Trapeang Khyang Temple

Also known as Prasat Banteay Khchorng, it’s a ruinous but incredibly fascinating site with several unique features. It has an outer laterite wall enclosure that is divided into two sections. with one section containing a partially standing group of three brick temples and an eastern section containing unique elongated structures and a unique galleried gopura.

Starting the eastern side, the outer enclosure wall opening only on the east with an elaborate gopura featuring a laterite galleried wall that is open to the inside with laterite pillars supporting the corbelled brick roof. Passing through the entrance and into the first courtyard which is occupied by four elongated buildings flanking the causeway, the outermost in brick and the inner of laterite that open to the causeway with sandstone framed windows and doors.

Continuing there is another wall dividing the two sections with a brick gopura giving entrance to the main area containing two brick library buildings, and three brick towers on a common laterite terrace. The central tower features a hall leading east and all three towers open to the east with false doors on the other three sides. The laterite terrace supporting the towers features molded edging but is only partly exposed, covered mostly with brick rubble.

Wandering around you can spot many carved sandstone embellishments and on the central shrine, it appears to still retain remnants of a painted finish. There is also an inscription here recorded from an entrance door frame and given the reference K. 662.

Layout Plan (Henri Parmentier, 1939)

Inscription

• K. 662 – doorframe of east gopura – 36 + 36 lines of Sanskrit – Cœdès 1929, p. 292

Rodney Charles LHuillier

Living in Asia for over a decade and now residing in beautiful Siem Reap. Rodney Charles L'Huillier has spent over seven years in Cambodia and is the author of Ancient Cambodia (2024) and Essential Siem Reap (2017, 2019). Contact via [email protected] - more..