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Angkor isn’t all about Angkor Wat. There are numerous sites and temples within the old capital that are of interest. Between sunrise and ascending Angkor Wat on day one, we visited a number of these sites. One such site was the South Gate of Angkor Thom.

South Gate Of Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Khmer empire within the Angkor region before its fall in 1431. There are five main gates into the capital city, one for each cardinal point (north, south, east, west) and the fifth gate on the eastern wall with a road running parallel with the East road. This fifth gate is also known as the Victory Gate through which the king would ride after a successful battle into the Victory Square and the Royal Palace located north of Bayon, the city centre.

The city walls stand impressive at 8 metres high and span 3km on each side, covering a 9 square km area. This is surrounded by a wide moat with a causeway going over it at each of its entrances. I managed to find my way up to the top of the gate. From up there, you get a view of the surrounding area. I stood there watching a constant stream of visitors making their way pass the busiest of the five entry points into Angkor Thom. On the other side of the gate, local peddlers will try to sell you books and handicrafts. Motor-taxis (carts pulled by taxis) are also available for USD1.00 (RM3.60) a ride to your next destination within Angkor.

Update: Within the walls of the South Gate, there’s a carving of an elephant with three heads to the right side when you’re facing the gates. To the left is a slope which you can climb to the top of the gate, if you’re so inclined.

Along either side of the causeways are statues of devas (gods) on one side and asuras (demons) on the other, each holding the snake, naga, and locked in an eternal tug-of-war. It actually depicts the legend of the churning of the sea of milk (more on that later). If you’re inside and exiting the city, the devas line the right side while the asuras are on the left. Unfortunately, most of these statues have since been worn away with time or have had their heads removed.

The gates themselves are wide, measuring about 3.5 metres across and 7 metres high. In a time long past, it was large enough to allow elephants to pass easily. Nowadays, it sees the passage of cars, vans, mini buses, and motorcycles. Each gate is topped with the carving of a head with four smiling faces, looking in the direction of the four winds.

Stay tuned. More filler sites to come while I organise my galleries and wait for more pictures to arrive.

Trivia
Angkor means capital. The ruins of Angkor used to be the capital of the Khmer empire during the reigns of its early rulers between the 9th and 15th century. When Siam captured Angkor Thom, Ponhea Yat, then king of the Khmer Empire, fled to Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh eventually became the permanent capital of Cambodia.