Khmer empire at the time of the temple’s construction, symbolically keeping watch over all the inhabitants of the kingdom. However, the ravages of time have left only 37 of the towers standing today. There are two richly decorated galleries which serve as enclosures to the temple – the outer gallery depicting scenes from battles and other historical events as well as images of everyday domestic life, and the inner gallery primarily illustrating mythological tales. The beautiful bas- relief carvings feature an astonishing level of detail, including more than 11,000 figures. The inner gallery, added by the Hindu King Jayavarman VIII, is elevated above ground level, and the upper terrace, which holds over 200 of the famous giant faces, is one level higher. A circular central tower rises 43m high.

Bayon was the last state temple built in the Angkor complex. The great Buddhist ruler, King Jayavarman VII, began its construction near the end of his life – sometime in the late 12th or early 13th century. Originally intended to be a Mahayana Buddhist temple, it was altered during the reign of King Jayavarman VIII when the empire briefly reverted back to Hinduism in the mid-13th century. The temple underwent further modifications under the Theravada Buddhist kings in later years.
The most distinctive feature of Bayon is the subject of some disagreement among historians. Some believe that the tranquil faces are meant to represent the Bodhisattva of compassion known as Lokesvara, and in fact, the host of tranquil visages is often referred to as the “200 faces of Lokesvara”. Others believe that the faces are portraits of King Jayavarman VII, and indeed, they do bear a striking similarity to other statues of the king. Both hypotheses may be true, as many Khmer rulers regarded themselves as “god-kings”.

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PREAH KHAN TEMPLE

Preah Khan was built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII, with the goal of honoring his father, King Dharanindravarman II. It was once an important temple complex that simultaneously served as a city, a temple, and a Buddhist university. One of the most interesting aspects of the temple is the Preah Khan stele, which is a carving 2 meters by 0.6 meters that features inscriptions on all four sides. It was discovered in 1939 by Maurice Glaize, the French conservator of Angkor. It contains a large amount of information about the history of Preah Khan. It includes an invocation to Lokeshvara and Prajnaparamita. It also pays homage to the three jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dhamma (Buddhist teachings), and the Sangha (the Buddhist community). It contains praise for king Jayavarman VII and includes details like the name of the city within the complex, Nagara Jayasri (the Holy City of Victory). Population information on the inscription lists the number of inhabitants of the temple city at 100,000. This includes rice farmers, monks, and dancers. An accounting of the treasury of the Kingdom is also listed, which included silver, gems, and gold.Since 1991, Preah Khan has been undergoing a restoration and maintenance project. The project is managed by the World Monuments Fund and was the first of its kind after the end of Cambodia’s devastating civil war, which took place between 1967 and 1975.

Preah Khan’s architecture is intricately decorated, especially the outer wall, which is adorned with five-meter-tall Garudas that are frozen in battle with fighting Naga snakes. A moat surrounds this outer wall. There are four gates that allow entry into the temple complex, and each has a causeway over the moat. The main entrance is the eastern one, where there are the ruins of a small landing stage for boats, and two lions standing guard. This pier lies on the western bank of the Jayatataka Baray. From here, the King would depart by boat to the Neak Pean temple at the center of the reservoir. On the north side of the complex is a House of Fire, which was created in a style similar to the houses of the same name located at Ta Prohm and Banteay Chhmar. Historians speculate that these houses probably functioned as rest houses with fireplaces for travellers. The complex consists of four enclosures. Long ago, wooden houses of servants and villagers could be found along the edge of the fourth enclosure, or the outer wall.Also similar to Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei, Preah Khan has a stunning and majestic Hall of Dancers. This is within the third enclosure and located just beyond the Gopura of the east entrance. Just above the entrance doors are beautiful and meticulously carved Devatas. The second enclosure has only a narrow gap between it and the first, and it contains six sanctuary buildings on the eastern side of the temple. The first enclosure, also called the inner sanctuary, is the most sacred part of the temple. Buddha images cover the walls, and small chapels line the small space, as do tombs.

