Angkor Wat Temple
Angkor Wat Temple ប្រាសាទអង្គរវត្ត (Naming Preah Borom Visnu Loka ព្រះបរមវិស្ណុលោក) locates a few kilometer from Siem Reap Town in Cambodia. It has been being a famous temple throughout the world since the start of discovery was conducted by French researchers in 1860. It was recognized internationally for its cultural value when Cambodia’s government registered it with UNESCO in 1992 as a world cultural heritage site which must be protected and conserved. Angkor Wat Temple was one of thousand Khmer temples had been built throughout the territory of Angkor Empire in which today include most territory of Thailand, southern territory of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. According to historical documents of Cambodia, Angkor Wat Temple, sometimes called Angkor Toch Temple, had been built from AD 1113 to AD 1150 under the reign of Khmer King Suryavarman II. Before building Angkor Wat Temple, King Suryavarman II asked Khmer architects to design the temple plan and built Beung Mealea Temple on the ground floor a few kilometers from the site of Angkor Wat Temple in order to do the experiment for building good temple as Angkor Wat Temple. It should be noticed that Beung Mealea Temple was built before Angkor Wat Temple; it had the temple plan and sculptures exactly the same as Angkor Wat Temple, but nowadays it is in the worse condition than Angkor Wat Temple.
After the fall of Angkor Empire, Angkor Wat Temple was completely abandoned as most people were lost and the infrastructure was serious damaged (especially water irrigation system) through the war period. Some of Angkor residents were ordered by Siam army to leave Angkor City for Siam State (Thailand) as war slaves during Angkor City was conquered by Siam army several times in 14th century; some residents were killed throughout this city and only few people left. As the peace had been kept for next century, people gathered to live in this city again and became one of the main cities in Cambodia, especially in Longvek Era of 16th century. During that time, Angkor Wat Temple was in the glorious time again in which it was transformed to be Buddhism Pagoda for local people. However, later it was abandoned again while Cambodia lost the war and Siam army conquered Longvek Capital (in Kompong Chhnang today) in 1594 by using trick of Prak Duong (Duong Currency). Since then people were under bad condition while almost everything was robbed by Siam army and they also moved Khmer people near Angkor City to Siam State as war slaves again. Only few people survived through the escape to live in forest and came back to live near Angkor Wat Temple; but they lived quietly without contact with other residents in Kingdom and protected Buddhism by building small pagoda and houses from generation to generation inside Angkor Wat Temple until French researchers’ discovery over this temple. People living there usually played Pin Peat music (Khmer traditional music) every night with Khmer musical instruments to alert people for Golden Age of Angkor Empire. According to the speech long time ago of old people living in other part of Siem Reap who did not have a contact with these people considered them as hidden citizens left from Angkor generation or spirit of Tep Apsara and said that they always heard the sound of PIN PEAT from forest of Angkor City. After everything of Angkor Wat Temple was enclosed with the discovery, people of Siem Reap started to practice Buddhism in this place again and usually celebrated the national ceremony with traditional dance, free boxing (funny), etc. People from different provinces of Cambodia and some foreigners started to visit this temple more and more.
Then the black period of Pol Pot Regime came in 1975, people were kept out of sight on Angkor Wat Temple, except few soldier of Khmer Rouge army. Few decades of local war influenced from two different ideologies was finished; Angkor Wat Temple has been being recovered for its beauty until now. Today, there is a clear view on this wonderful temple among green forest in Ancient Angkor City. Angkor Wat Temple is surrounded by large water system and connected to the outsides through two bridges: front Naga Bridge & other bridge at the back. In front of Angkor Wat Temple and outside the surrounding water, there are two big lakes along the road towards the Naga Bridge and two small lakes along Naga Bridge inside this temple. There are two libraries near those two small lakes. The front gate of Angkor Wat Temple consists of three sharp towers (now broken) with smiling Apsara on the wall. With large area, territory of Angkor Wat Temple is believed to be a living city for Khmer people. It is expected that there were thousands of Khmer people living there. In the middle of this site, there are nine sharp towers of the temple; but only five of them are seen as unbroken towers. In side of this temple, there is the great place for thousand Buddhism statues and a storage place of water on the top floor. Most interesting spot of Angkor Wat Temple is the wall which has million of smiling Apsara dancing with flower on their hand and the greatest sculpture of Khmer art in second surrounding temple such battle of Lanka, historical gallery of Suryavarman II, heaven and hell gallery, charming of the sea of milk, victory of Vishnu over Asuras, battle of the gods, and so on. “Tourism at Angkor Wat Temple, the wonder of the world, is so fascinating!” “Come and see it!”
By: POK Panhavuth
