Chau Srei Vibol Temple – History & Highlights

Also recorded as Chaw Srei Vibol, it is a unique temple site located along the ancient East Royal Road that leads from Angkor to Beng Melea and from there connects to Preah Khan of Kampong Svay and in another direction, Koh Ker, Neak Buos, and Wat Phu. The site was believed to have been constructed between the late 11th century and 12th century, sharing the art styles of the Baphuon era.

Chau Srei Vibol is surrounded by a moat 1500 m long east-west by 1050 m long north-south and is situated on a natural hill about 20 m high. At the foot of the hill, there is a laterite wall still standing in places with entrance pavilions (gopura/gate) at each cardinal point. Its traditional main entrance was via a bollard-lined causeway coming from the east, whilst today, it is entered from the west.

Chau Srei Vibol temple layout

The outermost eastern entrance pavilion (or gopura), unusual for its axial chambers extending its entrance/exit, is preceded by the remnants of a bollard-lined causeway joins to the outer laterite enclosure wall, which itself is unusually tall. Once inside, a steep set of laterite steps/buttress wall lead up the hill to the temple proper. The western entrance pavilion

At the top of the hill, the temple proper features a central shrine that once would have had a long forebody extending eastward, flanked by two libraries, all inside an outer gallery enclosure with four gopura. The outer gallery and gopura are mostly in ruin, with some parts overtaken by trees, adding to its charm. Here again, the eastern gopura is quite interesting, featuring stairs that lead down to a plateau and then to the steps/buttress wall mentioned earlier.

The layout of the temple proper is considered similar to the sites known as “Temples d’etape”, a term coined by French researchers in the 1900s to describe the unique typology of several temples that only exist along the ancient East Road. It is also very similar to Wat Ek, Baset Temple, Kuk Nokor, Ta Muen Thom, and in some ways, Phnom Chisor.

While the main temple structure is on top of the hill, there is also a large structure and pond on the southern side at the base of the hill. It is still somewhat of a mystery as to what the function of this structure was. Its layout is unique in the world of Khmer architecture but may well be related to the building type early French researchers would coin as “Palais”. Most likely it would appear to be some kind of ashram, having a religious function of some kind, also noting its Somasutra (spout) in its southeast corner chamber. Fronting the pond are traces of another laterite structure.

Stone masonry of the site was recycled to create a platform for the contemporary pagoda we see beside the temple proper, along with several small chedi.

Visiting Chau Srei Vibol

From Siem Reap, you can visit the site via the ancient East Royal Road which is a nice ride or drive through the rural areas and along the traditional route with several other sites to visit. Alternatively, you can take Road 6 and then Road 66, which is 50 mins by tuk-tuk or motorbike, and around 30-40 mins by car.

Inside the moated “citadel” area of the ancient temple is a school and monastery, along with small stalls if you need drinks or snacks. Among the buildings (sala) of the monastery, there is a contemporary shrine preserving pillars of a pagoda that dates back around 50 or more years ago (authors assumption). The monastery’s pagoda (Khmer: វត្តប្រាសាទព្រះចៅស្រីវិបុលកេរ្តិ៍) sits inside the walled area of the temple, at the top of the hill, and has a heritage dating back over 100 years. It features beautiful murals and older-style stone sema.

You can enter the temple via the north wall gate or west wall gate, although most will take the west entry up an easy set of stairs where you’ll first see a contemporary pagoda that features beautiful murals inside and then the main ancient temple. From there, you can head down the stairs on the southern side to the lower structure and pond.

There is also a path that leads inside the wall from the south gate to the east gate. The east gate (or gopura) is not to be missed for its ruinous charm and the intriguingly steep steps that lead upwards from it. On its east side, this gopura is also preceded by steps that lead down to the remnants of a bollard-lined causeway. On a trail from the southeast edge of the temple enclosure wall, remnants of partially completed stone lions can be seen.

Entry to the temple site is included in the Angkor Pass. You can spend around 40 mins here for a quick visit and much, much longer or multiple visits if you want to explore all the quirks and wonders of the site. The site is open from 6:00 am to 6.30 pm.

