President U Min Aung Hlaing tours Angkor Wat and Bayon temples in Angkor Archaeological Park

President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar U Min Aung Hlaing, who is on a State Visit to Siem Reap, Cambodia, accompanied by Union ministers and officials, visited the historic Angkor Wat and Bayon temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap yesterday afternoon.

The President and delegation members observed the historic Angkor Wat temple, including its massive stone structures, stone sculptures, and intricate carvings on the walls depicting in detail the daily life, trade, ceremonies, wars and social conditions of the ancient Khmer people, as well as the Buddha images worshipped by the Khmer people. Officials from the Angkor Archaeological Park provided detailed explanations during the tour, and the President asked questions and discussed matters of interest.
The President presented a commemorative gift to the in-charge of the archaeological park and a duplicate of Maravijaya Buddha Image and the record book on building the image to be kept at the monastery in the archaeological park to an official.
The President and party viewed along the moat circular road in the archaeological park by car and proceeded to the ancient Bayon temple.

The President and delegation members toured the Bayon Temple and observed the ancient architectural works and stone carvings on the temple walls depicting the military affairs, culture and daily life of the Khmer Empire period.

The historic Angkor Wat and Bayon temples are located in the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap Province, northwestern Cambodia. The Angkor Archaeological Park is one of the world’s largest historical sites. The world-renowned Angkor Wat and Bayon temples, renowned for its four-sided towers adorned with giant stone faces, and the Ta Prohm Temple, where tree roots have grown over and around the ancient structures, are prominent attractions and historic sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II as a temple dedicated to Vishnu, a Hindu deity. It was later converted into a Buddhist temple. During the reign of King Srindravarman (1295-1307), when Theravada Buddhism was adopted as the state religion of the Khmer Empire, the Angkor Wat was transformed from a Hindu temple into a Buddhist temple. It is now recognized as the world’s largest religious monument and is featured as a symbol on the national flag of Cambodia.

The Bayon Temple was also built by King Jayavarman VII between the late 12th and early 13th century as a Mahayana Buddhist temple. Its most distinctive feature is the enormous stone faces carved on its towers. Originally, the temple had 54 towers bearing more than 200 faces oriented toward the four cardinal directions, of which about 37 towers remain today. The interior and exterior walls of the temple are adorned with highly detailed and beautiful bas-reliefs depicting the daily life, trade and warfare of the ancient Khmer people. As such, the Bayon is an ancient temple of great historical significance.

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