Mainland Southeast Asia holds many ancient and modern wonders, wonders that we can’t wait to explore with you. For 2020, Our vegan lgbt cruises through the Mekong River will take us to various wondrous sites in Vietnam and Cambodia, from the ancient Khmer structures of Phnom Penh to the metropolitan wonders of Ho Chi Minh City (Once known as Saigon.) On our third day of luxurious cruising, we will explore the physical legacy of one of the last kings of ancient Cambodia, the tranquil, jungle-taken city of Angkor Thom.
The city of Angkor Thom (“Great City” in Khmer) was constructed in the reign of the Khmer king Jayavarman VII, one of the last great rulers of ancient Cambodia. Jayavarman VII came to power by driving out invaders from Champa, solidifying his rule over the Khmer Empire at the ripe age of 61. For the rest of his reign, he initiated a vast amount of building projects, including the Bayon Temple at the heart of his new capital, but also various houses, highways, and hospitals.
Unlike his primarily Hindu predecessors, Jayavarman VII was a Mahayana Buddhist whose faith is reflected in the remnants of his capital city, namely the great smiling Buddha faces on the rocky towers that rise in the Bayon Temple area. In front of his Royal Palace is the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. The Elephant Terrace depicts sculptures of elephants and their mahouts (elephant riders,) while the Terrace of the Leper King has statues that depict either Yama, the Hindu god of Death or a previous king who suffered the disease. Finally, a number of older Khmer capitals overlap with Angkor Thom, including Yashodharapura, and as such remnants of their already ancient structures can be found amongst the carvings and statues of Jayavarman VII’s capital. One example is the Baphuon, a temple to Shiva that was converted into a Buddhist structure in the 15th century, long after the heyday of Angkor Thom had passed.
In the modern era, Angkor Thom is partially consumed by jungle, retaken by nature long after its people abandoned it. The end of Jayavarman VII’s prosperous reign signaled the final decline of the Khmer Empire, but even as the Cambodia of antiquity faded into history, the legacy of its civilization remains, in the physical structures of its buildings and its cultural significance in the modern era. On our vegan culinary cruise along the Mekong, join in exploring this great city, the last capital of the Khmer Empire.
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| Angkor Thom |
History of Angkor Thom
The city of Angkor Thom (“Great City” in Khmer) was constructed in the reign of the Khmer king Jayavarman VII, one of the last great rulers of ancient Cambodia. Jayavarman VII came to power by driving out invaders from Champa, solidifying his rule over the Khmer Empire at the ripe age of 61. For the rest of his reign, he initiated a vast amount of building projects, including the Bayon Temple at the heart of his new capital, but also various houses, highways, and hospitals.
City Details
Unlike his primarily Hindu predecessors, Jayavarman VII was a Mahayana Buddhist whose faith is reflected in the remnants of his capital city, namely the great smiling Buddha faces on the rocky towers that rise in the Bayon Temple area. In front of his Royal Palace is the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. The Elephant Terrace depicts sculptures of elephants and their mahouts (elephant riders,) while the Terrace of the Leper King has statues that depict either Yama, the Hindu god of Death or a previous king who suffered the disease. Finally, a number of older Khmer capitals overlap with Angkor Thom, including Yashodharapura, and as such remnants of their already ancient structures can be found amongst the carvings and statues of Jayavarman VII’s capital. One example is the Baphuon, a temple to Shiva that was converted into a Buddhist structure in the 15th century, long after the heyday of Angkor Thom had passed.
Angkor Thom Today
In the modern era, Angkor Thom is partially consumed by jungle, retaken by nature long after its people abandoned it. The end of Jayavarman VII’s prosperous reign signaled the final decline of the Khmer Empire, but even as the Cambodia of antiquity faded into history, the legacy of its civilization remains, in the physical structures of its buildings and its cultural significance in the modern era. On our vegan culinary cruise along the Mekong, join in exploring this great city, the last capital of the Khmer Empire.
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