Temples of Siem Reap -- Beng Mealea, Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre

These three temples are not in Siem Reap, but some ways away (two are 50 to 60KM away); but they are quite special and well worth a trip. We hired a driver to take us on this day trip to visit them.

(Click on each image to see the high-resolution version)

Beng Mealea (奔密列)

Beng Mealea is the farthest away from Siem Reap and requires a separate entrance fee. Compared with other temples, it is not particularly old (it was built in the 12th century), but it is unrestored and "left to rot", which is its lure -- that it gives you a glimpse of what the fate of a crumbled temple is in the jungle.

As we entered the temple complex, the naga that is in fairly good shape caught our attention.


Naga

As promised, the buildings in this temple are choked with tropical growth.


Beng Mealea


Beng Mealea


Beng Mealea

Some of the building material has crumbled after centuries of neglect. I am sure Beng Mealea is a special place, and we enjoyed this beautiful morning under the tropical canopy; but honestly, with so many temples in Siem Reap, some also in ruins, I am not sure if it is worth the long trek.


Beng Mealea

Banteay Srei (女王宫)

Banteay Srei (built in the 10th century), on the other hand, is worth every minute of the trek. And more.

As we walked into the temple complex and approached the site, we knew it was something special -- the rich colors of the sandstones that are used to build it glistened brilliantly under the tropical sun.


Banteay Srei


Banteay Srei

The statues, sculptures and bas-reliefs at Banteay Srei are magnificent.


Statue at Banteay Srei

And of special interest to me are the statues and sculptures of the monkey princes. They are the prototypes of the monkey king of Chinese folklore, a very popular character in Chinese myth which holds a special place in the Chinese psyche, and for myself, it is always special to see them.


Statue at Banteay Srei

The other sculptures and bas-reliefs are just as captivating. We felt like we could linger here forever.


Banteay Srei


Banteay Srei


Banteay Srei


Banteay Srei


Banteay Srei

Banteay Samre (斑黛色玛寺)

But eventually we had to hit the return path. On the way, we made a stop at Banteay Samre, an early 12th century Hindu temple just outside the city of Siem Reap. The temple is very well restored.


Banteay Samre


Banteay Samre


Banteay Samre

As in all the Hindu temples, the carvings and reliefs on the temple walls are very captivating (and again, we saw the stories of our monkey prince).


Banteay Samre


Banteay Samre


Banteay Samre


Banteay Samre



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