5 Stunning Temples in Cambodia

November 30, 2024

From Hindu to Buddhist, Cambodia is home to some of the most architecturally rustic and traditional temples in the world.

Inside of Wat Phnom temple and a central shrine. The colors are a mix of browns, gold, orange, and teal. There are ornate paintings on the walls and central 6 pillars surrounding many religious sculptures, with one central large gold sculpture — Inside of Wat Phnom. Daniel Mennerich. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

While Angkor Wat is on most traveler’s lists when they visit Cambodia, the country also has many other extraordinary and one-of-a-kind temples which each hold immense historical, cultural, religious and artistic significance.

1. Banteay Srei

A stone walkway between temples in Banteay Srei. The rust-colored stone buildings have sets of stairs leading up to them and ornate etchings the walls. Sculptures lining the stairs to the entrance and pillars along the doorway. — Banteay Srei. Uwe Schwarzbach. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

The temple Banteay Srei, located in Angkor, Cambodia, is believed to have been built in the tenth century by and for some sort of spiritual guru to a royal, though not much is known about the person themselves. In addition to its fascinating origin, Banteay Srei’s architecture is unique for the area, built almost entirely out of a shining pink sandstone and surrounded by a moat. In terms of the architeccture’s cultural significance, the temple features a large and ornate statue of the Hindu God Shiva. Nowadays, Banteay Srei is primarily known for its meaning to women. Banteay Srei directly translates to “the women’s temple”, and the statue of Shiva is surrounded by other statues of women including Hindu gods and saints.

2. Ta Prohm

Tree rooted and growing along the side of a building in Ta Prohm. The perspective is in a dark overgrown path between buildings, with rocks and moss. The buildings are gray stone and the architecture is ornate — Tree growing in Ta Prohm. Daniel Mennerich. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The temple Ta Prohm, located in Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia, is one of few historical sites to have been left untouched by archaeologists and society in general. It was built around the 12th to 13th century, and it was a temple of enormous scale surrounded by a village of an estimated 79,000 people who worked to maintain it. Unlike Banteay Srei, Ta Prohm was built by a Khmer king. Today, only the ruins of Ta Prohm remain, and its beauty and intrigue have only increased with growing trees surrounding the temple. Visitors can see a tree whose roots have grown over the roof of a corridor, and another stands tall in the middle of a courtyard. While visitors can walk through Ta Prohm, they are no longer permitted to climb on the stone walls, as the temple’s foundation is so old and precarious that damage can easily be done.

3. Wat Phnom

Staircase leading into Wat Phnom temple. The image is in grayscale. There are large sculptures lining the staircase and gardens on either side. The temple at the top of the stairs has a triangular pointed top and covered in designs. — Staircase to Wat Phnom. Daniel Mennerich. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

In contrast to Ta Prohm, which has maintained a rustic look, temple Wat Phnom is located in the major city Phnom Penh, at the top of the only hill in the city. Unlike many other ancient temples, historians know Wat Phnom was built in 1372. A large and ornate staircase lined with animal sculptures such as lions and five-headed snakes leads the way to the temple. The temple is a place of worship, as people go to make wishes, requests and prayers for themselves and their loved ones. Wat Phnom is known to be a bustling and busy center, with vendors selling cold drinks and birds flying through the temple.

4. Sambor Prei Kuk

Sambor Prei Kuk temple stands on a hill among a wooded grassy area. The temple is a rust color and appears to be eroded by the elements on the top. — Sambor Prei Kuk temple. Plb06. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The Sambor Prei Kuk temples are unique from the other temples on this list primarily because of their age and striking architecture. Sambor Prei Kuk is a collection of temples built in the 6th to 7th century CE, in the Pre-Angkorean architectural style which favored more natural looking octagonal temple structures that were less outwardly ornate than later temples. Sambor Prei Kuk was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017 due largely to its architecture, which represents a significant period in the history of Cambodia. The religious symbols inside the temple also reflect the significance of the relatively new cross-continental trade that was emerging at the time in Asia. The inscriptions and statues feature a mix of Buddhist and Hindu figures and messages, as well as displaying the “God-kings” who ruled the region at the time by claiming divine connections.

5. Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat temple stands in the background, reflected by a pond in the foreground. Grassy meadow between the temple and pond and scattered palm trees. The temple is a mix of gray and brown, with many windows and several towers. — Angkor Wat. Pigalle. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

A Cambodian temples list wouldn’t be complete without Angkor Wat. The temple, located in Angkor, was built in the 12th century and is one of the most famous temples in the world, as well as one of Cambodia’s most famous sites. The compound contains hundreds of buildings, and is the largest religious structure globally. Originally, Angkor Wat was a Hindu temple, but in 1177 after losing a battle and thus losing faith in Hinduism, the king at the time (King Jayavarman VII) converted Angkor Wat into a Buddhist temple. In 1992, Angkor Wat became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an estimated 500,000 people per year travel to see the historic temple.

Calliana Leff

Calliana is currently an undergraduate student at Boston University majoring in English and minoring in psychology. She is passionate about sustainability and traveling in an ethical and respectful way. She hopes to continue her writing career and see more of the world after she graduates.

The Effects of Buddhism on Disability Rights

October 11, 2022

How the concept of reincarnation has reduced activism for disability rights in Buddhist countries

In comparison to the major world religions, Buddhism flies under the radar. The main three, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, have often found themselves at the heart of wars, picking death to prove righteousness. This is a concept not found in Buddhism. Life is the highest gift. But the Buddhist belief in reincarnation means that people that are born into disadvantage often pay for it. This is easily seen in people with disabilities. If you are disabled, it is believed that you must have done something wrong in a past life and are consequently paying for it in this one. It is the concept of karma: you must accept your own suffering to be reborn into a better life.

On a global scale, disability rights didn’t enter the equation until post-WWII, gaining steam with veterans advocating for war-caused disabilities. In Buddhist countries it was even later. India didn’t start the conversation until the 1970s, where it wasn’t brought into legislation until 1995 and was only properly defined and rewritten in 2014. India today has one of the largest disabled populations in the world, yet a full definition of what a disability is wasn’t introduced until 5 years ago. This could stem from the cultural connotations associated with disabilities. Having a disability in India causes feelings of worthlessness and shame and often leads to disownment and abandonment by family members. Through modernization and standards put in place by the UN and World Health Organization, these views are changing on a governmental policy level. Unfortunately, just because the laws exist doesn’t mean that they are being implemented. For example, in Cambodia, it was found that fewer than 4% of people qualifying for disability receive the required financial support from the government. To add to it, statistics show that there is an extra expenditure of $40 a month for people with disabilities. The government aid only covers $5 (1/8 of the total cost) so even if those with disabilities get their monthly payment, it covers little of the true cost..

One of the reasons there is such an added cost to having a disability, besides added care, is because often completing education and finding employment is extremely difficult. According to Thailand’s National Statistics Office, 71.5% of people with disabilities over 15 are unemployed. For those living in a city this leads to few options: access social welfare, begging on the streets, or selling lotto tickets. Even so it can be hard to get access to the tickets and the work is unstable. And those in rural environments without access to services are completely dependent on familial support. Thai Buddhism even bans people with disabilities from becoming monks. This was initiated out of fear that people with disabilities would depend on the monastery for support and not be able to complete their duties. One, Monk Ti, was disrobed in 2016 on account of his dwarfism. Becoming a monk is the most noble profession one can have, one that is based on suffering and enlightenment, and yet disabilities completely prevent one from pursuing it.

A major obstacle to changes in disability rights in Buddhist countries is lack of representation. In Cambodia, little effort has been done to increase voting opportunities to those with disabilities and very few are registered to vote, let alone have access to voting areas. NGOs are working to try to set up systems that will start to cause change. In 2011, the General Election Network for Disability Access (AGENDA) was established in Southeast Asia. They are working both with organizations focused on disability and those working with elections to increase advocacy. Between 2014 and 2017, they had a 15% increase in the number of polling stations that had wheelchair accessible ballot boxes.

Through small organizations and increased awareness, stigma around disabilities in Buddhist countries is starting to decrease. The opportunity to participate in all aspects of society from education to voting is hopefully changing as well. Buddhism is built around the concept of suffering and reducing your suffering through your actions so that you may be reborn into a better life. It would be great if those with disabilities didn’t suffer more because of it.

