Bayon Temple

Imagine dozens of complacent stone faces, their massive lips curled upwards in a grin, locked in eternal bliss, deep in the jungle.

At the center of the once walled city of Angkor Thom, less than a kilometer from Angkor Wat, stands the mystic, ever-smiling faces of the 11th century temple, Bayon.


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The second stop on Kaori and I's temple itinerary for the day - after a sunrise jaunt around Angkor Wat - Bayon was a surreal and amazing place: unique in its architecture and layout.

Looming stone faces, leaving every section of the temple under watchful eyes, is surrounded by a maze of temples, buildings and ruins.

And amongst these ruins, beautiful bas-reliefs came alive in spectacularly vivid depictions of life in 11th century Cambodia. 

Me standing near bas-relief

We had to go through various ruins to get face-to-face with the smiles of Bayon. Along the way we snapped a couple poses and stopped to light some incense at a reclining Buddha.

Along some of the walls were images of dancing Apsaras. At Bayon, when we reached the center of the temple, contemporary Cambodians dressed in traditional Apsara garments were charging $1 for photos with them, we just couldn't  resist! 

 

 

Apsara in stone (right)

Apsaras showing us how to pose

Kaori and I, Posing with Apsaras

Once at the top of Bayon, the true magic of this place was revealed: 54 towers with 216 stone faces! The temple was constructed by king Jayavarman VII. Its symbolism and function still remain a mystery; scholars believe the faces are of the king Jayavarman, watching over the then massive 54 provinces of the Khmer empire.

Faces of King Jayavarman VII

Center of Bayon temple