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MEETING ON KAMPOT SEA FESTIVAL STRATEGY

Phnom Penh: During the meeting on August 26 in preparation for the 8th Round of Sea Festival in Kampot, Tourism Minister HE Dr. Thong Khon has instructed the task force to set up a new tourism destination and invest in a 500 hectare island off the coast. He appreciated the tourism potential of the island because of its close proximity to Vietnam.In a meeting to prepare the tourism event smoothly, the government decided to set up an inter-ministerial committee to prepare for the Sea Festival. Among them are HE Dr. Thong Khon, the President of the Council of Ministers, and the Vice-President and Member of the Association. At the same time, the Ministry of Tourism has introduced a number of recommendations to each sub-committee, including:
- In order to identify Kampot as a model province in the preparation of the Food Sreet, HE Dr. Thong Khon instructed the team to speed up the preparation of Food Street in time for the upcoming Sea Festival by establishing infrastructure in the Food Street area. The city has to be orderly, beautify the streets and houses, especially the residential areas of the French era, near the street.
- While the construction of the Kampot tourist port is under way, the Minister urged the construction of a new road to the new port in order to serve tourists.
- For the plan to create a new Kampot beach, HE Dr. Thong Khon recommends taking a lot of sand to set up services, latrines and safety upgrades, especially for sustainability.
- It is necessary to improve the quality of water transport services such as the construction of a boat port on the Kampot canal. The waterway police force have to strengthen the work.
- His Excellency has recommended to restaurant owners that the restaurant must be listed and its service schedule to continue to improve hygiene. There is a “no-trash-under-the-table” restaurant campaign to stop littering.
- Increasing the training of tourist guides and strengthening their capacity to respond to the increasing number of tourists who are visiting Kampot.
- Tourist resorts in Kampot Province need to improve services, proper waste management, and parking.
- Increasing the road to some of the key resorts in the province, such as Phnom Kampong Trath, Phnom Chhouk, Pepper Vineyard, and more.
- Be sure to have plenty of entertainment on the Bokor Mountain, because Bokor is an attractive tourist destination.
- To develop a new tourist destination on the island of more than 500 hectares. Kampot. He appreciated the tourism potential of the island because of its close proximity to the sea with Vietnam.
- Be careful in order to protect the security of order and avoid traffic jams, and to be careful in order to protect the security of the public, especially when traveling to Bokor Mountain.

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Bakheng Temple

Phnom Bakheng was constructed more than two centuries before the Angkor Wat. It is a Hindu temple originally built in the form of a temple mountain dedicated to Shiva. Historians believe that Phnom Bakheng was in its heyday, the principal temple of the Angkor region. It was the architectural centerpiece of a new capital that Yasovarman built when he moved the court from the capital Hariharalaya in the Roluos area located to the southeast. Located atop a hill, this is the most popular tourist spot for sunset views of the much bigger Angkor Wat temple which lies amid the jungle about 1.5 km away.

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Bakong Temple

Bakong Temple: Distance from Siem Reap to Bakong Temple is around 13.5km (20 minutes by car, 30 minutes by Tuk Tuk) from Siem Reap. Take NR6 from Siem Reap town towards Phnom Penh, for about 12km, turn south for about 1km to Bakong. You can visit Bakong temple at any time of the day, but late-afternoon is a good time to see the temple with relatively few crowds, with the possibility to enjoy the sunset there
Bakong Temple is another member impressive temple of  Roluos Group (Bakong, Lolei and Preah Ko Temple), sitting at the center of the first Angkorian Capital – Hariharalaya. Bakong Temple stands 15 meters tall and is 650x850m at the outer wall. Constructed by the third Angkorian-era king as his state-temple. Bakong Temple represents the first application of the temple-mountain architectural formula on a grand scale and set the architectural tone for the next 400 years. The temple displays a very early use of stone rather than brick. Though begun by Indravarman I, Bakong received additions and was expanded by later kings. The uppermost section and tower may have been added as late as the 12th century AD. Some of the lintel carvings, particularly on the outer towers, are in very good shape. Picturesque moat and vegetation surround Bakong Temple.

Bakong Tour Note

You can visit Bakong temple at any time of the day, but late-afternoon is a good time to see the temple with relatively few crowds, with the possibility to enjoy the sunset there. A Bakong Temple plan can be useful for orientation, and for highlighting key sights. Both Lolei and Preah Ko are a few minutes drive from Bakong, as well as the seldom-visited Prasat Prei Monti and Prasat Trapeang Phong – refer to our Roluos map. An expert local tour guide from Siem Reap will ensure you get the very best from your visit and the journey between Siem Reap and the site.

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ANGKOR ELEPHANT RIDES

Angkor Elephant Rides is one of the popular Siem Reap’s attractions. It is now becoming the more and more popular way of visiting Angkor Wat and many of surrounding temples. You will understand how the elephant has been a very important role in the creation of fabulous Cambodia temples. The elephant has been used by many kings and queens as they have traveled to and from the temples and has even helped to construct those same temples. Unfortunately,the elephant has also been used by soldiers in wartime. The elephant is a highly regarded and respected animal, and one of our main concerns, at Adventurous Asia, is to educate the people of Cambodia to preserve and sustain the elephant, and all wildlife, especially those that have become endangered because of warfare. An Elephant ride in Siem Reap is a great way to soak up the atmosphere under the shade of the huge trees and also offers a different view on the temples. The first elephant ride starts in the morning at 08:00 from the South Gate of Angkor Thom to the Bayon Temple. The elephants is located next to the Bayon Temple for rides around Bayon temple. The last elephant ride is at 10:30 from Bayon Temple back to the South Gate.