VIDEO: Experience Southeast Asia

February 17, 2022

In his trailer for “In Asia,” German director Vincent Urban highlights memorable experiences in his trip to Southeast Asia. Over two months, Urban traveled to Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Laos. We are transported to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, a city with night skies full of fireworks and streets teeming with music. Urban next introduces us to the Southeast Asian landscapes he encounters. He highlights the tropical climates of Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Laos with footage of waterfalls, aquamarine waters, beaches and coral reefs. Urban also highlights Buddhist culture by featuring images of the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia, the largest temple complex in the world. The individual episodes of “In Asia” provide greater context for the footage within this trailer and are certainly worth viewing if you would like to learn more about Thai, Cambodian, Malaysian and Laotian cultures.

VIDEO: Angkor Wat to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

January 31, 2022

Set to a mesmerizing soundtrack, this footage of Cambodia highlights the natural beauty of the country’s tropical landscape, as well as provides insight into the daily lives of its people. As viewers, we travel from surrene Angkor Wat—the world famous Buddhist temple complex—to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s lively and bustling capital city. German director Vincent Urban, who is from Munich now based in New York City, concludes the episode teasing his next stop, Thailand, for the following installment of his series: “In Asia.”

Altered Photos of Cambodian Genocide Victims Spark Outrage

April 27, 2021

Too often history is viewed as an element of the past—chains of unchangeable events that can be analyzed and nothing more. However, it is important that victims of past atrocities are honored, a lesson in which modern media has fallen short.

Unaltered photos of Khmer Rouge genocide victims at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Christian Haugen. CC BY 2.0.

With the advancements of the digital age, the culture of media has grown ever more rapid, often leading to negative consequences. In a recent incident, history itself took center stage as one photographer’s actions sparked massive outrage among victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide, which led to the deaths of more than 2 million Cambodians in the late 1970s.

Vice published the work of photographer Matt Loughrey, who edited photos of victims from the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh taken minutes before their executions. Loughrey has been accused of editing the photos so that they show smiling faces, creating waves of backlash for the photographer.

Upset relatives of the photographed victims stated that Loughrey’s work was of horrible judgment, citing his acts as degrading the dignity of the victims. Cambodian officials too were outraged upon seeing the photos; the country’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts threatened legal action. In addition to insensitive alterations of the photos, the Vice article misidentified one of the victims, publishing incorrect personal details.

Victims’ skulls. istolethetv. CC BY 2.0.

Others have declared the actions of Loughrey to be crimes against history itself, stating the alterations to be offensive to truth.

VICE has since removed the photos, citing errors in the company’s editorial process.

The Bigger Picture

Beyond the first waves of anger resulting from this incident, larger lessons have been learned by all involved. Primarily, the incident has brought to light a flaw in the way people view history; although history is an analysis of past events, it must be equally weighted against potential consequences for the victims themselves. Second, it highlights that history is not always entirely of the past—there are still over 5 million Khmer Rouge victims living, along with millions of other descendants and close community members. Third, it brings up the question of what should be considered acceptable when it comes to altering representations of history. Is there wiggle room for subjectivity, or should all journalistic representations be as objective as possible?

Amid the turmoil and animosity between the opposing sides of this conflict, some light still remains. The incident stands as a crucial reminder for everyone that the analysis of history can be as much a weapon as a tool. It remains up to the media, and their audiences, to use the past appropriately.

East Asia Braces Itself as the 2020 Typhoon Season Begins

September 6, 2020

Southeast Asia is known for its tropical climate and distinct rainy, or monsoon, season. This sort of climate brings about an annual typhoon season. Typhoons are mature, tropical cyclones that mostly occur in the Pacific Ocean. They carry with them heavy winds, rain and tornadoes that rip through villages and beaches. These storms have the potential to be devastating, a fact confirmed by history several times over.

Thailand

While Thailand is not hit with as much force as its southern neighbors, the typhoon season is still clear. From September through November, the country is prone to typhoons with the potential to change the country’s landscape and infrastructure.

In 2006, Typhoon Xangsane made landfall in the Philippines and devastated its way across Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. It wiped out 810 square miles of farmland across Thailand and caused 47 deaths. The storm brought with it strong winds, landslides and torrential rain that wiped out villages and caused hundreds of families to become homeless.

Fortunately for Thailand, most storms are not nearly as devastating as Xangsane. Monsoons can be counted on, though, to bring about tropical storms each year.

Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

These three Southeast Asian countries feel the brunt of two different sets of cyclones. Typhoons move in from the northern Pacific, while tropical cyclones make landfall from the south. While safety measures are in place, such as shelters, help lines and emergency services, ultimately their geographic location leaves them vulnerable to Mother Nature’s worst.

