Angkor Wat, renowned Hindu temple complex at Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire of Cambodia from the early 9th century to the mid-15th century, now a destination for Buddhist pilgrims. Built for King Suryavarman II in nthe 12th century, Agkor Wat is the most famous temple in Cambodia and is probably the largest religious monument ever constructed.

     The complex, built of both sandstone and laterite (a dense, porous, iron-bearing soil that can be quarried like stone), forms a rectangle of about 850 m by 1000 m (2800 by 3800 ft). It was constructed to serve both as a sepulchre for Suryavarman II, whose regime had adopted some aspects of Hinduism, and as a celebration of his status as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. As a sepulchre the temple was built facing west (the direction taken by the dead in going to their next life, in Hindu belief), rather than facing east, which was traditional for Hindu temples. Taking more than 30 years to build, the layout of the complex was conceived as an architectural allegory of the Hindu cosmology (world concept). At the center of the complex stands a temple with five lotus-shaped towers, a larger central tower, and four smaller surrounding towers. These represent the five peaks of Mount Meru—according to Hindu belief, the mountain where the gods reside and from which all creation comes. The central tower enclosure is surrounded by three square, terraced enclosures that rise toward the central towers. The series of terraces symbolizes the mountain ranges that in Hindu cosmology surround the habitable world. The entire complex is surrounded by a moat over 5 km in length, representing the primordial ocean, over which extends an elaborate 475-m causeway, leading to the main of four gateways into the temple complex. The causeway was decorated on each side with carvings depicting the divine serpents, known as nagas.

    Angkor Wat is famous for having the longest running bas-relief in the world. Beautifully crafted, many of the carvings were once painted and gilded. They decorate the 2-m high, galleried walls having roofed walkways that run along the inside of the protective moat, just outside of the temple complex itself. The reliefs depict historical episodes in the life of King Suryavarman II; scenes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata; the exploits of the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu with celestial nymphs known as apsarases; and scenes from the daily life of the Khmer people at the time the complex was built. Some of Angkor Wat's bas-reliefs suffered damage at the height of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

Angkor Wat fell to the Cham army from northern Cambodia in 1177, after which the complex proper began to fall into ruin. It was then reclaimed, though not inhabited, by Khmer King Jayavarman VII when he defeated the Chams soon after the beginning of his reign in 1181.

    Both Angkor Wat and Angkor Thum, Jayavarman VII's royal city to the north, were altered by subsequent inhabitants. Pillaged by Thai invaders in the 15th century, they were expanded by later rulers of Cambodia, some of whom replaced existing aspects altogether. In the 1400s the Angkor area was abandoned as a political capital for reasons of security and, after the Thai invasion of 1431, was not permanently inhabited as a capital again. Angkor Wat was intermittently inhabited by Buddhist monks, and about 1550 portions of its bas-reliefs were finally completed. It subsequently became a destination for Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world.
(Source: Microsoft Encarta)

My Photo at Angkor Wat

Kirirom National Park is a national park in Cambodia. It is located mostly in Phnom Sruoch District, Kampong Speu Province, while a smaller section is in neighboring Koh Kong Province.he park extends over the eastern part of the Cardamom Mountains. It is located 112 km from Phnom Penh off National Highway 4 on the road to Sihanoukville.

Lying at 675m (2,215 ft) above sea level, Kirirom was Cambodia's first officially designated national park.

It contains many footpaths through the forests with a number of small lakes and waterfalls and was once used as a refuge by the Khmer Rouge.

Among the animals in the park, the following deserve mention: Asian elephant, deer, Gaur, Banteng, leopard, Spotted Linsang, Pileated Gibbon and tiger.

Kirirom is now a popular recreation site. Within driving distance of Phnom Penh, on weekends a significant number of people travel to the park. Many vendors sell various types of food, though some visitors prefer to bring picnic lunches.

