Gods` Smiles in Cambodia

I visited Siem Reap in Cambodia last month. Many things have changed since I visited the temple complex of Angkor Wat three years ago. The airport was neat and clean and I also found street lamps along the road connecting the airport and the downtown area. There was a North Korean restaurant selling cold noodle, where 10 North Korean women serving guests. The number of Korean guides has increased to 43. Hotel Royal Angkor Wat, which was under construction three years ago, was welcoming guests. The French chain hotel was opened in October 2000. I also found many new buildings downtown. There are things that have not changed, however. Cambodian smiles, low-story buildings designed to protect ancient remains and children flocking to Asian tourists to sell goods.

In the following morning, I visited Angkor Wat Thom first. The square-shaped citadels surrounded by a 3 km-stretching stone wall are one of the great ancient religious remains that emulates with Angkor Wat. There are four gates leading to the inside of the citadels, but tourists mostly use the most magnificent South Gate.

Stone heads of Buddhist saints, elephant sculpture, beautiful gates decorated with Hindu gods, sculpture of Naga, a god of snakes and half-human half-animal creature and stone structures, which remind people of computer block-building games. Walking some 1 km past the gate, I found Bayon Temple. You can see stone heads of Buddhist saints, which are called `Smiles of Khmer`. French Anry Muo first wrote about the great religious site in 1863, describing it as glorious ruins. But now the temple has been restored to its complete looks. It was a result of a century-long project.

There were two rooms on the first floor of the temple, with walls decorated with inscribed sculpture. In the first room, I could see the great battle of Jayabarman VII, and lives of noblemen and women and ordinary people. On the second floor, there were a terrace and a 64m-high tower surrounded by 16 spires. Stone heads of Buddhist saints serve as a four-wall structure of the spires. It is said that there used to be as many as 196 stone heads, but now only 32 are left. Buddhism was introduced in the Hindu Angkor Empire at the time of Jayabarman VII. Bayon is Mt. Meru, a center of universe according to Hindu teaching, and the sculpture of smiling Buddhist saints is Jayabarman VII, the great leader of the empire.

Then in 1431, neighboring Thai kingdom took control of Angkor Thom and sacked citadels, temples, structures and sculpture. They did not covet treasures. They wanted to take away the spirit of Khmer by destroying their gods. Until westerners found the place, the great site remained left in jungle for some 400 years. Citadels and temples collapsed and became a part of jungle. The destroyed remains are kept in Tha Phrom, which has its 19th century looks. The place is overgrown with giant trees. Visitors are overwhelmed by nature.

It was not only the work of nature, however, that ruined the great archeological site. Bapuon Temple near Bayon is all but gone since the foundation in the area collapsed during a restoration work. Some say that people came and destroyed the temple to find treasures, which they believed were hidden inside.

Since Angkor was first introduced to outer world at Paris Fair in 1876, it became a major target of collectors. A number of structures were smuggled out of the country illegally. Andre Malow, a French writer who served as Minister of Culture, was caught smuggling out several pieces of sculpture in Banteaisrei near Angkor Thom and sentenced to years in prison before released on probation. And there are now few heads of Buddhist structures left.

The sunset of Angkor in Bayon is as impressive as the Khmer Smile. As the twilight visits the site, climb up to the terrace and you will see the twilight sky over the passageway leading to the west. Watch the sunset, resting your tired legs. History is repeated like everyday`s sunset. An empire built on pains of slaves, and the empire was downed by descendents of the salves – Angkor tells about the repeated history. Ancient remains shine out when they are in their places. Hope that we soon see all the great remains of Angkor come back to their places against the backdrop of beautiful Siem Reap twilight.

summer@donga.com