Vietnam-CAMBODIA (2): Angkor Ruins

Vietnam-CAMBODIA (2): Angkor Ruins

The ancient Khmer empire, one of the most powerful in Southeast Asia during its time, is one we only get to read about in history books. Its seat was in Angkor, a majestic ancient city in Cambodia, located near what we now know as Siem Reap. It represents the Khmer empire at the height of its power, and the story it tells is one of powerful kings and towering temples, of royalty and religion. The ruins of Angkor, originally built around the early 12th century, represent some of the world’s greatest architectural wonders. 

A N G K O R  W A T

The sunrise we almost missed

The most popular of the temples around the Angkor area is the Angkor Wat, so popular that you can actually see it in the middle of the Cambodian flag. We didn’t wake up as early as originally planned, and it was already bright when we arrived. However, we were told that the sun has not risen yet and we made it just in the nick of time. 

With all the other tourists, we stood in front of the Angkor Wat, just by the moat, waiting for the sun to rise. The Angkor Wat’s 5 towers were perfectly mirrored in the moat in front of it, and as the sun slowly crept up, the orange and pink hues danced with each other in the sky. These hues, as well as the bright rays of the sun, were also mirrored in the moat, making a picturesque scene. After a short breakfast and going back to the hotel for a backup camera, we finally started our temple exploration. 

The walkway leading to Angkor Wat

The Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II as the capital of the Khmer empire. Originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, this temple complex is considered as the biggest religious structure in the world. To get to the Angkor Wat we had to walk through a very long elevated walkway surrounded by lush greeneries, and there were two structures to either side of the walkway, which we found out to be libraries. 

Apsara carvings

We also passed by the surrounding moat, where we watched the sunrise earlier. Once inside, we walked through three levels of rectangular galleries. All the levels had walls with intricate carvings of apsaras and other mythical figures. 

The Ramayana wall

There was also one very long wall which featured a bas relief of the famous Hindu epic Ramayana – chronicling one of Rama and Ravana’s battles as Rama tried to save Sita. We also saw a couple of Buddhist statues, because some parts of the Angkor Wat are currently used as places of worship.

One of the Angkor Wat's towers

At the center of the temple complex is a quincunx of towers. Four towers form the four vertices of a square, and one tower, the highest, is in the middle. We were able to climb the highest tower, which was really steep and a little scary but the view from the top was worth it. These mountain-like towers are said to represent Mt. Meru, which in Hindu mythology is where the gods resided.

A N G K O R  T H O M

Angkor Thom's South Gate

Churning the "ocean of milk"

We proceeded to the walled city of Angkor Thom, entering it through its South Gate. Establishied by King Jayavarman VII, this “great city” was the last capital of the Khmer empire. As you face the gate, the walkway is lined with a gods to the left and demons to the right. All are holding a gigantic serpent, churning the “ocean of milk” for the nectar of immortality.

Angkor Thom – The Bayon

A 4-faced stone tower

Once inside the gate of the Angkor Thom, we proceeded to its center, where the Bayon is located. Also built by King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon is a Buddhist temple with 54 gothic towers. Each stone tower is decorated with 4 gigantic serene faces, which makes the grand total of 216 identical faces in this temple alone. The faces are said to resemble the king himself, but some also say they represent the Avalokiteśvara, who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. 

Champas vs. Khmers

The outer gallery’s wall also has a gigantic bas relief, which depicts the war between the Champas and the Khmers. Some parts of the carvings also depict the everyday life of the ancient Khmer civilization – like playing chess and cockfighting. 

Angkor Thom – The Baphuon

The Baphuon

After the Bayon we walked a few meters to The Baphuon, which is a huge walled temple built by King Udayadityavarman II and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It’s a three-tiered temple mountain also said to represent Mt. Meru. We didn’t go inside the temple anymore, but the view from the outside was already majestic in itself.

Angkor Thom – Phimeanakas

The next temple we visited was The Phimeanakas, which is the only temple left in what used to be the Royal Palace grounds. The temple is quite small but stands pyramid-like as the tallest scalable temple in Angkor Thom. 

Climbing The Phimeanakas

The king's bathing pool

The temple used to be covered with a golden top, and legend also says that here lived a nine-headed serpent which can disguise itself as a woman, and the sovereign has to bed the woman every night or else danger will befall his reign. The Phimeanakas is located near two bathing pools. The bigger one is said to be for the king’s concubines and the smaller one right beside it is said to be for the king.

Angkor Thom – Terrace of the Elephants

Terrace of the Elephants

From the Phimeanakas we walked a bit more to the Terrace of the Elephants, which is a 350-m terrace and still part of the Royal Palace grounds. The terrace is decorated with elephants carved in stone, and was used by King Jayavarman VII as a giant viewing stand for the audience during the royal ceremonies.

