Bayun Temple inSiem Reap Cambodia

 

Bayon Temple is a temple which is very famous with its very old and there are many wonderful sculpture. Located in the North to South and East to West of Angkor, in Cambodia. This temple was built in the 12th century and was built in the late 12th century or early Mahayana Buddhism as the King Jayavarman VII, the Temple stands at the Centre of the capital Jayavarman’s, Angkor Thom. After the death of Jayavarman’s, and modified and augmented by the Kings of Hindus and Buddhists. Bayon Temple is famous for the great stone face, with one facing out and maintain at each point. And most typical feature set is a collection of rock faces and a massive tower that led to many of the top terrace and cluster around the Summit. The temple is also famous with present an unusual combination of mythological history.
This temple has been dubbed by some the Mona Lisa. And there are 51 turrets around this temple and each with four faces. The temple is surrounded by long walls and two bearing an exceptional collection of scenes of legendary and historical events of the relief. And the total of all of the more than 11,000 carved figures and over 1.2 miles of wall. The walls here are still very pure and still like the time formerly Scorpion.

 In 2013, the Bayon Temple was very popular once the tourists from different countries, to see the history here. Every day, many travelers who come here. Because of the beauty of the temple which is very beautiful and very stunning natural scenery. Hotels here are full of travelers because of the hotels here in complete with facilities suitable for your vacation. If you want to find and eat here there is also a very good restaurant with cuisine. You do not hesitate to come back here. Because in winter and the heat is very well suited to this place. Good luck to come here. And this place is perfect for your family vacation in Bayon Temple. ?

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Angkor Songkran 2015 in Siem Reap, Cambodia

For Trip/Travel planning purposes, please note the actual dates and the extended dates for the major Cambodian national holiday of 2015 are:
Official National Holliday dates for Khmer New Year (KNY) 2015 are: April, Tuesday 14th, Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th.
But note, however, that in reality, this national holiday will be extended by all who can get away with it, such as government officials/offices and the like so as to start on Saturday 11th and extend through until start of business on Monday 20th.
And for the information of travellers over this period who have not experienced a previous KNY, please note as follows and plan your travels accordingly.
Please note carefully that all Royal Government of Cambodia Offices will be closed for these dates and that many may start and end their departmental holidays some days earlier and later than this as this permits staff to travel to their homelands.
Banks and financial institutions also close over this period but ATMs will operate as will some Bureau de Changes in tourist areas. Local money changers will continue to operate most days of the holidays. But some ATMs will undoubtedly "run dry" during the holiday period so please be prepared for this eventuality.
Major Markets will more or less continue unchanged, except for the official holiday dates, but some stallholders will close on some days of the holidays to allow the owners/operators some time off during this holiday period. The Phnom Penh Night market will operate throughout the official holiday dates.


The Khmer New Year is not a single day holiday as it is in many countries but more of a rolling event. As such, most organizations will roster staff so that staff can at least get one or more days off during this holiday period so some short staffing may be expected in the Tourism, Hospitality and related industries and services.
And it is the custom for better employer organizations to pay their staff a 13th month salary for Khmer New Year as an annual bonus and to assist their staff travel to/from often distant homelands and to have money to take home with them to share with their family.
Transport booking need to be made early as demand on all forms of transport will be very high indeed as Cambodians travel to/from homeland areas for family reunions. Transport fares also rise considerable during this period due to excess demand and to capitalise on this holiday by vehicle owners such as taxi drivers. Bus fares of the major companies stay more or less the same - if you can get a ticket.
KNY is also a very colourful time especially at the major temples and, observing the protocols for entering temple grounds and buildings, you will be most welcome to come and observe and take photos etc. But please note the requirements for hats to be removed prior to entering the grounds of a temple and for footwear by both genders to be removed in certain places. If entering temple ground women need to be respectfully dressed even if not actually entering a temple building.

