Cambodia: Angkor Thom – South Entrance
Just north of Angkor Wat lies a massive city of Angkor Thom, several times the size of the latter. While Angkor Wat was the temple dedicated to gods, Angkor Thom was the capital city of the Khmer Empire at its height. Entering Angkor Thom from the south is the most dramatic as you go through the amazing South Gate. The gate is preceded by a bridge over the moat with a series of statues of gods and demons (devas on the left and asuras on the right), all tagging at a a giant serpents (called naga) – all of this depicting the myth of the Churning of the Sea of Milk to create the elixir of immortality. Beyond the bridge is the actual city wall and the massive head statue over the South Gate, perhaps the most dramatic of all the Cambodian temples.
