On the morning of August 5, I was still eating rice rolls at Boji Breakfast Restaurant. In the afternoon, I stood in the Royal Park in the center of Siem Reap and watched the black bat hanging upside down on the high treetops. Opening huge wings; watching Cambodians with dark skin, wide noses and curly hair coming and going; I also made an hour off due to the jet lag; I exchanged 200 yuan for 100,000 riel (Cambodian currency, 1 yuan is equal to 500 Riel), he became a "rich" as soon as he got off the plane. This is the secret of the global village. I have truly stepped into a foreign land.
In less than three hours, I flew from Guangzhou to Siem Reap with a mixed tour group of 19 people. We entered the country with airport customs agents constantly urging or hinting at tips. Siem Reap is located in northern Cambodia. It is a city built on the edge of Tonle Sap Lake. It is plain except for plains. "Siam" means Siam, Thailand, and "Li" means defeat. The name of this city is embedded with the history of the Khmers (ancient name Kimi) defeating the Siamese 600 years ago. Yunnan in southwest China borders the Indochina Peninsula, where the Khmer people have thrived two thousand years ago. After the changes of the Funan, Chenla, and Angkor dynasties, the Angkor civilization that shocked the world was born. Angkor means "city" in Sanskrit. It was the largest city in the world with a population of one million in the 13th century. Before leaving, I was already familiar with the "Smile of Angkor" that appeared repeatedly in various images, pictures, and books, as well as the "jewel" in the crown of Angkor civilization, Angkor Wat. What makes the Khmer nation so confident that they build the residence of kings and gods on the defenseless Khmer plain, which is as flat as a carpet? What creates this secret realm where the spirit and body of the big tree and temple combine? Whose smile is "Angkor's smile"?
? A thousand years ago, the king’s feast began—the palaces of the kings and temples of the gods of the Angkor Dynasty began to stand on the Khmer plains that were as flat as a carpet ; Six hundred years ago, the feast of trees began - the dense jungle entangled the king's palace and the temples of gods like snakes and annihilated them; today, the feast of people began - tourists from all over the world enveloped the king's palace and temples of gods like water. The temples are entangled and obliterated. In the six hundred years from the ninth century to the fifteenth century AD, more than 600 temples were intensively built on the 45 square kilometers of the land of the Angkor Dynasty. Six hundred years ago, they suddenly disappeared collectively. It was not until the young French museum more than 150 years ago that Scientist Henri Mouhot rediscovered this "lost city" in the jungle. As a group traveler who is short on time, in addition to envying those independent travelers who run in 3, 5, or 7 days, and travel in large, medium, and small circles, how much of this feast can I get?
? The first stop was the Angkor Panorama Museum built by Koreans. The treasure of the town hall is a four-story mural with a height of 120 meters and a 360-degree three-dimensional panoramic view showing the construction, wars and markets of the Angkor Dynasty. When you first come here, you will be shocked by the Angkor civilization. In the sister temple, monks sit on the floor and receive teachings from believers. Every Cambodian man must become a monk in a temple once in his life. This is the most important precept in their life. The temples here have the same layout as the houses, with orange-red triangular overlapping roofs. Walking in the city center, portraits of the king and the prime minister are hung everywhere in restaurants, road pillars and shops. Both sides of the river are covered with weeds and bamboo forests, and towering trees covered with vines can be seen everywhere in the park. Most of the roads are two-lane sandy roads. From time to time, white cows with smoky makeup and dark circles around their eyes slowly pass by, as if they are wearing white robes to attend a masquerade party. Roadside stalls sell bottles of mineral water and bottles of gasoline - the main means of transportation here are motorcycles and covered rental motorcycles commonly known as "tuk-tuks". Because oil is expensive, everyone simply measures their quantities by the bottle. The four-lane cement road is a national highway, lined with five-star hotels. The city and countryside, affluence and backwardness are mixed together without any contradiction - inflation is serious here, only US dollars are accepted; wages are low, prices are high, and tips are rampant. Cambodia, which has suffered from war and bloody rule, has only achieved peaceful development for more than 20 years. It was the tourism brought by Angkor Wat that saved Cambodia a thousand years later.
? The five-star hotel where we stayed at night has a name full of Chinese style "Fuhua". When I saw Chinese tourists, Chinese music such as "What a Beautiful Jasmine Flower" was played - this was the background music of Cambodian musicians playing the boat-shaped bamboo harp live. Before boarding the plane, I accidentally made a cut with my index finger, which led me to meet my first Cambodian, the front desk manager Tai Qiang. The tour guide Xiao Gao contacted the front desk, and Tai Qiang smiled and carefully helped me treat the wound with disinfectant and hemostatic patches. Tai Qiang is 29 years old, with a Chinese character face and unibrow.