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Khmer Empire (802–1431)

The golden age of Khmer civilization, however, was the period from the 9th to the 13th centuries, when Khmer Empire, which gave Kampuchea, or Cambodia, its name, ruled large territories from its capital in the region of Angkor in western Cambodia.
Legend has it that in 802 AD, Jayavarman II, king of the Khmers, first came to the Kuhlen hills, the future site of Angkor Wat.^[7] Later, under Jayavarman VII (1181 – c. 1218), Khmer reached its zenith of political power and cultural creativity. Jayavarman VII gained power and territory in a series of successful wars. Khmer conquests were almost unstoppable as they raided home cities of powerful seafaring Chams. However, territorial expansion stopped after a defeat by Dai Viet. The battle also witnessed Suryavarman II's death. Following Jayavarman VII's death, Khmer experienced a gradual decline. Important factors were the aggressiveness of neighboring peoples (especially the Thai, or Siamese), chronic interdynastic strife, and the gradual deterioration of the complex irrigation system that had ensured rice surpluses. The Angkorian monarchy survived until 1431, when the Thai captured Angkor Thom and the Cambodian king fled to the southern part of the country

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History of Thailand

Ruler: King Bhumibol Adulyadej (1946)

Prime Minister: Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha (2014)

Land area: 197,595 sq mi (511,771 sq km); total area: 198,455 sq mi (514,000 sq km)

Population (2014 est.): 67,741,401 (growth rate: 0.35%); birth rate: 11.26/1000; infant mortality rate: 9.86/1000; life expectancy: 74.18

Capital and largest city (2011): Bangkok, 8.426 million

Monetary unit: baht

History

The Thais first began settling their present homeland in the 6th century, and by the end of the 13th century ruled most of the western portion. During the next 400 years, they fought sporadically with the Cambodians to the east and the Burmese to the west. Formerly called Siam, Thailand has never experienced foreign colonization. The British gained a colonial foothold in the region in 1824, but by 1896 an Anglo-French accord guaranteed the independence of Thailand. A coup in 1932 demoted the monarchy to titular status and established representative government with universal suffrage.
At the outbreak of World War II, Japanese forces attacked Thailand. After five hours of token resistance Thailand yielded to Japan on Dec. 8, 1941, subsequently becoming a staging area for the Japanese campaign against Malaya. Following the demise of a pro-Japanese puppet government in July 1944, Thailand repudiated the declaration of war it had been forced to make in 1942 against Britain and the U.S.
By the late 1960s the nation's problems largely stemmed from conflicts brewing in neighboring Cambodia and Vietnam. Although Thailand had received $2 billion in U.S. economic and military aid since 1950 and had sent troops (paid by the U.S.) to Vietnam while permitting U.S. bomber bases on its territory, the collapse of South Vietnam and Cambodia in spring 1975 brought rapid changes in the country's diplomatic posture. At the Thai government's insistence, the U.S. agreed to withdraw all 23,000 U.S. military personnel remaining in Thailand by March 1976.

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Angkor what? Everything you ever wanted to know about Cambodia’s most iconic temple

The traveller’s first glimpse of Angkor Wat, the ultimate expression of Khmer genius, is simply staggering and is matched by only a few select spots on earth such as Machu Picchu or Petra.

What is it?

Angkor Wat is, quite literally, heaven on earth. Angkor is the earthly representation of Mt Meru, the Mt Olympus of the Hindu faith and the abode of ancient gods. The ‘temple that is a city’, Angkor Wat is the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion. The Cambodian god-kings of old each strove to better their ancestors’ structures in size, scale and symmetry, culminating in what is believed to be the world’s largest religious building, the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat.

 

The temple is the heart and soul of Cambodia. It is the national symbol, the epicentre of Khmer civilisation and a source of fierce national pride. Soaring skyward and surrounded by a moat that would make its European castle counterparts blush, Angkor Wat is one of the most inspired and spectacular monuments ever conceived by the human mind. Unlike the other Angkor monuments, it was never abandoned to the elements and has been in virtually continuous use since it was built.

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Banteay Srei Temple In Cambodia.

