13°36'51.70"N 104°06'39.24"E
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| (from Wanderlust Designs) |
The worldwide famous Angkor Wat is the undisputed symbol of Cambodia. However, some 30 kilometers north of it, there lays the likewise magnificent Phnom Kulen mountain range. Now serving as a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has been a sacred spot for both Hindus and Buddhists for centuries, while it is also considered the birthplace of the powerful ancient Khmer Empire. But besides its history, Phnom Kulen contains as well a fairy-tale nature: from crystal-clear waterfalls to lush green hills and from incredible standing-up rocks to little rivers and streams. Let's get started!
Following chronological order, the first thing we will analyse today is Mahendraparvata, the city where King Jayavarman II proclaimed the independence of the Khmer Empire. This empire would grow into one of the most influential civilizations of the region, controlling almost the whole of Southeast Asia for roughly 6 centuries until its defeat against Siam (Learn More). Mahendraparvata would serve as the capital of the Khmer Empire, but would soon be replaced with the previously mentioned majestic Angkor; the largest pre-industrial city in the world. However, Mahendraparvata is also quite big and has many things to tell.
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| Jayavarman II (from Ancient Origins) |
The ancient city spans over 40 square kilometers and is conformed mainly by brick temples, which were the center of the Khmer Empire once, but today are partially forgotten and partially overrun by nature. The most popular one is the one of Rong Chen, where allegedly King Jayavarman II was crowned (historians believe this story as every successive Khmer king was permitted to build a temple of the same characteristics). And after recent research with LiDAR technology, explorers have found out that Mahendraparvata also hosted its own urban grid system forming exact angles and hydraulic network with flourishing dams and ponds. This gives the former capital a quite sophisticated look for the era.
The next attraction of this national park is the marvelous Kbal Spean River. Literally named "Bridge Head", it makes reference to the bridge-shaped archway were the stream is born. But beyond this, Kbal Spean has much more significance, at least for the Hindus. They consider it a sacred site, something that can be perfectly reflected on the thousand stone-carved lingas that are placed next to the river. To make yourself an idea, a linga is one of the most important symbols in Hinduism, showing the divine power of god Shiva. But "The River of 1000 Lingas" has even more symbolism: throughout its route, you can see different scenes from Hindu iconography, many depicting gods such as Vishnu or Shiva. It kinda feels like a big comic carved in stone!
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| Shiva carved on stone (from Times of India) |
Now leaving Kbal Spean apart, there are many other beautiful water bodies on Phnom Kulen. The most popular one is, without any doubt, the Phnom Kulen waterfall, which has become the main tourist destination in the area and also the cover of many websites about the national park. Yet, for adventurous wanderers, there are many other hidden waterfalls on Phnom Kulen. In what concerns the flora, it is formed by hardwood trees, evergreen trees and timber, but mainly by lychee trees ---in fact, Phnom Kulen means "Hill of Lychees". Additionally, the park also has a great number of temples, from which we're going to investigate the most important one: the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.
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| The surreal waters of Phnom Kulen's main waterfall. To make it more truthful, imagine this crowded with people. (from Siem Reap) |
Also named Wat Preah Ang Thom, the temple is located atop a hill. To reach it, you first have to access a highly ornamented entrance flanked by elephants and nagas (multi-headed serpents) pictured on top of this entry, and then follow some stone steps to the proper building. Here you will be greeted by a big golden Buddha who's laid down, representing the inner peace of Nirvana. The sculpture is said to be from the 16th century according to the dates that are imprinted on the Buddha's foot, although some archaeologists suggest it was made during the Khmer era. With this, our visit to Phnom Kulen has ended!
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| The reclined Buddha (from Airial Travel) |
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