Introduction --- Angkor Wat, near the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia, is regarded as one of the new eight wonders of the world in recent years. It was approved by the UNESCO as a world heritage. Our family made a 5-day exploration of this miracle of human civilization, starting from Jan. 26, 2006 through Lunar New Year Day on Jan. 29.

Angkor Wat is just one of the many historical sites in the greater Angkor area. It is a jewel of Cambodia. It was built by Khmer King Suryavarman II early in 12th century, though the Angkor civilization started earlier from the 7th century. Its architecture and arts are graceful, comparable to Taj Mahal in India.

Angkor Wat was buried in forests for centuries after the fall of the ancient Angkor Empire due to the invasion of Thai people in the 15th century. In the 19th century, a French museum expert Henri Mouhot, with the help of a book by a writer of the Yuan Dynasty of ancient China, Chou Da-Guan, found the ruins in the forests, seriously damaged by large trees. From then, people started to restore the sites. Promotion of sightseeing started about two years ago.

This is really an unforgettable trip, comparable to the most impressive visit of ours to Egypt in 2004!

(Picture above: Angkor Wat seen from balloon ride)