Wat Phnom (Khmer: វត្តភ្នំ) ("Temple of the Mountain" or "Temple of the Hill") is a famous Buddhist temple (wat) in Phnom Penh. Built in 1373,it stands at 27 metres and is the tallest religious structure in the city. Built on an artificial hill by a wealthy widow Daun Chi Penh after a great flood washed statues of Buddha's downstream, it has since been renovated. There have been many additions to the original shrines over the centuries. The largest stupa houses the ashes of King Ponhea Yat and it is the center of city celebration for the Khmer New Year, and Pchum Ben.

(Source: wikipedia)

Cambodia

Cambodia, country in Southeast Asia, also known as Kâmpŭchéa. More than a thousand years ago, Cambodia was the center of the Khmer (Cambodian) kingdom of Angkor, a great empire that dominated Southeast Asia for 600 years. A monarchy since ancient times, Cambodia was a French protectorate from 1863 to 1953. A republic replaced the monarchy in 1970, and in 1975 a Communist regime known as the Khmer Rouge took power, naming the country Democratic Kâmpŭchéa. The Khmer Rouge’s brutal repression and radical socialist reforms devastated Cambodia’s society and economy. In 1979 anti-Khmer Rouge Communist forces from Vietnam and Cambodia overthrew the Khmer Rouge and established a more moderate socialist state. In 1989 the country abandoned socialism, and in 1993 a new constitution restored the monarchy. Cambodia’s official name is the Kingdom of Cambodia.Cambodia is bounded on the northeast by Laos, on the east and southeast by Vietnam, on the west and northwest by Thailand, and on the southwest by the Gulf of Thailand (Siam). The country’s capital and largest city is Phnom Penh.

Cambodia covers an area of 181,035 sq km (69,898 sq mi). Most of the country consists of a low-lying alluvial plain that occupies the central part of the country. To the southeast of the plain lies the delta of the Mekong River. To the east of the plain, ranges of undulating hills separate Cambodia from Vietnam. To the southwest a mountain range, the Chuŏr Phnum Krâvanh, fringes the plain and forms a physical barrier along the country’s coast. Cambodia’s highest peak, Phnom Aural (1,813 m/5,948 ft) rises in the eastern part of this range. To the north, the Chuŏr Phnum Dângrêk mountains separate Cambodia from Thailand.

Dângrêk Mountains in Northern Cambodia

Forests cover 58 percent of Cambodia’s land. The densest forests thrive in the mountains and along the southwestern coast. Higher plains and plateaus contain savannas covered with high, sharp grass. Plants growing in Cambodia include rubber, kapok (a tree with seeds that yield a cotton-like fiber), palm, coconut, and banana, all of which are exploited commercially.

Wildlife in Cambodia includes elephants, deer, wild ox, panthers, bears, and tigers. Cormorants, cranes, parrots, pheasants, and wild ducks are also found, and poisonous snakes are numerous. Logging and mining activities, along with unregulated hunting, have diminished the country’s wildlife rapidly.

Of Cambodia’s total land area, only 21 percent is cultivated. Areas surrounding the Mekong and the Tônlé Sap are the most fertile regions. The country's once-ample timber resources have been poorly managed and are being rapidly depleted by local and foreign entrepreneurs. Although Cambodia is not rich in mineral resources, Bătdâmbâng province in northwestern Cambodia contains limited quantities of zircons, sapphires, and rubies. The central part of the country contains commercial deposits of salt, manganese, and phosphate. The Gulf of Thailand is thought to contain petroleum deposits, but the extent and accessibility of the reserves have yet to be determined.

Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate. December and January are the coolest months, while March and April are the hottest. The country’s rainy season extends from May to October. Average annual rainfall is about 1,400 mm (about 55 in) on the central plain and increases to as much as 3,800 mm (150 in) in the mountains and along the coast. The average annual temperature is about 27°C (about 80°F).

Ethnic Cambodians, or Khmer, constitute 90 percent of the population. About 5 percent of the country’s inhabitants are of Vietnamese origin, and 1 percent are Chinese. Seminomadic tribal groups concentrated in the mountainous northeast make up the remaining 4 percent of the population.

