APAD 092: Prasat Vihear Sour
I don’t exactly know what it means in English but this particular wat attracts numerous local and foreign tourists because its architectural style is based on that of the Angkor Wat. It is constructed using a mix of cement and cement between 1996 to 1998 to a whopping amount of — wait for it – about one million dollars. WHEW!
Prasat Vihear Sour does look like Angkor Wat, isn’t it? Which is why it has earned the nickname “the new Angkor Wat”.
The money used is said to have been raised from local and foreign sources.
We went there during the Chinese New Year and it was located inside a sprawling compound with lots of trees and shade. There are also other new but smaller structures, still bearing the same architectural style. It has also an amazing archway decorated with giant-faces just like the faces that are found in the temples of Bayon.
APAD 088: Temple-hunting
It was the Chinese New Year and my husband and I wanted to escape the city. We finally pushed through with our plan last Sunday. My husband, younger brother and I drove 30-40kms northwest of Phnom Penh and found ourselves heading to Phnom Prasith. There we spent the whole day temple-hunting (and kite-flying afterwards).
Despite the heat and the bumpy and dusty ride, we found what we were looking for, a pre-Angkorian wat (temple) – or what’s left of it, anyway – that sits on top of Phnom Prasith and tucked in the lush vegetation.
There’s just so much more temples to explore if only you are game enough to go off the beaten trail.
Since it is perched up a hill, it is cool, very quiet and offers an excellent panoramic view of the area. Local villagers come here often for their daily prayers and offerings to monks-in-residence. During special Buddhist holidays, such as the Khmer New Year and Bon Pchum Ben, the number of visitors increase as the villagers are joined by local tourists who’ve come to offer prayers and food to the monks and spirits of long-gone ancestors to earn extra merits for their next life.
Although we preferred exploring the area by ourselves but we also didn’t turn down the offer to be toured around by a villager. He really gave us interesting details about the area, for example, behind the altar (picture on the top right), is a tunnel about 16kms long and connects this wat to Phnom Oudong, the old capital of Cambodia (1618-1886) before it was moved to Phnom Penh.
Here are some more pictures:
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- This side of the temple is being overrun by the vegetation.
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- Details of the wall carvings.
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- An altar between huge boulders is housed inside the ruin.,
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- Giant reclining Buddha, in the state of Nirvana.
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- A close up view of the giant reclining Buddha.
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- Eerie – a tree growing out of the wat.
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- A very old stupa, a few meters away from the temple ruins.
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- A relic lying on the ground.
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- A Buddhist angel kneels in prayer.
Please click the individual photo for a larger view.
Don’t forget to come back next week. I will feature another wat. Not as old but equally interesting, too.
APAD 086: Barber shack
As you may already know, we again went on a road trip over the past weekend. I love embarking on road trips because I, and my husband, enjoy a change of “view” from time to time. We are still very much keen to see rural landscapes and lifestyles despite living here for several years now.
Here’s one of my favourite sights, hand-painted signs. Very rustic and retro in style. Can you guess what the sign is for?
One of the many roadside signs we saw during the road trip.
A barber shop, of course. Or more appropriately, a barber shack 🙂
The flag to the left of the sign is in half-mast as this photo was taken on the second day of the King-Father’s funeral ceremony.
APAD 085: Resting place
Phnom Oudong (Oudong Hill) and the giant stupas outlined against the blue sky, as seen from the national road.
Phnom Oudong (Oudong Hill), faintly outlined against the blue sky, as seen from the national road.
Phnom Oudong is the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia in the 7th century and is the final resting place of her former Kings. The main shrine there contains three pieces of bones that is said to belong to the Lord Buddha.
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