In 2017, Vietnam experienced its deadliest typhoon since 2001. Dubbed Typhoon Damrey, the storm originated in the Philippines’ Visayan archipelago toward the end of the rainy season and killed at least 123 people and over 600 injured. The severe flooding and winds swept away anything that was not secured to the ground and left an estimated $1 billion in damages across Vietnam. Since then, the country has taken measures to ensure that it has a better communication system for its citizens to learn about the threat of storms as they arise.

Korea

Farther north, the Korean Peninsula sits in a spot not nearly as impacted by typhoon season as countries in Southeast Asia. While the peninsula experiences jangma, or the rainy season, its normal extent is heavy rains that inconvenience residents. This shows just how quickly tropical storms lose power as they move inland; they dissipate soon after doing so.

A recent exception was Typhoon Hagupit, which made landfall in August. The Category 1 typhoon traveled north from the Philippines to China before impacting Korea as a subtropical storm. South Korea reported 15 deaths along with considerable property damage from the storm.

The western Pacific typically sees more tropical storms than anywhere else in the world. About one-third of the world’s natural disasters occur in the region, and the numbers only seem to increase each year. These storms have caused countries to increase safety measures, focus on disaster communication, develop evacuation measures and create safe spots in public areas. The countries are well-known among visitors, but during the rainy season, the more experienced traveler might count these locations out.

Elizabeth is a Professional Writing and Rhetoric major at Baylor University. She grew up in a military family and lived in Europe for almost half her life, traveling and living in different countries. She hopes to continue writing professionally throughout her career and publish her writing in the future.

Dog in rural Cambodian school campus. Bryon Lippincott. CC BY-ND 2.0

Animal Activists Celebrate as More of Asia Bans Dog Meat Consumption

July 16, 2020

The eating of dog meat, though not widespread anymore, is still practiced today in countries such as South Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. 30 million dogs are killed for consumption every year in Asia, motivating animal rights activists to speak up and call for change. Many have pushed back against the practice, finding success in the last few weeks as the first Cambodian province and India’s Nagaland state ban the selling, trading and consumption of dog meat. This marks a crucial turning point for animal rights activists across the world.

Siem Reap - The “Hub” of Dog Meat

While only about 12% of Cambodians eat dog meat on a regular basis, the province of Siem Reap has been identified as a “hot spot” for the trading and consumption of dog meat in wet markets. Tea Kimsoth, head of Siem Reap province’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries department, stated that “dog meat has been a lot more popular following the arrivals of foreigners, especially among the South Koreans.” On July 8, Siem Reap became the first province in Cambodia to mark the practice as illegal. Consequences of defying the ban include up to five years in prison and $12,200 in fines. The implementation of the law banning dog meat consumption marks a victory for the Humane Society International (HSI), which hopes that Siem Reap will serve as a model for the rest of the country to save the lives of millions of dogs.

Nagaland, India - Following Suit

After pictures of “dogs bound in sacks at wet markets” circulated online, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations called for change and headed a campaign to stop the illegal trading and slaughtering of the animals. However, many civil rights activists retaliated against the ban, calling it “an attack on food customs in the state.” While illegal in some parts of India, dog meat is still considered a delicacy by some in the northeastern areas of the country. The government has not revealed how it plans to enforce the ban, but it announced that it would also ban commercial importation, trading and dog markets in general. This comes as a relief to HSI, which has been campaigning for years to stop the consumption and slaughtering of dogs.

The Movement Continued

These victories come in light of the decision by Shenzhen, China, to ban the eating of both dogs and cats. This makes Shenzhen the first Chinese city to do so, after beginning to enforce the decision on May 1. Ultimately, the eating of dog meat is not common in China, only practiced by a few with the majority stating they have never tried it and never will. This comes after the city government released a statement saying that “dogs and cats have established a much closer relationship with humans than all other animals.” The city followed suit after Hong Kong and Taiwan banned the practice.

In the meantime, organizations such as the Humane Society International and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are celebrating their success while working constantly to target other countries where the practice is still prevalent.

Elizabeth Misnick

is a Professional Writing and Rhetoric major at Baylor University. She grew up in a military family and lived in Europe for almost half her life, traveling and living in different countries. She hopes to continue writing professionally throughout her career and publish her writing in the future.

