Once the largest city on Earth, now the largest temple in the world - Angkor 668; Sbek Thom, Khmer shadow theatre 00108
What and Why
Angkor (Khmer: អង្គរ) is simply one of the most important archaeological and cultural sites in Southeast Asia, and possibly the world. It is a graceful representation of the powerful Khmer Empire (ចក្រភពខ្មែរ), and was possibly once the largest city on Earth during the 11th to 13th century CE, housing more than 1 million population. It also represents the spiritual heart of Cambodia and the importance is emphasised by the fact that it appears on its national flag. No one who visits the site would dare to say he / she is not stunned by the magnificence of the once powerful state.
The entire city of Angkor stretches more than 1,000 km2, centred around the main temple Angkor Wat (អង្គរវត្ត) and Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ), with more than thousands of monuments scattered all around. Moreover the city was built with extremely sophisticated technologies, making it the world's leading technological city during its heydays. The city's renowned hydraulic system and network is particularly celebrated as it was designed in such way to counter the unpredictable monsoon season for irrigation and the water supply to the increasing population. Unfortunately the state declined during the 15th century CE when the city suffered from huge drought, and as a result the city weakened and was eventually sacked by the Ayutthaya Kingdom (Thai: อยุธยา) in mid-15th century CE.
The main temple Angkor Wat is arguably one of the greatest temples of the world, and remains the largest in sheer size, covering more than 1.6 km2. The temple is built in classical Khmer architecture with its outer wall of the temple is cladded with the longest continuous bas-reliefs every created. The temple is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Buddhists around the world, due to its significant historic, cultural and tourist value.
Toponymy
'Angkor' simply means 'city' in Khmer with the word 'angkor' being a vernacular form of the Khmer word 'នគរ' (nokor), which comes from the Sanskrit word 'नगर' (nagara) meaning 'city' or 'state'.
'Wat (វត្ត)' is the Khmer word for 'temple' and is commonly used in Thai as well, derived from Pali 'vāṭa' meaning 'enclosure'.
See
Angkor was built gradually starting the early 10th century CE under king Yasovarman I (ព្រះបាទយសោវរ្ម័នទី១) of the Khmer Empire. During the period, the empire produced some of the world's most magnificent architectural masterpieces, aggregated in form of Angkor. Angkor does not possess a formal city boundary or wall, unlike its Oriental counterpart cities. However, from various road, canals and hydraulic network it is determined that the city reaches at least 1,000 km2 around the main temple.
The actual site is massive and will probably take a few days to explore even the briefest part of it. I met a photographer there and he said he could snap non-stop at any site for a week.
Angkor Wat (អង្គរវត្ត)
The awe-inspiring view of Angkor Wat, especially during dawn or dusk, is the best way to watermark your tour to Siem Reap (សៀមរាប, Siĕm Réab). The biggest religious site of the planet is definitely the most spectacular. Standing at 65 m in height, it exemplifies Khmer architecture and is the icon of Cambodia. As what other tourists do, one will usually asked to do an early rise to watch the sunrise, as in the main picture above.
The main architecture style combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple. Similar to other Buddhist sites like the Mahābodhi Mahāvihāra (Hindi: महाबोधि विहार) in the blogged Bōdh Gayā (बोधगया), it is designed to represent Mount Meru (Sanskrit: मेरु), the mythical mountain that is believed to be the centre of the universe.
Originally constructed as a personal mausoleum for the Khmer King Suryavarman II (សូរ្យវរ្ម័នទី២), while at the same time dedicated to Vishnu (Sanskrit: विष्णु, Viṣṇu) in the early 12th century CE, it was converted to a Buddhist Temple towards the end of the century. The original name of the temple also bears its association with Vishnu, Barom Visnulōk (បរមវិស្ណុលោក). The temple is, unlike most other Oriental temples, oriented to the west. This is generally attributed to the fact that Vishnu and that it was a mausoleum, both of which is associated with the west.
The central fiver towers of Angkor Wat are arranged in a quincunx (like the 5 on a die) orientation and symbolises Meru's five peaks; the wall represents the edge of the world and the moat represents the ocean and beyond. The central tower can be ascended by a very steep staircase, symbolising the precipitous slopes of Meru, originally only reserved for climbing by high priests and the king himself. Now anyone can climb.
Aside from the sheer size of the temple, the most important ornament is the 1000-m long and 2-m high bas-relief that surround and decorate the temple and exhibits itself as a galleried-temple. It is the longest bas-relief in the world and they show stories from the two epic Sanskrit texts Rāmāyana (Sanskrit: रामायणम्), and Mahābhārata (Sanskrit: महाभारतम्), historical scene including the procession of Suryavarman II, then the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hinduism.
