The magnificence of the temple described in Zhenla Fengtuji, the work of Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan who visited the site in the late 13th century, and in the writings and sketches of 19th century French explorer Henri Mouhot, has been preserved to this day, despite suffering significant damage incurred by earthquakes and the environment, as evidenced by the current condition of Ta Prohm, a famous temple whose structure is now penetrated by roots of trees and other vegetation. Angkor was both the name of the Khmer Empire, the predecessor state to modern Cambodia which ruled during the 9th to 15th century AD, and its capital city, located north of the TonléSap, or Great Lake, South East Asia’s largest freshwater lake. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit term nagara, meaning “city,” yet is now primarily used as the name for the Khmer Empire. Angkor Wat is often thought to refer to the entire remains of the country’s ancient empire. However, as the word Wat, meaning “temple,” indicates, Angkor Wat strictly refers to the central temple complex in the Khmer Empire’s “temple city.”
Before coming under increasing influence of the Ayutthaya Kingdom starting from the mid-14th century, the Khmer had built a powerful kingdom. Absorbing Indian culture and political thought, the Khmer Empire developed into the most advanced civilization on the Southeast Asian mainland. In 802, King Jayavarman II established the Devaraja, or “god-king” cult, which incorporated both Hindu and indigenous traditions and lent legitimacy to his rule. For centuries thereafter, the Devaraja cult provided the religious basis of the royal authority of Angkor’s rulers, who were regarded as reincarnations of Hindu deities, particularly Shiva and Vishnu. Subsequently, the establishment of temples became the most adequate means to solidify their divine right to be kings, and so they built temples of Hindu, Mahayana Buddhist and several other religions, their interiors decorated with reliefs and sculptures. Engaging in war became a necessity to secure the labor force required to construct the many temples, and massive water reservoirs were created to guarantee a stable food supply.
Almost the entire city of Angkor was built with sandstone quarried at Mount Kulen. The temples at the southeast of Angkor Wat, modern-day Ruluos, were built with bricks. At the Angkor temples, laterite, a reddish clay-like material was used to reinforce platforms, exterior walls and pavements, while most visible areas were built with sandstone blocks. Whereas the use of these materials was the decisive aspect that drove the development of architectural techniques, the pliable properties of sandstone helped establish a wealth of sculptures of unparalleled artistic value. The true significance of visiting the archeological sites of Angkor may not only be found in the appreciation of the temple’s outward appearance, but also in appreciating the reliefs and sculptures drawing inspiration from Hindu deities, carved with sophisticated techniques.
Written by Professor Jang-sik Park (Busan University of Foreign Studies)
KOREA FOUNDATION
