Bayon Explorer Guide
Bayon is a temple in the ancient Khmer city of Angkor Thom. It was the state temple of Jayavarman VII and his immediate successors. The Bayon is one of the most enigmatic structures in the world, and its design has a close symbolic relationship with the architecture of Angkor Thom itself.
Bayon is one of the many temples in Angkor that is constructed to represent Mount Meru, the center of the Hindu universe. But what makes Bayon stand out over the other temples is that it uses a mass of towers carved with stone faces to create this illusion of a stone mountain. From far away, Bayon does look like a mountain. But as you come nearer to it, the many different towers - 49 in total originally, now only 37 left - start to take shape right before your eyes. Faces, serene gazes, stare down at you. You move slightly, and more faces appear. Like a child searching for Wally, your eye search the mountain, looking for more stone faces, and finding them. This is the uniqueness of Bayon that makes it one of the most popular ruins at Angkor.
Bayon is the most complex temple in Angkor. And unlike other, it does not have a surrounding wall, making it possible for you can enter it from practically any direction. This makes it the most difficult ruin to explore in any given order. Although it is customary to approach the Bayon from the eastern causeway, and I have done that many a time, Bayon's maze-like quality, heaps of fallen stones and narrow passages, quickly confuse me. That each time, I would simply give up and surrender the desire to explore it systematically. I know once I've peeled away the confusion, Bayon would have lost its magic. I can't let that happen. It's the Bayon magic that kept me coming back again and again.
Exploring the Bayon
To make sense of everything that is at Bayon, it is necessary to separate what we can expect to see here into two groups. Group One are the bas-reliefs on the downstairs galleries. Group Two are the shrines with face towers on the terraces of the upstairs terraces.
I am now going to take you on a tour of Bayon. Feel free to print this out when you explore the monument. The route I am taking you is the one I would recommend to most first-time visitors to Bayon. It provides a good introduction to all the best carvings and sights, without overwhelming you with too much at one go. Use this explanation alongside the Google Map for Exploring the Bayon. I have mapped out and numbered the route you should take.
Approach Bayon from the eastern causeway (1). Here, you see a pair of guardian lions and some naga balustrades in different stages of disrepair. From here, Bayon looks like a stone mountain. Now walk towards it.
When you reach the front entrance to the Bayon (2), don't go in. No, we are going to explore the outer galleries first. They have some of the best carvings in Bayon so you don't want to miss them out. Turn left.
Walking from (2) and (3)
In this section, we see bas reliefs in three rows - top, middle, bottom. The carvings show soldiers of the Khmer army marching, from left to right. They carry spears. They wear loincloth and thick cord looped across their chest. Their hair is short.
On the lower row, you see soldiers with beards and patterned tunics. I read that they are supposed to be Chinese soldiers. Their commander ride on elephants. Their rank is signified by the number of parasols that shed them. Then there's also the cavalry - soldiers on horses - riding without saddles. Musicians appear, including one beating a gong.
On the upper row, you see princesses being carried in palanquins. There are also women and children in the scene, and ox-carts exactly like those you'd see in Siem Reap today. Look for the scenes of a man blowing at cooking fire, two men cutting up a deer, a woman handing a turtle or tortoise to another man.
There's a door interrupting the carvings. Don't go in. From outside the door, you can see the towers of Bayon. Walk pass to continue with the gallery.
Past the door, the carvings are shown of scenes moving from right to left. In other words, if you stand back from the door, it appears as though the scenes emerge and are moving away from the door.
Look for these. More carvings of soldiers and musicians. Goods carried on ox-carts. A buffalo tied to a pole. Birds on top of people's houses. Eventually you reach the end of the gallery. There is a corner pavilion (3) on the southeast of the Bayon.
At the corner pavilion
The carvings here are not complete. There's a scene of a temple with three towers. It could be Angkor Wat, which was built earlier than the Bayon. Much of this section was never completed.
Walking from (3) to (4)
This section has some of the best carvings at Bayon. It shows a war fought by the Khmers against the Chams (an ancient people that came from southern Vietnam; their descendents still live in Cambodia today and are mostly Muslims). It could be a depiction of the war that happened in 1177, when the Chams conquered Angkor, or 1181, when Jayavarman VII vanquished the Chams.
On the upper row, you see a palace scene. There are musicians, a dancer, even two gladiators fighting. In the lower row, you see Khmer boats in a war scene. It probably depicts a battle that took place on the Tonle Sap. Once again, it was the Khmers against the Chams. The Khmers are the ones with short hair, loin-cloth and coiled ropes around their chest while their opponents the Chams wore short-sleeved uniforms and helmets that look like upside-down flowers. You see victims falling into the water, and becoming instant food to awaiting crocodiles.
At the bottom is another row of carvings. Here you see the daily life in ancient Angkor. There are two persons grilling meat over an open fire. There's a hunter about to shoot a deer with bow and arrow. In a separate scene, you see a tiger attacking a man. There's a woman scratching a man's head. There's even a scene of a woman giving birth.
Again we reach a door interrupting the carvings.
After the door, you see carvings of a boating scene. There are five boats, three of them carry warriors, one has musicians and a dancer on board, one more has a king or ruler. Next, there's a big junk, fishermen casting their nets, and crocodiles stealing the catch. On the bottom row, you see a continuation of the daily life scenes. There's a cockfight in progress. Next, a market scene with a women selling hen. Following that, another set of scenes. At the top row, a ruler relaxes in his palace. The carving appears incomplete. At the bottom we see a chess game, and a scene of wild-boar hunting. After that, once again a battle scene between the Khmers and the Chams. At first the Chams appear to be winning, and bodies of dead Khmer warriors lie floating in the water. You walk a bit more and the scene changes. Now the Khmer is winning. You see the Khmer king in his palace preparing for the victory celebrations. A banquet is being prepared. An animal is put into a big pot. Finally you reach the middle of the south gallery (4).