One of the most famous reliefs is the Churning of the Sea (Sanskrit: समुद्रमन्थन, Samudra Manthan). The temple is also decorated ubiquitously with images of apsara (Sanskrit: अप्सरस्) and devata (Sanskrit: देवता), the female and male spirit of nature and human activities in Hindu and Buddhist culture. If one travels enough, one would definitely recognise this sculpture in the Bangkok (Thai: กรุงเทพฯ, Krung Thep) Suvarnabhumi Airport (Thai: ท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ, Tha-akatsayan Suwannaphum).
As mentioned above the architecture technique is also very advanced beyond its time. All the stones were laid without mortar and plaster with very tight joints. The blocks were held together by mortise and tenon or dovetail joints or simply the stones own weight. Almost every walls have been decorated with reliefs and carvings.
Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ)
Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ) means the great city and was commissioned by established in the late twelfth century by King Jayavarman VII (ជ័យវរ្ម័នទី៧) during the late 12th century CE. It is a moated township located next to Angkor Wat and covers a much bigger area at 9 km2. At the centre of this squarish township lies the iconic state temple, Bayon (ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន, Prasat Bayon), which is the distinctive serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terraces of the temple. Sometimes Bayon is more widely recognised than Angkor Wat.
There is no conclusive evidence on what these faces represent. It has been conjectured that it represents Brahmā (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मा), Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर) or even Jayavarman II himself, which it bears some resemblances. There are around 2,000 of these faces altogether, facing the four cardinal directions.
By the way Bayon derives from the French name Banian, meaning banyan during the French Indochina (French: Indochine Française) era due to the number banyon trees around. The original name of the temple is Jayagiri (ជ័យគីរី, Chey Kiri) meaning victory mountain.
Bayon is much more disturbed and less well preserved compared to the Angkor Wat, with rubbles everywhere and many defaced and damaged walls. As in Angkor Wat, this is more like a galleried-temple, with the outer gallery showing Khmer culture and everyday life, although the defacement is quite serious.
The raised inner terrace shows various reliefs depicting Hindu mythologies, including carvings of the Trimūrti (Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति) and also the Churning of the Sea. This shows that the temple has changed its faith from earlier Hinduism to later Buddhism. One would definitely recall the set in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which is inside Angkor Thom.
Some carvings in the inner terrace showing the Churning of the Sea.
The central upper terrace is home to the famous face towers of the Bayon, each of which supports the four gigantic smiling faces. By the way, different from Angkor Wat, Bayon is oriented towards the East instead.
Next to Bayon, another important monument stands out as the 11th-century CE Baphuon (ប្រាសាទបាពួន), which a Buddhist mountain-temple converted from a Hindu Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव, Śiva) temple. The temple features prominently a 9-m tall by 70 m long statue of a reclining Buddha, built on the temple second level. Reclining Buddha is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art and represents the Buddha (Sanskrit: बुद्ध, né Siddhārtha Gautama (Siddhattha Gotama (Pali)) during his last days about to enter parinirvāṇa (Sanskrit: परिनिर्वाण).
However, the temple was way too large for the earth below, and the temple had never been very stable. By the 20th century CE, much of the temple has collapsed and it took a 50-year restoration project to rebuild Baphuon, the project is nicknamed 'largest 3D jigsaw puzzle in the world'.
In the East side of Angkor Thom, is the main gate called the Victory Way (មាគ៌ាជ័យជំនះ, Meakra Chychomneah).
The main gate at the Victory Way shows the same face of Bayon. A causeway spans the moat in front of each tower: these have a row of devatas on the left and apsaras on the right, apparently showing the Churning of the Sea.
Eastern Baray (បារាយណ៍ខាងកើត)
A baray (បារាយណ៍) is an artificial body of water usually designed for irrigation purpose. There are two barays inside Angkor, one in the East and one in the West. Around the area stands a few important monuments. The most important of them is the iconic tree-house Ta Prohm (ប្រាសាទតាព្រហ្ម).
Built during the 12th century CE, the name of the temple means ancestor Brahma. The temple is probably one of the most photographed temples, other than Angkor Wat and Bayon, and the reason is the seamless embrace of nature and human construction, wood and stone. For unknown reasons, the temple has never cleared the trees and undergrowth, unlike the other temples, and hence the temple becomes a perfect and favourite photospot. Having said that much of the temple is in danger of collapse and caution must be exercised exploring this temple.
Ta Prohm is another easily recognisable site where Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is set.
Another popular five-storey temple is Phnom Bakheng (ប្រាសាទភ្នំបាខែង). Dedicated to Shiva and built during the 9th century CE, its popularity is because it sits atop a mountain and hence it offers a great panoramic view of Angkor Wat, especially during sunset.
Buy and Do
Angkor Night Market (ផ្សាររាត្រីអង្គរ)
Angkor Night Market (ផ្សាររាត្រីអង្គរ, Phsaar reatrei angkor) is almost a must visit in Siem Reap, and while it is the usual tourist trap and crap, it is very popular amongst locals and visitors alike. There are actually a number of night markets running together nearby, and they are so closed to each other that you may not even know you have moved from one to another.