Terrace of the Leper King

Angkor Thom –
Terrace of the Leper King

Right beside it is another terrace, which is U-shaped and 7 meters high. The walls are again decorated with intricate carvings of apsaras and other mythical creatures, and at the top of the terrace is the statue of a possibly leprous king. Some also say the statue depicts the Hindu god of death, Yama. 

T A  K E O

Ta Keo

After visiting the two terraces we proceeded to the Ta Keo, which was a gigantic five-tier pyramid temple with five towers on top. The temple mountain again represents Mt. Meru, and it is said to be the state temple of Jayavarman V. Our guide said the temple is called the unlucky, because during the time of its construction a lightning struck it, and this was considered a bad omen. From then on no other king attempted to finish its construction, and to date it remains unfinished. We saw some people climbing the gigantic temple, but by this time we were too tired and the noonday sun was shining down on us, so we decided to take a break and eat lunch at the “Eat at Khmer Restaurant.” We had another version of amok as well as stir-fried eggplant with pork. This filled our stomachs adequately and gave us enough energy to finish the rest of the tour.

T A  P R O H M

The "movie temple"

The next temple we visited was the Ta Prohm, which next to the Angkor Wat is probably the most popular of all of Angkor’s temples, owing to its use in the movie Tomb Raider. In fact, the locals call it “movie temple.”

The Ta Prohm was built by King Jayavarman VII as a monastery and university, in honor of his mother. Mostly left in its original abandoned condition, the Ta Prohm is one of the most beautiful and most interesting ruins I’ve ever seen, mostly because of the fact that it has practically blended with the jungle. 

The "silver" tree

The temple ruins coexist with a vast array of gigantic root systems, plants, trees, and moss. The giant century-old trees that surround and grow in it are beautiful. One particular kind of tree is the Tetrameles nudiflora or the Spung tree, a tree that with sunlight actually looks silver. A long time ago birds may have brought its seeds to temple roofs, where the trees grew upwards as well as downwards, because you can see its vast roots growing down and making its way through the temple cracks. 

Ta Prohm ruins

All of this, as well as the temple itself which is not exempted from beautiful carvings, make a photogenic and unique combination of nature and man-made architecture.

B A N T E A Y  K D E I

Banteay Kdei ruins up close

Southeast of the Ta Prohm is the Banteay Kdei, which King Jayavarman VII built in honor of his father. This functioned as a Buddhist monastery during the king’s reign, and like the Ta Prohm, this monastic complex is also quite dilapidated. There are towers within the temple as well, and at the center is one long walkway which we passed by to go to the other end. 

The gigantic bathing pool

S R A S  S R A N G

Upon exiting the Banteay Kdei from the other end, we walked a few meters and arrived at the Sras Srang, which was huge at 350 by 700 meters and known as the "Pool of Ablution" or "royal bathing pool.” The man-made pool, which looked more like a gigantic lake, was completed during the reign of Rajendravarman in the late 10th century.

I N  C O N C L U S I O N

Featuring: Ngov Sok

A look into other people's traditions

We only took the one-day mini-tour of the Angkor complex so we didn’t really get to see all the temples, just the important ones. Visiting all of them would take a week or so. However, we can only take in so many temples, and going through these temples without the knowledge of a tour guide can be redundant. This was where are guide Ngov Sok was very helpful. Having someone actually tell you the story behind each temple, someone who shares the same beliefs and traditions as the ones who built the temples, made the visit more meaningful.

Going through the Angkor ruins, though very tiring, was a wonderful experience. Some sights were jaw-dropping and the intricate carvings make you shake your head in awe. As we walked through the temple ruins we could only imagine the lives of the ancient Khmer civilization that once inhabited it, and the fact that some of these ruins still stand today and we were one of the lucky few who got to see it was too much to absorb. What a privilege.

A cultural experience

Our guide, upon learning how young we were, couldn’t have summarized this “privilege” more succinctly. He says he grew up in a large family and spent all his life in Siem Reap, only finishing high school and going to work straight away. As he told us about his life he was not at all bitter, in fact he seemed happy. With a smile on his face, he told us we were so lucky to have been able to go to university, study about the world, and actually SEE the world. He says we are very lucky to be able to travel at a very young age, as it is something not everyone gets to do. 

The privilege of getting to see the Angkor Wat

I will never forget this, because every word rang true. Education is something so common and valued in the Philippines that we sometimes forget how blessed we are. I first learned about the Angkor Wat and the ancient Khmer civilization back in high school, and my knowledge of it grew when I studied Asian History in university. Some people never even get to hear about the Angkor Wat, let alone see it.

As for traveling, while it’s a choice people make, we sometimes forget that there are those people who aren’t even given the means (or the freedom) to make that choice. And this is what I love about traveling. It puts a lot of things in perspective. It reminds me that I am a tiny inconsequential part of a huge amazing world. Many civilizations came before me, and many will come after me. But no matter how tiny and inconsequential I am, looking at where I am right now and the life God gave me, I am still extremely blessed.