Last month, I had the good fortune of booking a hotel near Angkor Wat. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to experience the early time of this magnificent site. Being so close to Angkor Wat enabled me to visit the temple early in the morning before the crowds yess because it was April, a Khmer new year arrived, giving me ample time to admire the beauty of the temple in its natural setting especially the sunrise.
By the way the time when I visit it was very special that I can see the decorations of heart made from paper. If you haven't heard yet this event just break the World Guinness Records.
As I used to explored the temple two times already with my family , I was amazed by the intricate carvings and the sheer size of the temple. Without getting bored that why I still come here again, I believe there are much more things for me to explore and learn, felt a deep sense of admiration and respect for the ancient Khmer civilization that built this magnificent structure.
As I've visited here twice, there wasn't any plan at all, but when I come across a group of people, it really turns my attention to stopping here, and the surprise experience is that it was the use of a compass on the ground.
The intersection of these four axes at the center of Angkor Wat obviously being at 0 degrees from the top looks so match. This isn't the accident, it actually have been calulate very accurate that was also leasing some people especially local here in Siem Reap province believe that it is the center of the earth. This is a popular sharing story and even spread to children that has been circulating for a long time, but it is not entirely accurate.
The fact is that placing a compass on the ground like this sure that it was the middle of Angkor that means you are standing right in the middle of this world architecture.
Angkor Wat that was built by the Khmer people and of course you probably knows that is one of the most amazing world works of architecture from that era. While the structure is certainly impressive and holds symbolic significance, so there must be an more things that even researcher might not found yet and I also don't know what will it be but let's see in the future.
I just got to learn the use of compass from this man. Well I have this compass app on my phone since I got my oldest and lowest version of smart phone, but this is actually the first time for me.
I think this part of Angkor was also the unique one in that I think it was very hard to measure that it would be the same point to the roof, but the Khmer ancestors could do it at that period when there wasn't any modern technology or even a measurement tool.
By visiting Angkor Wat this time I can learn the myth surrounding Angkor Wat, we sure to can gain a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the Khmer people, and appreciate the incredible accomplishments of our predecessors.