Cambodia’s official language is Khmer, or Cambodian, which belongs to the Mon-Khmer family of languages (see Austro-Asiatic Languages). French was formerly an important secondary language in the country, but English gained considerable ground in the 1990s. Other languages spoken include Vietnamese and an assortment of South Chinese dialects.

At least 85 percent of Cambodia’s inhabitants adhere to Theravada Buddhism, which is the dominant religion in most Southeast Asian nations. Buddhism originated in India in the 6th century bc and arrived in Cambodia during the first centuries ad. At first Mahayana Buddhism predominated, but after the 14th century Theravada gradually replaced the older school as the primary religion. Nevertheless, a minority of modern Cambodians still practices Mahayana Buddhism. Other religions practiced in Cambodia include Roman Catholicism and Islam.

To ensure order and harmony in the universe, Angkor’s architects and sculptors created stone temples that symbolized the cosmic world and decorated them with wall carvings and sculptures of Hindu gods and the Buddha. Religious guidelines dictated that a basic temple layout include a central shrine, a courtyard, an enclosing wall, and a moat. More than 60 of these temple complexes survive in the Angkor region. In addition, several stone bridges and reservoirs built in the Angkor period are still in use. Many Cambodian public buildings, such as the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, are decorated in the Khmer architectural style and use motifs such as the garuda, a mythical bird in the Hindu religion.

After the devastation of culture in the Khmer Rouge era, the traditional arts and handicrafts of Cambodia are reviving. Notable among these traditional arts are textiles, silver work, basketry, woodcarving, stone sculpture, and painting. Artisans use cotton to weave the krama, a rectangular scarf made in colorful checks and stripes, and the sampot, a skirt for women. Beautiful silk sampots with elaborate, multicolored patterns, often entwined with gold or silver thread, are woven using the ikat technique, in which each individual thread is tied. Cambodia’s long tradition of metal work nearly disappeared, but the French revived it in the early 20th century. Silversmiths produced popular items of the period, such as animal-shaped boxes, intricately decorated, that were used to hold the ingredients of a preparation known as betel, which is chewed as a stimulant and tonic.

Cambodia has a relatively undeveloped road system. In 2004 the country had 38,257 km (23,772 mi) of roads, of which only 6 percent were paved. A modern highway links Phnom Penh with the deepwater port of Kâmpóng Saôm. Foreign nations, especially Japan, have donated money to help repair roads connecting other Cambodian cities. In the mid-1990s the entire railroad system extended about 600 km (about 370 mi). A rail line runs between Phnom Penh and Bãtdâmbâng and extends to the Thai border. Another line connects the capital with Kâmpóng Saôm. The Mekong River, which is navigable in central and southern Cambodia, serves as another transportation artery. In early 1999 construction began on a bridge over the Mekong. The bridge, located to the northeast of Phnom Penh, is scheduled for completion in 2002. The country’s main international airport is in Phnom Penh. The national airline is Royal Air Cambodge.

• Administrative Divisions

Province Capital Area (km²) Population Banteay Meanchey Sisophon 6,679 678,033 Battambang Battambang 11,702 1,036,523 Kampong Cham Kampong Cham 9,799 1,680,694 Kampong Chhnang Kampong Chhnang 5,521 472,616 Kampong Speu Kampong Speu 7,017 716,517 Kampong Thom Kampong Thom 13,814 708,398 Kampot Kampot 4,873 585,110 Kandal Ta Khmau 3,568 1,265,805 Kep Kep Town 336 40,208 Koh Kong Koh Kong 11,160 139,722 Kratié Kratié 11,094 318,523 Mondulkiri Senmonorom 14,288 60,811 Oddar Meanchey Samraong 6,158 185,443 Pailin Pailin 803 70,482 Phnom Penh Phnom Penh 758 2,234,566 Preah Sihanouk Sihanoukville 868 199,902 Preah Vihear Tbeng Meanchey 13,788 170,852 Prey Veng Prey Veng 4,883 947,357 Pursat Pursat 12,692 397,107 Ratanakiri Banlung 10,782 149,997 Siem Reap Siem Reap 10,229 896,309 Stung Treng Stung Treng 11,092 111,734 Svay Rieng Svay Rieng 2,966 482,785 Takéo Takéo 3,563 843,931