In order to receive Chinese tourists well, he studied Chinese for three years. He also compiled several stacks of Chinese character and pinyin comparison tables, which he read in his spare time at work. Working in a hotel is a respectable job in the local area, and you can earn 250 US dollars per month. His father owed the bank $5,000, and he paid back $3,000 by working part-time. Taiqiang's girlfriend told him before that she would get married when he earned $250 a month; but before Taiqiang could earn $250 a month, his girlfriend ran away. Tai Qiang can communicate with me in simple Chinese. "I envy China very much." Tai Qiang looked at me with yearning on his face. "But we have Angkor Wat." Tai Qiang looked at me and saw desire in my eyes.
? The next day, I finally came to Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is only 6 kilometers northwest of Siem Reap city center. There are two Angkor Dynasty ruins, commonly known as "Little Angkor" and Angkor Thom, commonly known as "Big Angkor". The 2017 Angkor 10km Marathon International Invitational Race was held on that day, and an open-air concert was held enthusiastically. Before seeing Angkor Wat, I heard the hustle and bustle. Angkor Wat is the largest temple in the world, covering an area of ??nearly 2 million square meters. Angkor Wat is the only Angkor temple facing east and west, with a rectangular layout surrounded by a larger rectangular moat. I walked through a long embankment on the moat and entered the outer city gate; and then walked through a long corridor to the inner city gate. There are lotus ponds on both sides of the corridor, reflecting the five minarets of Angkor Wat. You can see the famous Angkor Wat sunrise here. At that time, the silhouette of the minaret was like the spire on the crown, and the silhouette of the tall palm sugar tree was like the cattail fan behind the king. Along the way, we also saw two different Angkor mythical beasts - the snake god "Naga" guarding the road, and the lion god "Xinma" guarding the gate. Naga is fierce and fierce, like an angry cobra raising its swollen neck; Xinma is naive, with a wide mouth, protruding breasts, and raised buttocks, as if they are just for fun.
I stepped on the high platform, passed through the inner city gate, and walked into the Cross King Baths, the magnificence of Angkor Wat. Shown in front of you - thousands of years of erosion, it looks even more solemn. Angkor Wat is only left in three colors: black, white and gray: black is the top-down erosion of rain; white is the bottom-up erosion of moss; gray is the original appearance of the gray sandstone that built it - which is more in line with the temperament of a royal mausoleum. : When the king is alive, it is the "residence" of God; after the king dies, it is the "residence" of the king. What you can see are the complicated reliefs on the walls, corridors, platforms, door lintels, and window lattice: the topless Apsara fairy, the king on a horse symbolizing war, the soldiers throwing spears and bending bows, telling the story of the gods, the king's History and people's lives constitute a "visual epic" of the Angkor Dynasty. From the outside to the inside of Angkor Wat, there are three levels of Xumi Terrace from low to high, and three levels of corridors from large to small. The Xumi Platform at the innermost level is more than ten meters high and has an angle of 60 degrees. The steps can only accommodate one foot. Those who climb the platform must use both hands and feet devoutly. There are small towers standing on each side, and the center point is a 65-meter-high central tower. This is the highest point of Angkor Wat, symbolizing Mount Sumeru, the "center of the universe" in the minds of the Angkor people. In this way, the Angkor people used huge stones to build the highest point of their faith layer by layer.
In the ninth century AD, King Yasovarman I of Angkor began to build the royal city around the 65-meter Bakken Mountain, the only commanding height within a radius of 45 square kilometers. More than two hundred years later, in 1113 AD, during the Southern Song Dynasty of China, King Suryavarman II of Angkor, who had murdered his previous king and his uncle, and ascended the throne at the age of 17, held a national ceremony on a plain 1.5 kilometers south of Bakken Mountain. With the power of water transport, it took 35 years to build an "artificial Bakken Mountain" Angkor Wat - the statue of Vishnu, the Hindu patron god believed by the dynasty, is located on the central altar of Mount Sumeru. This is "dedicated to Vishnu" Temple". It is an artistic masterpiece that perfectly combines the will of the king and the wisdom of Angkor. It is also a symbol of the peak of the national power of the Angkor Dynasty. The king believed that with God's blessing, the military chariots could be stored in the warehouse and the plains would be clear. Therefore, the 190-meter-wide moat is not used to defend against enemies, but only to reflect the beauty of Angkor Wat; the 70-meter-long east corridor "churning the sea of ??milk" relief is only to record the deeds of "the gods pulling the cable". Indian mythology describes that in order to obtain the nectar of immortality, the gods asked Vishnu to bring justice, and brought the mandala mountain as a pestle and the snake god Vasuji as a rope. 88 Asuras representing evil pull the snake's head on the left, and 92 Dehua gods representing good pull the snake's tail on the right. Together they stir the sea water for a thousand years and turn it into milk.
