A major chunk of Siem Reap’s urban footprint consists of an ancient Cambodian civilization hosting globally acclaimed archaeological sites rich in architectural antiques. It’s also the famous home to the world’s largest religious monument of Angkor Wat. However, there are lesser known landmarks on this gigantic estate that equally deserve our attention. One of them is the Temple of Chau Say Tevoda.

An Unexpected Revelation

While cruising along the dusty roads of the prehistoric jungles of Siem Reap together with my trusty tour guide and his Tuk-Tuk, I suddenly caught something striking…

“Hey, what’s that small structure over there?” I asked my friendly driver.

“Oh, that one Sir? Hmm, that’s not part of our itinerary for today, but if you want to check it out, we still have time,” he replied while reducing the pace of his speeding vehicle.

“Yes, I want to experience it please! They look like tiny towers to me. And they’re probably temples too. Although they’re not as huge and tall as the other popular landmarks I’ve already visited like Angkor Wat, Ta Phrom, Preah Khan, and Bayon, I’m still curious to explore them. Can we stop here?”

“Okay Sir. I’ll wait for you here. Have fun!” My tour guide showed me his thumbs-up while parking his Tuk-Tuk nearby.

“Thanks pal, I’ll catch you later.”

More Than Meets the Eyes

Approaching the partially hidden site by foot, I soon realized that it had more ancient secrets to reveal. Assuming that only a couple of dilapidated artifacts existed at the roadside, I peeped further ahead and discovered that there were actually more interesting ruins to uncover. From my location, it looked like a miniscule complex of low buildings scattered around in clusters.

But important priorities first. The next move was to learn more about the holy place I’ll be probing. You wouldn’t want to be constantly scratching your head due to ignorance during the entire journey, would you? Fortunately, information boards were already planted there for visitors to be aware of its historical context.

According to their descriptive inscriptions, I was standing on the sacred grounds of the Chau Say Tevoda Temple. My initial guess proved to be true after all!

Moreover, those bulletin panels also narrated the origins of the temple’s construction dates - sometime during the early part of the 12th century or the culmination of the 11th century.

“Just imagine the staggering number of humans, animals, organic species (and most likely supernatural entities) that have left their marks here!” This sudden reflection caused a hair-raising sensation on my arms.

Although the name Chau Say Tevoda sounds to me like it was inspired by the Chinese language, I was told by a local friend that its Cambodian translation relatively means “Abundant descendants of a god”. Isn’t that interesting?

Furthermore, the displayed data also revealed that this temple complex was a joint restoration project through the courtesy of the governments of China and Cambodia. What a coincidence!

At first glance, these temple ruins also appeared like complicated Chinese or Japanese pagodas due to their distinctive shapes, yet on a much smaller scale. Cascading and pointed rooflines. Tapered towers. Pointed peaks. Ornamental details. Do you have similar observations?

Instead of simple geometric forms, these low steeples, stepped podiums or pyramid-like platforms, and grounded bases were heavily decorated with elaborate sculptures and bas reliefs, some of which were already unrecognizable because of old age plus their naked exposure to the harsh elements.

It was clearly obvious that the passage of time had taken its cruel toll on these spectacular treasures of architecture. I would have loved studying the stunning ornamentations on the various structures, most especially the eye-catching stone figurines, carvings, and symbolic objects that depicted interesting stories. Too bad most of them were already suffering a poor state of decomposition.

On the bright side however, I was truly delighted that ongoing repairs have saved them from complete destruction. In fact, most of these remarkable temples are still standing today - thanks to the relentless efforts of concerned citizens.

Despite being constructed with lower heights as opposed to their more popular counterparts, these temple ruins were still monumental in their physical dimensions. Just look at how tiny the people in the vicinity are in comparison to these ancient behemoths.

A Humble but Significant Legacy

A tremendous sense of satisfaction filled my heart for discovering the Chau Say Tevoda Temple, even though it happened by accident. If not for my curious appetite, wandering glances, and adventurous spirit, I would have intentionally bypassed this historical gem on my way to other bigger landmarks.

By the way, the Chau Say Tevoda Temple is incorporated within the Angkor Archaeological Park, officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, If you’re planning to travel to Cambodia as a regular tourist or as an architectural explorer, Siem Reap is the recommended destination to be.

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Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.

• architecture
• chausaytevodatemple
• siemreap