     Angkor Thum, royal city and Buddhist temple complex at Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire of Cambodia from the early 9th century to the mid-15th century. Khmer king Jayavarman VII, who reigned in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, began building the vast monument at Angkor Thum (Khmer for “Angkor-the-Great” or “Great City”) after he had regained control of the Angkor region from the Cham army of northern Cambodia, which had seized it around 1177. Angkor Thum was built over and around buildings and temples built by earlier Khmer kings, but its layout was modeled on Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple complex south of Angkor Thum. Angkor Wat was finished about thirty years earlier under Khmer king Suryavarman II, who was overthrown by the Cham army. Jayavarman was a recent convert to Mahayana Buddhism, and is thought to have abandoned Hinduism as a result of the defeat of the Hindu Suryavaram II by the Chams.

     Despite Angkor Thum's origins in Buddhism, it reflects the typical allegorical architectural pattern of Hindu temples, which symbolize the entire Hindu cosmology (world concept). At the center of Angkor Thum remains a stepped central temple—the Bayon—with a 45 m (148 ft) high pyramidal tower at its center. The tower has four massive heads carved into its top. Each head, representing both the Buddha and King Jayavarman VII as the Buddha's reincarnation, faces one of the four directions. Fifty-one smaller towers surrounded the central tower, each likewise ornamented with four carved heads facing the four directions. The two walls enclosing the Bayon were decorated with bas-relief carvings. The exterior of the outer walls included bas-reliefs depicting historical events, and the bas-reliefs on the exterior of the inner walls depicted legendary scenes. In Hindu symbolism, the central temple area represents Mount Meru—the mountain on which the Hindu gods reside and which is regarded as the center of the universe. After the death of King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon was in fact converted into a Hindu temple by Brahman priests.

     The structures of Angkor Thum were built of sandstone, laterite—dense, porous, iron-bearing soil that can be quarried like stone—and wood. The entire complex was surrounded by a 100 m wide moat that was used both for defense and as part of the irrigation system, which included large artificial lakes, or barays, outside of the temple complex to the east and the west. The moat symbolized the primordial ocean that according to Hindu cosmology surrounds the habitable world. Numerous causeways led over the moat to the complex. The 8 m high exterior walls of the complex formed a perfect square, two sides running east to west and two sides running north to south. In the center of each wall was an elaborate gateway and road into the complex, each leading to the gateways in the center of the exterior walls of the Bayon. A fifth gate led directly from the Royal Enclosure, just north of the Bayon, out of Angkor Thum and to the East Baray. The Royal Enclosure, including an official palace, living quarters, and royal gardens for the court, was originally constructed by Khmer king Suryavarman I in the first half of the 11th century.

The sculpture and bas-relief carvings that decorate the gallery walls of much of Angkor Thum appear to have once been painted and gilded. Although extensive, they are generally considered to be of inferior quality to those of Angkor Wat. The interior walls of the temple buildings themselves are devoid of ornament, although it is thought that they were once covered with murals. Because these temple buildings were built exclusively for the priests or high royalty, only a limited group of people would have ever seen the murals. The working population of peasants and craftspeople lived outside the wall of the royal city and worshiped at the temples lining the exterior galleries.

     Both Angkor Thum and Angkor Wat were altered by subsequent inhabitants. Pillaged by Thai invaders in the 15th century, the complexes were extended by later rulers of Cambodia, some of whom rebuilt existing structures altogether. In the 15th century the Ângkôr area was abandoned as a political capital for reasons of security and, after the Thai invasion of 1431, was not permanently inhabited as a capital agai

(Source: Microsoft Encarta)