VIDEO: Introduction to Women's Status is Cambodia

January 24, 2017

This video was produced by Promotion of Women's Rights project (2002-2011), predecessor to Access to Justice for Women project. The video comprises an overall introduction to women's status in Cambodia as well as the main actions undertaken by the Ministry of Women's Affairs -with the support from GIZ- in order to tackle gender inequalities and gender-based violence in Cambodia.

My Unconventional Cambodian Christmas

July 23, 2015

Megan participated in the 2013 PEPY Ride by PEPY Tours. She and her group biked through Cambodia, from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, and this her story.

Christmas for me normally consists of the following things: flying home to good old England, walking through the door, receiving a suffocating hug from my parents (suffocating is, of course, meant in the most affectionate way possible) and then eating. The eating generally doesn’t ever stop, just ebbs and flows like the tide. So when Christmas 2013 rolled around and I found myself facing a 1000km bike ride across Cambodia — and a whole lot of rice — needless to say I was ever so slightly nervous.

Maybe you’re wondering what on earth drove me to forego the usual food-based festivities in favor of risking a month of inevitable, interminable muscle pain. The honest answer is adventure. I wanted to see something new. To smell something new. To taste something new. But when I signed up for the PEPY Ride XI, I never imagined that, above all of the things I just mentioned, I would feel something new. And that something, whatever it was, has more or less changed the way I look at the world and all of the funny, strange, sad, glorious, confusing and downright brilliant things in it.

A 1000km bike ride is in itself one such downright brilliant thing; getting up before the crack of dawn, hopping on the bike and watching the world wake up is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s like looking at hundreds of different photos for less than a second at a time-the split second you whizz past someone, you get this teeny, tiny snapshot of their life and it’s pretty amazing. Sometimes it’d be a gaggle of kids messing around on the way to school, sometimes an older chap watching us with great bemusement as we blitzed past him, waving and grinning like lunatics, or maybe a group of men herding ducks into a roadside stream (yes, you read that right, duck herding).

Whoever it was, one thing is for sure: Cambodians like to say hello to people on bikes. Every day, and I really mean every day, as we were cycling merrily along, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and a couple of kids would suddenly come racing out of thin air and ambush us, screaming 'hellohellohellohellohellohello.' This would start a kind of chain reaction and the next half hour would pass in a frenzy of shouting and waving, which is quite dangerous on a road full of potholes.

But potholes aside, traveling through a country by bike is a very unique experience. Of course, there were times when I debated whether or not it was possible for just my rear end to die, independently from the rest of my body, such was the level of numbness, but there is really no comparison to the feeling of freedom you get from cycling. We saw corners of Cambodia that are more than a world away from our normal lives, corners where the tourist buses or the hoards of backpackers that come with them can’t get to.. Nothing against backpackers, but sometimes it’s nice to escape the masses.

Ok, a three week bike ride is indeed a rather incredible feat, but was it really a life-changing experience? I can almost smell your scepticism! The truth is, it really was. Not in the “I’m going to sell all my worldly possessions and wander the world, touching the lives of everyone I meet” kind of way, it was quieter than that. It wasn’t so aggressively do-goody. It just kind of made me want to smile more. I don’t know about other people, but I am definitely guilty of letting the little things stress me out too much in my so-called normal life.

Spending three weeks in one of the poorest nations in South East Asia, with its unfathomably devastating recent history, certainly shook me up and made me realise that I have it pretty good. All the daft little problems which I worry about suddenly weren’t problems anymore. What’s the use in using all that energy on something that, in all likeliness, won’t change, no matter how much you kick and scream and tear your hair out? Cambodia is a country on the mend, or at least that’s the impression I had, and sometimes it was all too easy to forget that behind the smiles, many people have seen more ugliness and pain than you or I could ever imagine. Yet, despite the horrors this country has lived through, it seems to radiate an energy and spirit like no other place I’ve ever visited.

I think it’s easy to become disillusioned with the world: You watch the news and you feel a bit hopeless because really, how on earth can you help? To be honest, I don’t know the answer to that question. But Cambodia gave me hope for, well, hope. I know that sounds horrendously schmaltzy, but I can’t describe it in any other way. After seeing all these incredibly cool and inspiring projects, only someone with a heart of stone could refuse to be touched by the optimism. There’s always going to be good and bad in the world, for sure, but now my eyes and heart are more open to the good stuff.

Find out more about how you can participate in a PEPY Ride here!