Siem Reap, Cambodia
Enter the South Gate and enjoy a visit to the impressive Angkor Thom (which means Great City).Angkor Thom is the cultural home of the Khmer (Cambodian) people and one of the ancient wonders of the world.
This vast network of Wats (temples) dating back to the 7th century is the center of some of the most important structures, statues, and carvings produced in the name of the Buddhist and Hindu religions. The Great City covers an area of four square miles. The total length of the wall surrounding the city is 7.5 miles.
Throughout the complex are a number of earlier buildings: Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, Leper King Terrace and the Royal Palace. The city is dominated by a mania for colossal size, punctuated with enormous numbers of towers and reliefs.The Bayon is an awesome sight. At first glance, the complex seems a shapeless mass of stone. Suddenly, further scrutiny reveals a face, enigmatic and silent, watching with half-closed eyes. Soon, another face is made out, and another, and still yet another, until they are all around - silent, heavy, and impressive, staring from a primitive remote past.
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