Sited inside the architectural complex of the Khmer Empire, Angkor had been constructed from the 9th to the 15th century with aim of creating a Hindu temple, before transforming into a Buddhist place of worship.
By the way of using satellite imaginary, some scientists explained why the construction of Angkor Wat was capable of carrying out. The answer was that ancient Khmer people dig a canal 34km long to transport stone from mountains to the construction area of the temple.
This enormous structure was built of 5 million tons of stone and within 35 years. As the icon of Cambodia and also pride of the Cambodian, it has appeared on the country’s national flag since 1850.
Angkor Wat has a perimeter of nearly 6km and an area of barely 200ha. Its main tower rise a height of 65m. It is the unique temple mountain in Cambodia featuring the main entrance oriented to the west, the direction in which the sun goes down.
The temple was built in the shape of a pyramid. Its central quincunx of five towers symbolizes the five peaks of Mount Meru, a sacred mountain Hindu cosmology, with three sets of steps leading up to the gopuras represent for three levels: the lowest set represents for hell or underground, the middle one represents for earth, and the highest one stands for heaven where deities live.
Angkor Wat was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1992, becoming the cultural icon of not only Cambodia but also Southeast Asia and over Asia.
Sunrise is the best time in day that Angkor Wat is most beautiful. Every day from 5 a.m, hundreds of travelers flock to two sides of the lake in front of the temple to contemplate dawn.
The entrance fee of Angkor Wat has several different kinds: $20 for one day, $40 for three days and $60 for seven days. Visiting hours are 5:00AM - 6:00PM. Angkor Wat closes at 6:00PM, Banteay Srey closes at 5:00PM and Kbal Spean at 3:00PM. While visiting, always carrying the ticket because it will be checked upon each park entry and at major temples.
Angkor Wat was translated as “Temple City” or “City of Temples”.
Its bas-reliefs proceed in a counter-clockwise direction, an evidence for the view that it served as a funerary temple, concluded via the truth that the temple is oriented to the west rather than the east like most Khmer temples.
Every year, Angkor Wat attracts 50% of foreign tourists travelling to Cambodia.
The most original trait of this temple is the sculptural paintings on the wall of the gallery in the first floor. This is one of the largest and longest carved-stone frescos in the world with the height of 2.5m and the length of 800m.
The temple has 398 rooms, with stone carving art on ceilings, corridors, balustrades and colonettes manifesting excellent, virtuoso talent of ancient Khmer people. The second floor is adorned with depictions of dancing Apsaras (heavenly nymphs of the clouds and waters in Hindu myth). The third floor includes two corridors forming a cross and intersect perpendicularly at the middle.
Another spectacular temple in the Complex of Angkor is Ta Prohm, well-known for giant roofs and vines that weigh down part of the temple. The structure was ever chosen as the shooting location of blockbuster Tom Raider.
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