6 Must-See Angkor Wat Attractions

6 Must-See Angkor Wat Attractions

The crown jewel of traveling to Cambodia is the famous ruins of Angkor Wat, a massive temple complex with three must-see sites and three more.

Angkor Wat consists of a sprawling city and temples that served as the capital of the Cambodian empire from the 9th century to the mid-15th century. Angkor Wat is particularly known for its many temples, the most famous of which is the Angkor Wat temple. The temple is listed as a World Heritage Site and is known for its beauty and complexity. Many tourists visit Angkor Wat to admire the architecture and art of the medieval period and enjoy the historical experience.

1. Bayon Temple

The Bayon Temple, located inside Angkor Thom, is truly enormous. It is said to have been built by King Jayavarman VII for himself in the late 12th to early 13th century.
It is located in the center of Angkor Thom, so it enjoyed the status of the highest temple of the Khmer Empire. Bayon Temple is characterized by a four-sided statue, which is said to be the face of King Jayavarman VII himself. The four-faced statue is called the “Khmer smile”.

From a distance, it looks like any other temple, but as you get closer, you start to see human faces on the top. At first, I wondered why there were so many of the same faces, but when I looked closer, I realized that they all had different expressions. No two faces are actually the same, and it’s fun to look for the differences.
It’s said that a Buddhist temple was built in the late 12th century to capture the smiles of the Khmer people. There are about 200 faces in total, and it’s amazing how well they’ve been preserved to this day.

The original name of Bayon is said to be “Jayagiri.”. When Cambodia was colonized by the French, the French called the temple “Banyan Temple” because the Buddha was said to have attained enlightenment under a banyan tree. The Cambodians couldn’t pronounce banyan correctly, so they started calling it “Bayon,” and it’s said to have stuck.

2. Ta Prohm Temple

This jungle temple is often referred to as a jungle temple and is also famous for being the location of the movie Tomb Raider, starring Angelina Jolie. The trees have a very unusual growth pattern, and the trees have taken root in several places in the temple. UNESCO (World Heritage Organization) advised whether the tree should be cut down or left alone. It was concluded that killing the horizontal tree would cause the temple to collapse, so it was impressive to see how they are managing it with minimal growth inhibitors.

Please note that each temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, has slightly different opening hours and is subject to change depending on site conditions. The temple I will introduce to you today is Ta Prohm, also known as the Temple of Trees. The temple was built by Jayavarman VII, the greatest king of the Khmer Empire, for his mother. It was completed in 1186 and has been standing since then.
It is said that the east side is where the sun rises. It is open from 07:30 to 17:30

3. The Temples of Angkor Wat

This is the temple that most people think of when they think of going to Angkor Wat.
Angkor = city, Wat = temple
Angkor Wat = City of Temples

The capital city of the Angkorian dynasty, Cambodia’s most powerful. The temples are elaborate, colorful, and magnificent, measuring 1,500 meters long from east to west and 1,300 meters wide from north to south.
The main entrance is on the west side of Angkor Wat. It is said that the Hindu doctrine holds that the west, where the sun sets, is the afterlife, and that Suryavarman II wanted it to be his funeral temple.Angkor Wat was founded by Suryavarman II in the early 12th century and was built as a royal temple and the centerpiece of the capital.

It is the best preserved of the Angkorian ruins. It served as the center for all religious activities of the Khmer Empire. Initially a Hindu temple, it was dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the three main deities of Hinduism, and later, as Buddhism flourished, it was also used as a Buddhist temple, enshrining Buddha statues. Although it is a Hindu temple, it is also a Buddhist temple, making it a world cultural property.

Angkor Wat is the temple depicted on Cambodia’s flag. I heard that the reason why the buildings in downtown Siem Reap are so low is because, by law, they can’t be taller than Angkor Wat.

4. Preah Khan Temple Preah Khan

Built by King Jayavarman VII to honor his father, who converted the state religion to Buddhism, this temple is considered to be the most masculine.

The area where Prasat Preah Khan is located is where King Jayavarman VII won the war against Champa (Vietnam). He called the area Jayasuri (divine victory) and built several structures here. His father, Preah Khan, was also enshrined here.
A sword was found inside the temple, hence the name “sacred sword”, using the word preah, which means “superior, higher”.

Preah Khan means sacred sword. Preah means sacred, and Khan refers to the sword. The story goes that Preah Khan housed a sacred sword that protected the Khmer. The temple is named after this legend, but no one knows where it was kept or if it’s true.

Preah Khan is located just outside the north gate of Angkor Thom.

5. Neak Poan

Neak Poan served as a hospital to treat illnesses.
Most of the time, the temple is hidden in the forest, but this one, called Neak Poan, can only be reached by crossing a man-made lake.
The temple is stunningly beautiful as you walk through a pond of lotus flowers. It has only a round central sanctuary over a square pond. Unlike other Angkorian sites, there are no cloisters or complex buildings. However, there is plenty of religious symbolism, which makes Neak Poan even more interesting.

The water surrounding the temple reflects the sky, creating a mystical feeling of heaven and earth becoming one.

6. Baphuon

Baphuon Temple is 120 meters long from east to west and 100 meters long from north to south, with a height of 50 meters, excluding the pagoda, and 34 meters for the foundation and pillars.
The three-story temple was built in the mid-11th century and is a Hindu temple. At the end of the 13th century, the temple was converted into a Buddhist temple.
That’s why, if you look closely at the back of the temple, about halfway up, you can see a 9-meter-high and 70-meter-long statue of Wah Buddha.

The temple is being restored by a French team, but documents documenting the location of the stones were lost in 1960, so it may take several years to reconstruct the scattered stones.

A word of caution.
There were many wild monkeys at the entrance to Baphu Yon Temple. They may take food from travelers. Be careful with your belongings. They are not afraid of people.

Explore the mysterious ancient city of the East