Walking from (4) to (5)
Now enter the outer enclosure. As you walk from (4) to (5), look to your right. The standalone structure you see in the compound is one of the two ground floor "libraries" of Bayon. These two ground floor libraries were some of the last structures constructed at Bayon, erected some time in the second half of the 13th century.
You arrive at a section of Bayon where the walls and corridors appear very tighted built against each other. This is the result of renovation work carried out during ancient times, when corner galleries were added to the original plan which was cross-shape. Let's go upstairs. The staircase going up is very steep, so hang on tight and climb gingerly.
Walking from (5) to (6) to (7)
You have reached the upper terrace. And what a difference it is from the ground floor galleries. For one, it is much more spacious than below. Here and there are towers topped with those famous stone faces. These are shrines. At first, they appear to be scattered all over, but soon you realize they are arranged in some form and order. Each shrine-tower carries a set of four faces, each facing a cardinal like that of a compass. They seem to smile at you. Their lips are big and rubbery, like those of Tina Turner or Angelina Jolie. Their eyes appear shut in meditation.
On the walls of the shrines are nymphs or apsaras. The shrines have windows - or perhaps doors that you have to step over to enter. The lintel are elaborately carved with dancing figures. You enter one of the shrines and look up. Oh, the towers are hollow inside. It's not a flat ceiling.
The central tower of Bayon can be entered through a series of chambers from (6). The inner sanctuary measures about 5 meters in diameter. It housed a huge, 3.6-meter tall Buddha image. It was placed here by Jayavarman VII, who was Buddhist. His successor, Jayavarman VII, however, was a Hindu, and under his reign, which started in 1243 AD, he turned Bayon into a Shiva shrine, and threw out the Buddha image. The image was rediscovered in 1933 at the bottom of a well. It had broken into pieces. Remarkably, every broken piece was recovered, and the image put together. It has been relocated outside Bayon. You can see it at Vihear Prampil Loveng, the pavilion to the east of South Khleang.
When you are done exploring the upper terrace of Bayon, climb down from the north side (7).
Walking from (7) to (8)
You are now leaving Bayon. The way out in quite straightforward. The steps climb down to the ground floor again. From there, you continue walking north. On the left and right are columns with carvings of dancers. There are a few pedestals along the way on which some have Buddha images on them. As usual, whenever there are Buddha images, the locals as well as foreign visitors would place joss sticks in worship.
This concludes your tour of the Bayon temple. Naturally I have deliberately left out the other sections of the temple, so that this write up does not become too heavy. You have gone through the best part of Bayon. The carvings in the other sections are similar to those which I have described here, though many are incomplete or in advance stages of ruin. However, if you have the opportunity, walk around the complex once again and explore the other sections which I did not cover.
Sights within Angkor Thom
I place a ( * ) for what I deem as sights of considerable interest and ( * * ) for sights of major interest.
Entrances
- South Gopura *
- North Gopura *
- East Gopura
- West Gopura
- Victory Gopura *
Monuments
- Bayon * *
- Vat Preah Ngok
- Vihear Prampil Loveng
Bayon In Brief
Period: Late 12th century to late 13th century, at the same time as Angkor Thom itself.
By: Started by Jayavarman VII, completed by Jayavarman VIII.
Style: Bayon
Getting there
Bayon is located at the very center of Angkor Thom. It is usually approach through the South Gopura of Angkor Thom, which lies approximately 1.5km to the south.
Accommodation in Angkor
If you are visiting Angkor, for sure you will be seeking accommodation in the town of Siem Reap, located just 4 kilometers south of the Angkor Archaeological Park. In the last ten years, Siem Reap has become the biggest construction site in all of Phnom Penh, and hotels, guest houses and boutique establishments of all sizes sprout across town, providing accommodation that caters to all sizes of the wallet. You can find here a wide range of Siem Reap accommodation. For budget accommodation in other destinations, use the Budget Accommodation Guide. Although I intended it for budget travelers, you will also find a few establishments which can be considered nothing short of luxurious. So, if you're looking for accommodation for Angkor, view the list and take your pick!
Associated Sites
Bayon in AsiaExplorers
Bayon in EarthDocumentary
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Guardian lions, Bayon causeway (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Location Map of Bayon in Angkor
Route Map for Exploring Bayon
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Chinese foot soldiers with their commander on elephant (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Scenes of daily life at the eastern section of Bayon South Gallery (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Scene of ox-carts and elephants (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Cham soldiers in shirts, Khmer soldiers in loincloths (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Warriors in boats while daily life continues below (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Visitors admiring the carvings (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Approaching the upper terraces (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
The face towers (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
The upper terrace (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Central chamber of the upper terrace (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Carvings on the lintels (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Stone faces in deep meditation (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Bayon, the stone mountain (26 February 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Photos provided by Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners. All photographs by Panoramio photographers are governed by the Panoramio API, which allows display "as is", with attribution to the photographer and link to the photographer's Panoramio URL. Apart from displaying "as is" as hosted in Panoramio, the photos may not be copied or downloaded or used in any other methods without the prior permission of the photographer. For more information, click here.
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