Khmer Shadow Theatre (សបែកធំ, Sbek Thom)
There is a cultural show available in a number of restaurants showcasing the Khmer and Cambodian culture, especially its music and dance, similar to many shows in Southeast Asia. Not too bad, but the usual Southeast Asian tunes...
The highlight of these cultural shows is definitely the Khmer Shadow Theatre (សបែកធំ, Sbek Thom), which is another cultural icon of Khmer culture. Unlike the Indonesian wayang theatre, where one only sees the puppet shadow, the Khmer version uses a large leather plate to project onto a lit screen to recite the story. The person holding the plate, which is cut from leather hide, represents the character of the story. The person is also projected onto the screen, as shown above, and dances according to the character. Usually there is no movable parts of the plate or puppet and the stories were told through choreographed music and dances, with literally the segment of story with respect to each character is carved onto the leather plate.
Most of the Khmer shadow shows are based on the Cambodian version of the Indian epic Rāmāyana, which is the common epic stories in theatre around Southeast Asia. The performance is traditionally performed outdoor and is usually narrated by two narrators. A typical performance will involve more than a hundred of these hides, all made from traditional methods.
The artform was once completely destroyed under the repressive Khmer Rouge (ខ្មែរក្រហម) regime, and is only fairly recently it was resurrected.
Eat and Drink
Amok Trey (អាម៉ុកត្រី)
Khmer cuisine (សិល្បៈខាងធ្វើម្ហូបខ្មែរ, selb khang thveumhoub khmer) is essentially inherited over the years, and is mainly based on water, rice and fish. Most Khmer food are composed or influenced by these three components. After all the Mekong (មេគង្គ) cuts through Cambodia.
The national dish of Khmer cuisine is amok trey (អាម៉ុកត្រី), as above: Nothing amok about it, it simply means fish curry. The curry is not very hot, and is more renowned for its zest and fragrance. The fish is usually snakehead, either in minced form or fillet, bred from the Mekong.
An important ingredient in Khmer cuisine is the fermented fish paste called prahok (ប្រហុក), mainly used as a seasoning or condiment. A Cambodian saying goes, 'No prahok, no salt', equating prahok's importance as salt in terms of flavouring.
We had one of our dinners, and our amok, in the famous The Red Piano in Siem Reap, made famous by Angelina Jolie (née Angelina Voight) who frequented this pub during her filming in the city. Surprisingly good food and service, and you can imagine the crowd! They also serve a pizza called the Happy Pizza, which the pizza is infused and baked with marijuana! Stay safe.
Stay
There are plenty of good and affordable hotels in Siem Reap, the main gateway to visit Angkor. We stayed in Somadevi Angkor (សោមដាវីអង្គរ): Posh, very affordable and close to the city centre and night market.
Getting There and Around
The three-day pass to Angkor Archaeological Park is a whopping KHR ៛250,000 per person but it is honestly worth every penny. Angkor deserves probably at least three or four days of visit, without evening going outside of the park. The park can get infamously crowded during the day, so do expect a lot of congestions, especially when climbing the temples.
Getting around in Angkor is not possible without a motorised vehicle. Angkor is huge and the only way to connect from one place to another is through a chartered car with a professional guide, and they are very cheap anyway. All guides speak good English and they know things inside-out about Angkor, and this saves you all the hassles to look for information. A standard trip will usually cover three to four days.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. UNESCO has set up a wide-ranging programme to safeguard this symbolic site and its surroundings.
The Sbek Thom is a Khmer shadow theatre featuring twometre high, non-articulated puppets made of leather openwork. Dating from before the Angkorian period, the Sbek Thom, along with the Royal Ballet and mask theatre, is considered sacred. Dedicated to the divinities, performances could only take place on specific occasions three or four times a year, such as the Khmer New Year, the King’s birthday or the veneration of famous people. After the fall of Angkor in the fifteenth century, the shadow theatre evolved beyond a ritualistic activity to become an artistic form, while retaining its ceremonial dimension.
The puppets are made from a single piece of leather in a special ceremony for each character representing gods and deities. The hides are dyed with a solution made from the bark of the Kandaol tree. The artisan draws the desired figure on the tanned hide, then cuts it out and paints it before attaching it to two bamboo sticks enabling the dancer to control the puppet.
The performances traditionally take place at night outdoors beside a rice-field or pagoda. A large white backdrop is held between two tall bamboo screens in front of a large fire or, nowadays, projectors. The shadows of the puppet’s silhouettes are projected onto the white screen. The animators bring the puppets to life with precise and specific dance steps. The performance is accompanied by an orchestra and two narrators. Inspired from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana, the performances stage scenes of this epic, which may last several nights and require up to 160 puppets for a single presentation. Many of them were destroyed under the repressive Khmer Rouge regime, which almost annihilated this sacred art. Since 1979, Sbek Thom has been gradually revitalized thanks to the few surviving artists. So far, three shadow theatres have managed to rise from their ashes, ensuring the transmission of the knowledge and skills, including those relating to puppet making.
References
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