Lonely Planet has published a "World Travel List", which collects 500 of the most exciting and unforgettable places on earth and ranks them according to their excitement. The one that won the first place with an absolute advantage was Angkor Wat.
As we all know, Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure built in history. It is a national treasure of Cambodia and the earliest Khmer-style building in the world. In Southeast Asia, where temples are dotted, Angkor Wat has built a paradise on earth with its exquisite architectural skills and carving art, demonstrating the outstanding artistic talents of Khmer skilled craftsmen.
Khmer is Cambodia, 80% of the residents are Khmer , located in Indo-China Peninsula, , bordering Thailand in the west and northwest.
The Khmer people are amazing. The Kingdom of Angkor they once established was the first country in Indochina to develop a high level of civilization. In the 11th century, the territory of the Kingdom of Angkor expanded very greatly, leaving many Khmer temples everywhere.
Angkor Wat is the most famous Khmer temple, and it goes without saying that it is wonderful. But few people know that there are Khmer temples in Thailand, and they are not inferior to Angkor Wat.
The three best-preserved and largest Khmer temples in Thailand today are Phanom Lam Temple, Phimai Temple and Majesat Temple. Prasat Phanom Rung, located in Buriram Province, is the largest, most exquisitely built, and best-preserved temple. What's even more special about
is that it is built on the top of a 200-meter-high extinct volcano.
In Khmer , prasat means temple, phanom means mountain, and rung means tall. Therefore, Phanom Lam Temple refers to "a temple built on a high mountain" in Khmer.
Because the Khmer people worship mountains, in Hinduism, mountains symbolize the center of the world. There is no better way to express the reverence of the Khmer people than to build sacred temples on the top of mountains.
Although Buriram is not big, it has 6 volcanoes. There is no need to worry about safety issues, these volcanoes are all extinct volcanoes. Thousands of years ago, the Khmer people used their wisdom to leave exquisite buildings on the volcano.
Phanom Lam Temple is one of the representatives and the symbol of Buriram Province.
Like many Khmer-style temples, Phanom Lam Temple uses laterite bricks as its foundation and sandstone as its superstructure. As for these two raw materials, volcanoes brought rich red soil and nearby rivers deposited large amounts of sandstone. It is very convenient to use local materials.
Therefore, Phanom Lam Temple is built on the top of a volcano. On the one hand, it is a place of faith, and on the other hand, it has inherent advantages. It's a coincidence, but also inevitable.
Phanom Lam Temple was built in the 10th century AD. The main project was completed during the reign of King Suryavarman II of Angkor . It was a masterpiece of the kingdom in its heyday.
Although there has been some damage after a long time, the Thai government cherishes this temple very much and invested a total of 17 years in repairing it. This is why we can still see this amazing temple today.
If you want to enter Phanom Lam Temple, you must first pass through a long staircase.
Be pious and step on the solid ladder step by step. The green trees on both sides danced with rustling sounds in the wind, and in front of them was the holy temple. Probably the original designer also wanted to convey that only through suffering can one truly reach the true meaning of gods and Buddhas.
Climb a series of stairs to see the Snake Bridge. In the hearts of people in Southeast Asia, Naga is a dragon-like existence, and it is also one of the guardian beasts in Hinduism.
Several snake head statues quietly guard this land. Walking there means you have entered the world of God.
Finally saw Phanom Lam Temple. The majestic and majestic building made people understand in an instant how powerful the Khmer Kingdom was at that time.
Like most Khmer temples, Phanom Lam Temple is also laid out from the west to the east. Because in Hinduism, the east means auspiciousness.
Phanom Lam Temple pays great attention to symmetry, with the pagoda in the center and surrounded by square corridors.
Surrounding the main hall, there are 4 pools.
said before that the Khmer people worship mountains. In their understanding, mountains are surrounded by oceans. Phanomlan Temple built four pools around the main hall, echoing the temple, symbolizing Mount Sumeru in the center of the world and the vast surrounding ocean.
If you come in summer, the elegant lotus flowers will bloom all over the water, the clear water, pink flowers, and the vicissitudes of the architecture will be another experience.
Buddhists say that one flower and one world, one leaf and one bodhi, water lilies are also sacred flowers. Even the most ordinary monk can learn a lot from water lilies.
Phanom Lam Temple has an entrance to the east and west, and they are located on the same straight line.
In other words, you can go straight all the way from the east gate to the west gate. The subtlety of Phanom Lam Temple is that at a specific time, the light will pass through the many doors in the temple and form a line, which is particularly dazzling.
Stop and look into the distance. The layers of doors extend forward, as if cutting the building into pieces of background picture frames.
In the frame are silent buildings and monks in red robes that look like fire. It seems that there is great power in the silence.
Looking closely, every detail of Phanom Lam Temple is full of vicissitudes of life, which are the traces left after years of polishing.
A wisp of breeze blows by, and you just feel as if you have really traveled to the past, and saw that powerful, wealthy, and prosperous kingdom before your eyes.
Without explanation, it takes up all your mind and leaves you in deep admiration.
Raise your hand to touch the relief details, the various scenes are lifelike, and they should all be based on characters and stories from Indian epics.
The layers of carvings condense the past time, exuding the shining brilliance of humanity.
In the temple, Shiva's mount: Nandi the bull is also enshrined. This bull is in a crouching posture, symbolizing not only male fertility but also Dharma, which is extremely sacred.
Walking around in the temple, under the blue and almost transparent sky, these mottled buildings carry so many stories. The mottled broken walls and ruins have traveled through thousands of years, silently recording too much.
was surprised to find that the walls of the temple part are ginger.
When I went to Angkor Wat before, I didn't realize that the walls of these Khmer buildings were all painted, but they had faded over time.
If you think about it carefully, the mystery left behind by the Indian gods in the world has long been impossible to trace.
But fortunately, there are such existences as Phanom Lam Temple, which allows us to experience the past glory of the dynasty and the supreme piety of religion in our imagination. This is a miracle.
I am Yanling
With an interesting soul
I have been walking on the road
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Qingyun Plan monthly high-quality account, creator of Baijia List, CFP/ Ctrip contracted photographer, Chinese folk photography Association member, well-known travel blogger, Sohu gold medal author, Weibo contracted self-media, Miaopai master, Weibo travel video blogger, and Lotto Travel Network columnist.