The Bayon is the most impressive temple in Angkor Thom city and is really one of the most spectacular ruins of Angkor, its gigantic smiling faces looking at different directions, so the elephant ride around the Bayon is an interesting and meaningful ride to explore the faces and see its huge scale from outside.

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Source By Cambodia Tourism

Ancient Hindu rock carvings in Phnom Kulen

The scenic northern section of Phnom Kulen National Park was once the site of ancient city of the Khmer Empire Mahendraparvata, or
Mountain of the Great Indra. Today, the long gone city’s splendour lives on in stunning rock carvings depicting Hindu deities.
Hidden in the forest, the 11th century carvings have a wonderful history that attracts archaeological students and tourists curious about the ancient city. In Hindu-Buddhist belief, people consider mounds, cascades, valleys, storms, rain, thunder and spirits as guardians that look after forests and villages.

Overhanging rocks on mountains are also believed to be a sacred place to have temples or shrines, and though they are rare, carvings and ancient inscriptions of deities in such locations can still be found today. Among the already discovered carvings is Poeung Komnou, or Poeung Keng Korng, on the northern side of Kulen Mountain. It is located in Ta Siem commune’s Trapaing Toem village in Svay Leu district. There are several carvings depicting beautiful scenes from the Khmer Empire during the 11th century rule of Harshavarman III

The first one is an oval shaped rock depicting the Hindu God Vishnu sleeping on Adishesha (king of all nagas).
The second rock carving is located in front of Vishnu and depicts an eight-handed Ganesha (the Hindu God with an elephant like head)
surrounded by three columns.
The third carving depicts many deities in green with inscriptions and animals, including Vishnu, Vamana and Shiva. About 40m from that carving is the fourth rock, Vishnu on a Garuda. “We know that stones to build Angkor Wat were brought from quarries at the base of the nearby Kulen Mountain. The temple was built with between five million and 10 million bricks, some weighing up 1,500kg per piece,” said Meas Sovannaroth, a tour guide from Siem Reap.
Plants and wild flowers blossom in rainy season on the green rock carvings. But today, some of the overhanging rocks on which the carvings are etched sit precariously.

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The Art of War in Siem Reap

Siem Reap: About 20,000 decommissioned weapons have been transformed into sculptures at the Peace Museum of Mine Action in Siem Reap province.
On June 19, 2019, the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) revealed the artworks to educate the younger generation about tragedy of the country’s wartime past.
Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodian Mine Action Center, told reporters that the weaponry was broken three weeks ago. CMAC took samples of about 20,000 rifles to be turned into art and exhibited at the museum in Siem Reap.

The design of these guns, such as elephants, trees, maps, and clocks, aim to show these weapons of war can be made into peaceful objects.
If the guns are destroyed, they will lose the evidence to show the younger generation the war issue in Cambodia, but this project highlights the war, while promoting peace.

He said that an elephant was designed from nearly 5,000 old guns, while two were made from other former explosive devices that were kept in the museum.
These elephants will stand by the young generation to understand the strength and materials of the civil war in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
According to the museum staff, CMAC has an agreement with the National Police to accept old guns and ammunition for recycling purposes.

Source by: CNE

Kep Sea Port Plans

Kep: The Royal Government of Cambodia has announced plans to construct a tourist seaport in Kep province to serve the transport of international and national tourist arrivals.
Observing the growing influx of international and local tourists in Kep, the Cambodian Government and the Ministry Public Works and Transport are discussing the construction of a port in Kep. The project is in the process of seeking funding for implementation. According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Kep sea tourism port project is a state-sponsored project and the Ministry of Economy and Finance are discussing budget expenditures to implement the project. Because Sihanoukville and soon Kampot have a port for sea tourism, the ministry has proposed plans to build a tourist port in Kep to serve smaller numbers and reduce pressure on Kampot.

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Khemarak Phoumin Koh Kong Airport Plans

Koh Kong: The old airport in Khemarak Phoumin City, Koh Kong Province, virtually abandoned since 2001, may be resurrected, according to reports. The government has allowed in principle the right to improve and develop the airport by granting investment rights to Thai airline Bangkok Airways.This is the second airport plan in the province, in addition to the Chinese-owned Dragon Star airport in the south scheduled to open next year.

Source By: CNE