Wat Toap Chey

Contemporary monastery that was founded in recent times. The site retains several sandstone fragments from an ancient temple.

There is some folklore surrounding the site and its remnants. One night, while studying the Dhama, a monk saw a white light in front of the throne. He told the abbot, who did not believe, but for three more days, the monk would see the light. All the monks became ill, without a remedy, until that monk had a dream that a naga was trapped beneath the throne. Sure enough, when they dug beneath, they found the ancient naga. All the monks were healed.

The naga, a corner finial from an ancient temple, is on display at the temple along with the fragments of every fascinating boundary marker that has the same Dvarapala carving as many that are seen at several sites in Preah Vihear. That naga style appears to correlate to the 11th century. It also retains an ancient road marker similar to those held at the nearby Wat Kambao Or and elsewhere. There are a few other pieces, one of which may be a pesani roller or the fragment of a club from a statue, and I have no idea about the other two items,

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..