Rong Chen Temple (Phnom Kulen)

Prasat Rong Chen, or Rong Chen Temple, sits atop Kulen Mountain (Phnom Kulen) located around 60-70km north of Siem Reap and about 2 km southwest of the village of Anlong Thom. It is a fascinating and historically important site dating to the 9th century that is anecdotally touted as where the Khmer King Jayavarman II may have made his proclamation as universal monarch of the kingdom and in turn, heralding the beginning of the Devaraja (religious order of the god-king) and the Angkor Era.

The site would have likely been a pivotal feature of the ancient city of Mahendraparvata, once covering the Kulen Mountain plateau, which was the precursor to the great city of Angkor that lies on the plains below. Its scale is somewhat hidden by the terrain and present-day trees, yet one could imagine it dominating the surrounding landscape and nearby temple cluster in its day.

It sits atop a sandstone rise, some 100ft above the nearest temple site and at a height that may have even allowed it to be viewed from beyond Kulen mountain. If so, one could then imagine the liberal use of gold to create a widely visible luminance.

The temple itself is a large multi-tiered pyramid built entirely from laterite blocks. The three-level structure sits atop a quite large area that drops off on its northern and eastern sides, supported by a retaining wall of laterite. On the southern side of the site, fronting the pyramid, you can see where sandstone was quarried from the same natural slab that probably supports part of the pyramid structure.

On top of the pyramid, there is a laterite platform with a large sandstone pedestal at the center. Here, you can also see notches/holes in the laterite likely to accept wooden pillars which may have supported a roof. A linga was also recorded here in historical notes. Below the pedestal, is a deep well which was traditionally used for sacred deposits in Khmer temples. Excavated in the 1930s, the well hides puzzling cruciform sandstone blocks drawing much speculation as to their purpose.

It’s another site whose understanding is complicated due to what has been lost to time. Was the site furnished with sandstone, brick, stucco, or maybe even gold? Bare laterite is a little too spartan for the ancient Khmer.

Nearby, there is also a basin recorded as Trapeang Rong.

 Photos 2021 

Layout

The pyramid consists of three levels starting with a square base of about 100 meters per side consisting of an earthen embankment 2 meters in height atop a sandstone slab and soil supported by a laterite wall in parts. The second level, a square of about 40 meters per side. The third level, which forms a square 15 meters on the side, is the highest and its retaining wall 3 meters high; in the center, a laterite foundation delimits a very flattened mound 7.5 meters per side and in the middle of this mound a square step 2.5 meters per side borders a depression where there is currently a pedestal base and a linga. Beneath the linga pedestal is a deep pit that contained cruciform-shaped sandstone masonry that was excavated and later refilled by Philippe Stern in the 1930s.

Historical Images

Mission STERN 1938 – EFEO

Getting There

The site is cleared and staffed, and there is a signposted trail leading to the site suitable for foot/bike/moto while a local guide is recommended for exploring the Kulen area such as the Anlong Thom CBTC. There are several ways onto this trail, one is from west of Anlong Thom Village off the main road and another is a connection trail from Damrei Krap temple.

Reference

• Boulbet Jean, Dagens Bruno. Les sites archéologiques de la région du Bhnam Gülen (Phnom Kulen). In: Arts asiatiques, tome 27, 1973. pp. 3-130; doi: https://doi.org/10.3406/arasi.1973.1069 https://www.persee.fr/doc/arasi_0004-3958_1973_num_27_1_1069 Fichier pdf généré le 08/11/2019

Rodney Charles LHuillier

Living in Asia for over a decade and now residing in beautiful Siem Reap - Contact via [email protected] - more..