Asuras tried to snatch the nectar, and Vishnu transformed into the Apsara fairy and sang and danced to enchant the asuras. As a result, the nectar of immortality was obtained by the good god. One of the fish that slipped through the net was an Asura named Rahu who incarnated as a good god and mixed in to share the nectar. He was eventually exposed by the Sun God and the Moon God and was beheaded by Vishnu. Rahu's body died, but his head came to life. He angrily devours the sun and moon gods, and every time he reaches the throat, they fall down again. This becomes the "origin" of solar and lunar eclipses.
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? But Vishnu could not protect Angkor Thom. In 1177 AD, 30 years after Angkor Wat was built, it was captured and looted by the Cham people from the east of the southeastern peninsula. This gave rise to the emergence of the second great king, Jayavarman VII. He gave up three opportunities to ascend to the throne. It was not until the king's father and younger brother were killed by rebels and the Cham people came to the city again that he was ordered to ascend the throne in 1181. He was already in his 50s that year. Four years later, he led his army to defeat the Cham people at Tonle Sap Lake south of the royal city. After that, he won more than two hundred years of peace for the Angkor Dynasty. Jayavarman VII in the handed down statue has kind eyebrows and kind eyes, just like the head of Buddha. He was kind and gentle, tired of the endless battles in Hinduism, and saw the disillusionment of God Vishnu, so the whole country converted to Buddhism. In 1193, 80 years after the completion of Angkor Wat, Jayavarman VII built another great temple of the Angkor Dynasty in the center of the royal city 500 meters north of Mount Bakken.
? It is Bayon Temple. The stone pillars without canopies stand alone, and huge rock bricks are poured into mountains among the ruins. The long corridor of the temple is carved with exquisite reliefs, one of which records the battle at Tonle Sap Lake. In the middle of the relief, the soldiers on the deck of the warship are facing to the left, with their bare upper bodies wrapped in cloth and holding up their spears high; the soldiers below the deck are facing to the right, with only their heads exposed, and rowing the oars vigorously. There are big fish and giant turtles swimming between the oars, and there are crocodiles and water birds eating fish. Just as Zhou Daguan, a traveler from the Yuan Dynasty, described the land of plenty and plenty in his book "Zhenla Fengtu Ji": "It's as beautiful as the fish in the sea." In the lower part of the relief, under the jungle, there are deer running, cranes dancing, monkeys climbing trees; there are natives hunting rabbits and fighting tigers. The upper part of the relief is filled with enemy corpses. Each relief is carved on the well-built rock bricks, and there is no room for error. Each relief is a "swan song" left by the superb skills of Angkor craftsmen.
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? The entire Bayon Temple is like a pyramid. Around the tallest main tower, 54 auxiliary towers of various sizes are gradually scattered, representing the 54 provinces of the dynasty. The upper part of each tower is carved with an Erawan Buddha, representing kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. Walking into Bayon Temple, there are 54 Erawan Buddhas far and near, high and low, which is like walking into a "jungle of eyes". I inadvertently passed by an Erawan Buddha that is as tall as a person and within reach. This is actually the most famous Erawan Buddha, the Cambodian version of "Mona Lisa" that has appeared countless times in various videos, pictures, and books. Smile" - "Angkor's smile". The Buddha's head wears a crown, with huge earlobes; his eyebrows are lowered, his jaw is lowered, and the corners of his mouth are slightly raised. To this day, one can still see the infinite compassion in his gaze. The smiling Buddha heads turned out to be images of Jayavarman VII. Symbolizing that there is no more fighting under his gaze. The hearts of the subjects are filled with joy; the dynasty is filled with joy everywhere - this is the meaning of the existence of Bayon Temple.
? But Buddha could not protect Angkor Thom. In 1431 AD, the Siamese from the west of the Southeast Peninsula captured and looted Angkor Thom. The Buddhist-believing Angkor soldiers and civilians offered little decent resistance. Although the Angkor people later recaptured the royal city, due to flooding and plague, the Angkor people finally gave up the royal city completely, and it disappeared from people's sight. Hundreds of years later, Angkor Thom, which had been demolished to build the jungle, was returned to the jungle. Ta Prohm Temple, the temple dedicated to his mother by Jayavarman VII, is the most famous paradise for wild jungle growth - the hundreds of years old "snake tree" with huge roots covering the roof, drilling into the cracks in the walls, Wrapped stone statue. Snake Tree is like a performance artist advocating "violent aesthetics", splashing thick paste in every corner of the temple, flowing into snake-like, tower-like, bridge-like, mesh-like, and even butt-like shapes.
