Part 8 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

Stone Staircase and 1st Gopura

The ascend from the Thai side begins right after passing the Khmer sign “Preah Vihear Temple”, not before paying the entrance fee of 200 Baht. Thai visitors very often ask one common question: ”And what’s the price for Thais?” To their surprise the simple answer is: “same same.” Latest by then many Thais recognize grudgingly for the first time that they are on foreign turf from now on.

   The schematic drawing of Preah Vihear above helps the visitor to understand where his/her current location is. The following pictures are in order from right to left, or in geographical terms, from North to South. That can be quite a challenge for the shutterbugs, because the sun will be up front all the way uphill. There is no automatic camera which can cope with that kind of back light. Therefore it is recommended to arrive in the morning as early as possible. A meaningful stopover at this place usually lasts at least three to four hours. For the passionate fan of ancient Khmer ruins it can easily be one full day. 

The Preah Vihear Temple tour starts with a nice work out up the stone staircase. At peaceful times a lively place for tourists and hawkers. Kids sell postcards, others unidentified Khmer essences and lucky charms. They know the numbers in English and Thai perfectly. But there’s where the conversational skills with foreigners end.

Some kids have a break, count their income, sort their postcards and listen to music on a Chinese walkman.  

We are now on our way climbing up stone staircases, strolling along Avenues and passing through Gopuras, these monumental richly ornamented Gates leading into ancient buildings of various purposes and finally reaching the holy place, the gallery with a temple inside, where once Shiva was worshipped.

So far the visitor has no idea what to expect. The Gopuras and buildings are hidden below the horizon, hidden from the eyes of people on the stone staircase.   

How did this area look like almost 1200 years ago? There’s lots of room for speculation and fantasy. Assuming that the Shiva temple at the most Southern end by then was in the works, there was definitely no staircase yet. Maybe a forest aisle has been already cut through the djungle, maybe the Khmers by then climbed up the exhausting path from what is called Cambodia today. A new nation was just forming. In 802 AD King Jayavarnam II declared independence from the ancient Kingdom of Java. Water and land Chenlas were united under his rule, protected by the very same Hindu Gods, they learnt to know from the Java rulers.

It is fair to assume that the Dangrek escarpment at that time was the most northern domain under the influence of the charismatic Khmer leader King Jayavarnam. To make this known to the people living in these realms he started to build a place of worship for the mighty Lord Shiva, the destroyer of the universe at the end of a cosmic day, lasting 4,320,000,000 solar years, and the merciful facilitator for a new universe the following dawn. That’s all what there was in the 9^th century AD. Jayavarnam’s successors continued building by extending Preah Vihear with palaces, libraries, halls for festivities and living quarters for the royals and their guests.           

Buddhism didn’t play any important role in the people’s mind by then, although Mon traders, coming from what is Thailand and Burma today, might have spread the word in the Khmer world already. Alcoves were decorated with Shiva statues and lintels (pediments) covered with stone carvings telling the many legends of Shiva's heavenly life.

The symbols of power, however, were the same in the whole geografie. The lion…

…and the Naga, nak in Thai. This formidable serpent, often depicted with seven heads, and the sovereign of the waters. Whoever has this creature on his side or is guarded or protected by it, is invincible. The Khmer Kings gathered gifted stonemasons around them and ordered them to chisel the symbols of their power. There is no Khmer temple without Lions and Nagas.             

Naga at the Nagaraj Courtyard shortly before Gopura 1

After passing these fearsome guards and almost reaching the top of the stone staircase a look back is allowed…

And finally the tip of the first Gopura rises over the horizon, proudly presenting the Cambodian flag. Blue – red – blue with three Ankor Wat Prangs in white.   

The first Gopura is in a miserable state. It suffered most during the many conflicts this place experienced. Grenades have smashed its walls and the stones were used for something else, bunkers and the like, its treasures stolen. 

Just one lintel above the entrance survived. Surprisingly, because they are considered very valuable among collectors all over the world. But there used to be four of them. One on each point of the compass.  