Architectural Decoration

Images 2020

Entry Gates

Central shrine, library, and enclosure

Historical Notes

Prasat Chao Srei Vibol (The sanctuary of Lord Srei Vibol). The natives currently refer to under this name a temple that Mr. Aymonier cites under that of Yos Ker, almost forgotten today. It is located about 3 kilometers from Spean Thma Stung Toch which is substantially on its main axis, and 600 meters to the S.W. of the village of Krapo.

Sanctuary. It rises on the summit of a natural mound which reaches about twenty meters in height above the plain, with very steep slopes, especially to the E., and also to the N. as to the S.: the western ridge is on the contrary much more practicable.

It is a square sandstone sanctuary, with a door on the E., and false doors on its other faces. A high sandstone base is today hidden by the piles of blocks, the stepped dome having been completely overturned. We must say, moreover, from the outset, that we have not yet encountered a Cambodian monument where the traces of deliberate upheaval are so evident and so complete.

First enclosure – It consisted of an enclosure of sandstone galleries, only 1 m. 25 wide internally, but which were of very careful construction and carefully decorated, enclosing a courtyard measuring 50 meters E.-W. by 38 meters N.-S. Their exterior wall which surmounted a base in molded sandstone was blind; as for the interior facade, it was almost entirely occupied by square windows, with jamb moldings and without baluster bars.

Four gopuras interrupted these galleries at the points of intersection of the axes of the sanctuary; they appear to have each sheltered a rectangular room with doors preceded by avant-corps, but they are so ruined, that of the E, especially, that all hypothesis must stop.

Annexed buildings. Two pretty annex buildings, regular in plan and arrangement, are placed in the eastern corners of this enclosure. They escaped the general upheaval which brought down the surrounding buildings. Their main hall is lit by windows with balusters, facing each other; two other lying days are pierced in the part representing the right foot of the vault above the two simulated half-vaults.

Although their decoration was complete, we have not been able to identify any of the figurines of divinities represented on those of their decorative lintels (of type III) which are still in place.

Second enclosure – A limonite wall with wide courses, partly overturned, delimits, around the central mound, an enclosure which measures 200 meters in a N.-S. direction by 206 in an E.-W. direction. It is interrupted, at the points where the axes of the sanctuary intersect, by very ruined sandstone gopuras. The one on the E. is perhaps of slightly larger dimensions, but the others consist, essentially, of two opposite doors, decorated, surmounted by large pediments and forming a passage that was no more than 1 meter long. Sandstone veneers applied to the surrounding wall and decorated with false doors with baluster bars, simulate the side faces. In the inner pediment of the door (W.) is depicted the scene of Vişņu on Ananta.

Buildings and works of the second enclosure – Various developments, in limonite, climb the slopes. To the N. and S., these are paved roads without steps and very inconvenient; at the E., the staircase is largely destroyed; at the W., the avenue indicated by a paving of limonite is cut here and there by a few steps. A staircase in limonite, perpendicular to this avenue is a modern construction which provides access to the vihara raised on the plateau, W. from the first enclosure, and for the construction of which extensive use was made of the debris accumulated around the sanctuary.

At the foot of the S. slopes, a residential building, in sandstone, covers a quadrilateral which measures 26 meters in an E.-W. direction by 25 meters in a N.-S. direction. The galleries on the sides are lit towards the outside by recumbent windows with baluster bars, and towards the interior by large square windows also garnished with turned sandstone bars. As for the cross-shaped gallery which divides the courtyard into four small courtyards; it is here a simple colonnade supporting a vault. The simple vaults of this building were not to be hidden internally, they are adorned and cut in such a way as to draw a very acute angle in profile. One enters the interior of the courtyard by doors arranged in the middle of the E. and W. faces which are also decorated with false doors at their end. The decoration of this building has barely begun. Part E. is still quite well preserved.

Sras – A large rectangular basin, measuring 60 metres in an E.-W. direction by 45 metres in a N.-S. direction and regularly oriented, occupies the S.-W. angle of the second careen in front of the residential building we have just mentioned. Ruins of galleries are finally recognizable along the E. face.

Third enclosure – High and wide earthworks enclosing a quadrilateral of about 1,000 meters in an E-W direction by 800 meters in a N.-S. direction formed, around this monument, a sort of bassin-ditch, now largely dried up, crossed only by causeways corresponding to the gopuras of the E. and W. gates.

Lajonquiere, 1911