The Best of Cambodia & Laos

116
SIEM REAP
6
SIEM REAP ATTRACTIONS
Angkor Thom The temple name means “the great city” in Khmer and is
famed for its fantastic 45m (148-ft.) central temple, Bayon and nearby Baphuon. The
vast area of Angkor Thom, over a mile on one side, is dotted with many temples and
features; don’t miss the elaborate reliefs on the Bayon’s first floor gallery or of the Terrace
of the Leper King and the Terrace of Elephants. The Angkor Thom Gates, particularly
the south gate, are good examples of the angelic carving of the Jayavarman head, a motif
you will find throughout the temple sites. The bridge spanning the moat before the south
entrance is lined with the gods and monsters said to have been in competition to churn
the proverbial sea of milk that would cause creation of the world. The line of statues with
the gate in the background is a classic Angkor scene.
The Bayon The Bayon is the very centerpiece of the larger Angkor Thom city,
and with its classic carved faces is one of the best loved of the Angkor temples. A magical,
eerie, and mysterious place. Bayon is a Buddhist temple built under the reign of prolific
Jayavarman VII (a.d. 1190), but the temple was built atop a previous Hindu site and
adheres to Hindu cosmology and, with its central tower depicting Meru and its oceanic
moat, can be read as a metaphor for the natural world. The Bayon is famous for its huge
stone faces, usually set in groups of four around a central prang, or tower, and each face
indicating an ordinal direction on the compass. The curious smiling faces are done in
deep relief at Bayon, and you’ll also find them in different forms at the entrance gates to
Angkor Thom, at Ta Prom, and Banteay Kdei. Their expression is as enigmatic as the
Mona Lisa. Representing compassion and equanimity, they are also said to depict Jayavarman
VII, the temple’s very builder and benefactor, himself. You approach the Bayon
along a forested area at the city center, cool and misty, where streams of light come
through in visible rays and the drone of cicadas is deafening (you might even see some
monkeys). Elephant trekkers also line the road to the temple.
The three-level Bayon is nearly square. The first level is surrounded by an intricate
bas-relief gallery depicting stories of Khmer conquests and battles, as well as daily life
and ritual among the early Khmers. A good guide can lead you to the juicy bits of the
fun story, and you can spend a good bit of time sorting out the details for yourself too
(kids love it). Look for the unique pairs of Apsara dancers on columns near the gallery
(Apsaras usually dance alone). On the South Wall, find three tiers depicting Khmer
battles with the Cham from 1177 to 1181, a battle that took place on the waters of the
Tonle Sap Lake in boats—look for the grisly images of crocodiles eating the carcasses of
the fallen. Also note the Chinese figure with beard, top knot, and lance on a horse.
Khmer soldiers ride elephants and have short hair, a spear, and a magic string for invincible
fighting; they also carry shields and banners. A good guide can point out details like
a lady crouching and getting burned on a fire and a man handing a turtle to a chef, as
well as a scene of a cockfight and soldiers sacrificing a buffalo to ensure good luck in
battle. There’s a real sense of humanity to these images.
The second level has some Apsara reliefs and porticos with lingam, but the third level
is the most interesting, the place where you can get up close with the many Apsara Faces
thought to resemble a serene Jayavarman. Each of the 54 small towers is adorned with a
face, or a number of faces, and you can have a ball with your zoom lens. There are a
number of porticos with small lingam statues, and elderly matrons sell incense sticks and
a chance to make merit by making an offering. The large central tower, or Prang, is 25m
(82 ft.) in diameter with 16 small coves for meditation of kings and high priests. In 1933,
French archaeologist George Groslier excavated the main prang only to find a massive