Banteay Srei is considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art. A Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, it is cut from stone of a pinkish hue and includes some of the finest stone carving seen anywhere on earth. It is one of the smallest sites at Angkor, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in stature. It is wonderfully well preserved and many of its carvings are three-dimensional.
Construction on Banteay Srei began in AD 967 and it is one of the few temples around Angkor not to be commissioned by a king, but by a Brahman, who may have been a tutor to Jayavarman V. The temple is square and has entrances at the east and west, the east approached by a causeway. Of interest are the lavishly decorated libraries and the three central towers, which are decorated with male and female divinities and beautiful filigree relief work.
Classic carvings at Banteay Srei include delicate women with lotus flowers in hand and traditional skirts clearly visible, as well as breathtaking re-creations of scenes from the epic Ramayana adorning the library pediments (carved inlays above a lintel). However, the sum of the parts is no greater than the whole - almost every inch of these interior buildings is covered in decoration. Standing watch over such perfect creations are the mythical guardians, all of which are copies of originals stored in the National Museum .

Banteay Srei was the first major temple-restoration undertaken by the EFEO in 1930 using the anastylosis method. The project, as evidenced today, was a major success and soon led to other larger projects such as the restoration of the Bayon.
When Banteay Srei was first rediscovered, it was assumed to be from the 13th or 14th centuries, as the refined carving must have come at the end of the Angkor period. It was later dated to AD 967, from inscriptions found at the site. However, some scholars are once again calling for a revision of this date, given that the style of this temple and its carvings are unlike anything else seen in the 10th century. New theories suggest that like the great cathedrals of Europe, some Angkorian temples may have been destroyed and then rebuilt, or altered beyond recognition, and that the inscription stele at Banteay Srei relates to an earlier structure on the site, not the delicate flower of a temple we see today.

Banteay Srei is 21km northeast of Bayon or about 32km from Siem Reap. It is well signposted and the road is surfaced all the way - a trip from Siem Reap should take about one hour. Moto and remorque drivers will want a bit of extra cash to come out here, so agree on a sum first. It is possible to combine a visit to Banteay Srei with a trip to the River of a Thousand Lingas at Kbal Spean and Beng Mealea, or to Banteay Samré and Phnom Bok.

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National Museum of Cambodia

Located just north of the Royal Palace, the National Museum of Cambodia is housed in a graceful terracotta structure of traditional design (built 1917–20), with an inviting courtyard garden. The museum is home to the world’s finest collection of Khmer sculpture – a millennium’s worth and more of masterful Khmer design.
The museum comprises four pavilions, facing the pretty garden. Most visitors start left and continue in a clockwise, chronological direction. The first significant sculpture to greet visitors is a large fragment – including the relatively intact head, shoulders and two arms – of an immense bronze reclining Vishnu statue recovered from the Western Mebon temple near Angkor Wat in 1936.
Continue into the left pavilion, where the pre-Angkorian collection begins. It illustrates the journey from the human form of Indian sculpture to the more divine form of Khmer sculpture from the 5th to 8th centuries. Highlights include an imposing eight-armed Vishnu statue from the 6th century found at Phnom Da, and a staring Harihara, combining the attributes of Shiva and Vishnu, from Prasat Andet in Kompong Thom province. The Angkor collection includes several striking statues of Shiva from the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries; a giant pair of wrestling monkeys (Ko Ker, 10th century); a beautiful 12th-century stele (stone) from Oddar Meanchey inscribed with scenes from the life of Shiva; and the sublime statue of a seated Jayavarman VII (r 1181–1219), his head bowed slightly in a meditative pose (Angkor Thom, late 12th century).
The museum also contains displays of pottery and bronzes dating from the pre-Angkorian periods of Funan and Chenla (4th to 9th centuries), the Indravarman period (9th and 10th centuries) and the classical Angkorian period (10th to 14th centuries), as well as more recent works such as a beautiful wooden royal barge.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to photograph the collection – only the courtyard. English-, French- and Japanese-speaking guides (US$6) are available. A comprehensive booklet, The New Guide to the National Museum , is available at the front desk (US$10), while the smaller Khmer Art in Stone covers some of the signature pieces (US$2).

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/phnom-penh/sights/museums-galleries/national-museum-cambodia#ixzz3TiIQnZ9B

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