Not much to awe about at the first Gopura, except some feelings of sadness might sneak into someone’s mind, when glancing back at this mostly man made ruination.

Ahead lies the first avenue, an invitation for a pleasant walk after all these steps on the stone staircase…

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

stay tuned... 

Part 7 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

The Dawn of the Khmer Empire

We all know about Alexander the Great, Caesar, Dschingis Khan, Napoleon and Hitler. They all share a certain amount of atrocities more or less but have one thing in common, their hunger for territory.

A friend of feathers must have been born in the heart of the Khmer lands during the 8^th century AD. As so often in history, a man educated in the house of the then most powerful Kingdom of South-East-Asia, which was Java, suddenly develops a hunger for independence and uses the skills acquired from the masters to achieve his personal goals. In the case of Cambodia it was a man named Jayavarnam II. He united the so called “Water Chenlas” and became the King of Kambujadesa. His coronation year in 802 AD is the official birth year of the Khmer-Nation, the state of Camdodia today. He became King with Lord Shiva as his Avatar. That’s more than 400 years before Siam was founded and generations before Ankor Wat came to life.

The rumor says that he already convinced the “Land Chenlas” to join his movement of independence and that he was the one who layed down the corner stone of Preah Vihear at the edge of the Dangrek escarpment.

The historical evidence is weak. It might even be wishful thinking. But it shows how much tribute the Khmer people pay to this place. One thing seems to be pretty sure. Preah Vihear is older than Ankor Wat.

It is important to understand in this context that these kind of complexes were not built in one shot. They grew over the centuries. What we see today in ruins is the result of the final touches in the 13^th century. In the beginning there was no stone stair cases at the entrance, no buildings on the way up to the holy place at the edge of the Dangrek escarpment. All what there was is a place of worship for Shiva. Most probably a lingam only, located inside a small building of stone, carved out of the rock close by. Scientists claim that the oldest structures are on the topmost southern end of the Preah Vihear temple, close to the escarpment. Up there are many traces of ancient rock carving activities.         

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

stay tuned... 

Part 5 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

Crossing the border to Cambodia

The distance between the hill on the Thai side, described in the previous blog entry Part 4, and Preah Vihear is traversed by bullets and grenades too often nowadays. At peaceful times tourists and locals stroll along the road up to its end in no man’s land. On their way they pass an inconspicuous wooden shack, the Thai immigration and border point. Close by some uniformed army border controls might sit leisurely under a parasol having small talk and trying to kill time.

It’s easy to pass this point unrecognized and in ignorance, but a friendly call: “Hey, where are you going?” suggests that this is a place of some significance. After presenting the passport, signing a piece of paper and paying five Baht one may tune into the song: “Cambodia, here I come.” So it was in December 2006. The passport remains unharmed by any additional stamp. Five Baht is a ridiculous small amount. Far less than one EUR, USD, Pound Sterling or Swiss Frank. Amazing Thailand!

The road ends abruptly on a rocky plain of sandstone without transition.

After crossing a gate on a bridge over a small and filthy stream shabby dwellings receive the visitor. Some outlets present cheap cigarettes, cheap and faked spirituous brand beverages and perfumes as well as overpriced souvenirs. The whole little village is tacky and bare of any sanitary infrastructure. Thai people living in villages downstream and dependant on the water often complained in vane about the pollution caused by Cambodians. This settlement was leveled several times on Thai request with threat of force but popped up again and again. Since the renewed fighting between the two countries in 2011 this village is abandoned and wrecked.

According to the still binding agreement and attached maps signed by French Indochina and Siam in the year 1907 this little stream marks the national border between Thailand and Cambodia. Very unusual to say the least. This exceptional deviation from the natural borderline, which would be the edge and watershed of the Danrek escarpment, as it is elsewhere, means trouble…    

Nevertheless, the stone cased entrance of Preah Vihear greets the visitor during untroubled times. The Cambodians, preferring to be addressed as Khmers, ask for 200 Baht entrance fee.