The black, white and gray temple now has a green color that can never be erased. In sharp contrast to the ruins, the tall snake trees wrap around the temple with vitality, like an expression of the immortal soul of the temple.
In the evening, the day’s trip to the Angkor ruins is coming to an end. A few years old Cambodian boy suddenly boarded our tour bus and hawked flutes with a smile. "10 yuan a piece, 10 yuan a piece," the little boy said in non-standard Chinese. A female playmate picked up the flute and looked at it carefully for a long time, but did not buy it and returned it to the little boy. The little boy got out of the car angrily and said: "If you don't buy it, it won't be beautiful." This made everyone in the car laugh knowingly. The kings of Angkor never thought that the residence of themselves and the gods would become a huge cultural and tourism heritage in the future. Countless Cambodians skillfully deal with tourists from all over the world and get a share of this "cultural tourism feast". 2. Children as young as 3 years old collect mineral water bottles and sell them; older children sell Angkor Wat postcards, wood carvings, bracelets, fans and other miscellaneous items; young men work as tuk-tuk drivers or Angkor Wat tour guides, speaking Chinese and Korean. , Japanese, French, German, English, and Russian to introduce the history of their country to Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Europeans, and Russians; the splendid hotels will not drive away the ragged beggars. They sit on the floor at the door of the hotel and greet them. Tourists begging. People try every means to earn a dignified life for themselves.
? Shushan was the last Cambodian I knew before leaving this country. She is 16 years old and is a boat driver on Tonle Sap Lake. The leaf boat is narrow at both ends and wide at the belly, shaped like a leaf. Spread a mat on top and use a small paddle to walk lightly. On the last day of the trip, we visited Tonle Sap Lake. This place once flowed with blood, but now it is as beautiful as a colorful oil painting. Under the blue sky, nearby are the red roofs of residential houses on the water; in the distance, the water and sky meet, white clouds stick to the yellow lake surface, and colorfully painted power wooden boats full of tourists shuttle through it. Tonle Sap Lake is home to the descendants of Vietnamese refugees who escaped the war, forming floating villages. The river is the village road, with boats running on it, and dense stilted buildings on both sides of the road. The village has shops, schools, churches, police stations, and a temple is built on the only small piece of land. Whenever a cruise ship passes by, the children playing on stilts and in the water will politely smile and wave to you. The original forest on land became a swamp forest due to the flooding of the lake, and it was also developed into a tourist attraction. After the cruise ship docks here, tourists will transfer to leaf boats and enter the depths of the jungle.
My companions Da Hongying and Shushan met unexpectedly. Shushan has a round face and chapped lips. She wears sterling silver earrings on her earlobes, and her long hair is tied into a ponytail and reaches her waist. She wore a fiery red ethnic gown with golden leaf patterns and mesh trousers with purple polka dot patterns. Shushan has an older sister, and the two sisters dropped out of school to help run the water business at home. In rural Cambodia, the birth of a girl is a great joy, and the announcement is made around the village with gongs and drums. If a boy is born, a bag of cloth is washed with well water outside the house and secretly taken home. Most people in Cambodia believe in Buddhism and have no concept of clan inheritance. They believe that what you can bring with you in life cannot be taken away by death. Women are the ones in charge of the family, and men are "married" into the woman's family. They have to bring pigs, cows, etc. to the wedding, and they have to work hard for three years.
The boat slid through the swamp forest without making any sound. The branches of the forest are intertwined like a net. The afternoon sun shines through the canopy of trees, and the shadows of the branches intertwine like a net on the water, and people are surrounded by an infinite net and walk through it. The sun also shone on Shushan's face. Dahongying and I suddenly felt that this was a shot we couldn't miss, so we said to Shushan in broken English: "Susan, smile." Shushan on the bow of the boat turned her head and smiled - Shushan's smile and the intertwined woods formed a wonderful scenery. The companion boats followed one after another, and an old woman boatman suddenly raised her voice to sing, and the long Cambodian folk songs echoed throughout the forest - this is a "singing" forest.
? I finally have to say goodbye to Shushan.
After boarding the boat, she picked up the next group of tourists, and her figure slowly disappeared into the intertwined woods. But Shushan's smile was still in front of her.
Shushan’s smile is the “Angkor’s smile” that fell into the mortal world.