Angkor Wat: ancient symbol of a nation

More than one million people a year visit the ruins of Cambodia temple
By The Associated Press
Sat, Sep 18

Original and reconstructed ancient stone monuments lead to Angkor Thom, once the capital city of the Khmer empire. Children walk near the temple of Banteay Srei. A visitor walks through the corridor of Angkor Wat (above) while monks rest on the grounds of the ancient temple (below). Buddhist monks stroll through Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. The 12th-century temple is the grandest legacy of the Khmer empire. (Photos by Eugene Hoshiko / AP)

SIEM REAP, Cambodia — Tourists gather every day before dawn to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, a 12th-century temple and the grandest legacy of Cambodia’s once mighty Khmer empire.

Even at 5 a.m., the heat and humidity is enough to make the visitors break into a sweat.

More than one million people come annually to see the remains of the Khmer temples that dot the sprawling Angkor region, 230 kilometres northwest of the country’s capital, Phnom Penh.

For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation; an outline of Angkor Wat adorns the national flag.

A nearby temple, Wat Thmei, also includes a reminder of a dark chapter in recent Cambodian history.

A memorial stupa houses bones and skulls from the victims of the "killing fields," who were executed by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime that ruled in the late 1970s.

Today, Angkor is a vital contributor to the poor nation’s economy, with almost all visitors to the country travelling to the ruins.

After a hot day visiting the temples, tourists head to the bars and Western-style air-conditioned restaurants in the nearby town of Siem Reap.