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

stay tuned... 

Part 4 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

Pa Mo I Daeng

Private cars are not allowed beyond the parking lot although the road leads further on South towards a long stretched hill looking like a gently inclined ramp approximately 800 meters ahead. Preah Vihear.

At the left hand side of the road a signposted path leads into a small forested mount. Wooden planks above ground ease navigation and allow exploring the hill without the risk of stumbling upon a forgotten landmine. There are two Sala(s), open Pavillions, on top of this mount.

As seen from the Cambodian position

The Royal Thai Army positioned artillery on this hill since 2010. They have a clear vision to Preah Vihear from this raised location. These are  tactical military grounds nowadays. Gone, the undisturbed tranquil fascination about South-East-Asia, the admiration and respect for ancient places. An artificial external enemy distracts from internal national problems. Same old story again and again. Mankind will never learn from history. The reason is obvious. Personal interests of those at power.    

A guy with typical Khmer features, high cheekbones, dark skin and husky stature, glances lost in thoughts across the no man’s land towards Preah Vihear. He presumably owns a Thai ID, but the border is definitely an annoyance to him. Most people in the Thai provinces of Surin, Buriam and Si Sa Ket speak Khmer within their families and among their friends. Only at school and if involved in official Thai government or business affairs they speak Thai. The observant and attentive Pattaya-tourist or expatriate with knowledge of the colloquial Thai language might have recognized the strange words many Bargirls exchange among each other. The majority of the “service girls” in the tourist spots comes from poor provinces in Thailand and Surin, Buriam and Si Sa Ket belong to them.

Two lonely chedis serve as a landmark in no man’s land between Thailand and Cambodia. Their shape is extremely unusual and it seems that their character is a unique part of the Khmer architecture, nowhere else to be seen. These two chedis each still contain the fundament of a lingam inside. A lingam is a simplistic depiction of Lord Shiva. In modern times it would be called “phallus symbol”. Kukrit’s home in Bangkok showcases a fine example of this kind. There's no Khmer temple without at least one lingam. 

Lingam in Kukrit's home, Bangkok

The ones original placed inside these twin chedis have been long since stolen. A fate common to many artifacts at Preah Vihear.          

A cliff  with a Buddhist bras-relief named “Pa Mo I Daeng” is accessible from this little hill across the Preah Vihear slope. Literally translated: “(Buddha) The one without customary constraints (carved) into grey rock (and painted with) red colors”

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The cliff “Pa Mo I Daeng” as seen from the view point near the tourist information office.    

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

stay tuned...

Part 3 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

Khao Pra Wihan National Park

 All pictures of Preah Vihear in this blog sequel were privately taken end of 2006. During that time the situation was tranquil and peaceful, complemented by business optimism at this restive border area. A huge parking lot, a tourist information office, restaurants and a market place with souvenir shops were built on the Thai side just one or two years before. The people’s vision was directed towards a prosperous future, the conflicts of the past put aside. In the year 2006 Preah Vihear was reviving as a mystical ancient showplace, worth visiting. So it seemed…

         Parking lot and shop rows

Tourist Information Office

The avenues between the building complexes in this model of Preah Vihear are not to scale. In reality they are longer.

Restaurants

There is a viewpoint at the Thai side near the parking lot directly at the edge of the Dangrek escarpment. It seems that one world ends here and another begins deep down there. 

The tourist office, restaurants and market buildings were damaged or destroyed by Cambodian artillery during the February 2011 clashes. 

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

stay tuned...

Part 2 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

Location and Approach

The ancient Preah Vihear temple is located high on the edge of the Dangrek mountain range at the border between Thailand and Cambodia. The complex occupies the grounds of a long stretched rectangle and is aligned exactly along the North-South axis. The entrance lies at the North end and borders on the Thai province of Si Sa Ket. The sanctuary, the holy place once dedicated to Lord Shiva, lies at the opposite end at the South. Stone staircases and avenues lead the visitor from the entrance all along uphill to the highest point. It’s a dead end. A steep vertical escarpment drops down to the Cambodian plains approximately 500 meters below. The view from there is breathtaking.

