Angkor Thom East Gate – (Gate of the Dead)

Angkor Thom East Gate, or Thvear Khnoch/Kmoch Gate (Gate of the Dead), is one of the five gates that lead through the walls of Angkor Thom. It is a rarely visited site that is approached from Bayon temple via a dirt trail. That said, of all the gates this one certainly has a character and charm of its own.

Just like the other gates, it features the massive stone smiling faces looking out to each cardinal point and once would have had a stone bridge lined with Asuras and Devas on either side, remnants of which can still be seen, the others, likely deep in the silt of the moat beneath. 

See South Gate of Angkor Thom for more detail on the features common to all of Angkor Thoms gates and illustrated restitutions etc.

Unlike the other four gates, it doesn’t connect to the present-day road network outside its walls and is rarely visited in comparison to the crowds that hoard the nearby Bayon temple. It has a unique charm, and a certain mysterious nature, especially as you venture through and into the jungle beyond and look back upon those grand stone faces watching every step you make.

What’s also unique about this gate are the two laterite chambers extending from the wall on either side of the entrance. The north and west gates still feature similar structures, and at this stage, there is only speculation as to their purpose.

Around the platform and base moulding, you can see a band of medallions that are inset with caricatures that were common on Bayon-era temples, and it’s also very interesting to compare these bands across all the gates.

Also interesting, this gate retains its original sandstone paving, retaining the wheel ruts of chariots that would have crossed its threshold. Several meters to the west along the road to the Bayon, you can see remnants of the inner moat, and canilisation on either side of road. On the eastern side, navigating through a little scrub, you can still see remnants of the balustrade, and that the causeway, at least in this section, does not appear to be made from recycled stone as does the West and Victory Gate

Historical Images – property of EFEO, more at Fonds Cambodge

The historical finds here are quite significant, Hevjara statues are rare (now in the MET?); the head of Prajnaparamita; the Buddha’s head is highly significant from an art style point of view and for its possible era; also, two statues of Avalokitesvara, perhaps being the deity that occupied the pedestals of the inner chambers, but, more research needed. The statues were discovered “nearby” the gate in 1925 by Henri Marchal.

Explore more

You can walk up the top of the wall on either side and follow the wall trail to Victory Gate heading north for about 7 mins, or on the south side, walking about 18 mins to the southeast Prasat Chrung.

References

• BEFEO Chronique, 25 and 33
• Rapport de la Conservation d’Angkor – May 1925