Because of these geographic features the most convenient approach to Preah Vihear is from the Thai side.

 Source: http://www.helicopterscambodia.com/

The last kilometers of the National Road 221 to Preah Vihear are in excellent condition. A typical sign for being of military significance. It can hold out massive vehicles, heavy weaponry transports, supplies and troops.

Thailand declared the area in the vicinity of Preah Vihear a national park in 1998 and named it Khao Pra Wihan National Park.

Some kilometers before the national road ends at the border to Cambodia the route is blocked. Entrance fees for the national park fall due. Thais 20 Baht, foreigners 400 Baht.

This kind of pricing policy is common in Thailand, but rarely to this extreme. There are hot tempered discussions among foreign tourists and expatriates alike who experience such aggressive admission fees for foreigners compared to what Thais pay.

Shortly after the ticket booth, still afar the place of interest, signs at the road side warn the adventurous visitors about leftovers of former conflicts. From then on the number one rule is: “Do not stray off roads and designated paths.” 

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Prasat Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

stay tuned...

Part 1 - Preah Vihear No Man's Land

Introduction

Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of mercy and annihilator of the universe at the end of a cosmic day used to be present in the minds of people day and night. More than that, the ancient Khmer Kings claimed to be Shiva’s deputy on earth or even his son. As evidence they challenged their subjects to design and built palaces, temples, artificial lakes and roads under the guidance of Lord Vishnu, the preserver. Employing materials alleged to last for ever. Carved rocks and Stones. The common people, used to their Bamboo and straw huts, watched with awe, how hard rocks combined themselves into artificial, beautifully ornamented caves above the ground, visible from great distance.

“These dwellings are reserved for the Gods. These steps are for giants. That’s for sure. And our King must be a very courageous and powerful man, having the bravery to live in close vicinity of Lord Shiva the mighty and merciful.” So might have been their thoughts.

Only on certain occasions the subjects of the Khmer Kings were called into the premises of the holy place. Armed with their knowledge about the rituals to pay respect and worship and eventually appease Lord Shiva, they dared to follow suit.

If asked: “Who owns this place?”, there was one answer only: “Lord Shiva and his privileged servant our King.”

If asked: “Who built and maintains this place?”, there was no doubt: “Lord Vishnu, the preserver.”

The question: “Which person can claim the grounds?”, would have been met with total incomprehension. What a stupid and profane question! Lord Brahma created the universe, this land and all creatures,  Lord Vishnu preserves and protects them and Lord Shiva will annihilated everything at the end of the great cosmic cycle. How can any human being claim ownership?

In modern times, Preah Vihear, or as the Thais call it,  Prasat Khao Pra Wihan, makes headlines in the news since years. None of them delightful or cheerful. People lose their lives, get hurt or suffer, because they live in unsafe areas around this ancient place. Politicians play the nationalistic game and pretend that they only want the best for their country and people.

Even Preah Vihear itself suffers. Modern weaponry destroyed historic structures, which survived almost a thousand years in a reasonable condition.

What the heck happened? How could a holy and spiritually sane place turn into an insane damn stupid reason to kill each other in the 21^st  century?

The answer is not that simple as news papers and official statements of the governments of Thailand and Cambodia  might suggest or as religious sects try to sell to the public. We need to return to the past more than a thousand years ago, trace our way back to the presence through the misty jungle of time and hopefully pick up some ideas along on why this place means trouble nowadays.

Cautionary Remark: Whoever intends to visit Preah Vihear / Prasat Khao Pra Wihan should ask for advice beforehand. As of now, April 2011, the place is closed for visitors. Thai and Cambodian troops face each other in close proximity. Renewed battles could emerge at any time.   

Stay tuned…