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All Cambodia Phumi Khna Rôngvoas Kbal Spean

Kbal Spean

This Cambodian riverbed is covered in ancient Hindu carvings both above and below the waters.

Phumi Khna Rôngvoas, Cambodia

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joel
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Kbal Spean   ruben i on Flickr
Kbal Spean   ruben i on Flickr
Kbal Spean   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
Kbal Spean   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
Kbal Spean   leiris / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Tucked away in the jungles of Angkor, Cambodia is a small river that runs over a series of elaborate carvings that have been etched both along the shoreline and into the very stone of the riverbed itself.

Created sometime around the 11th and 12th century, the carvings at in the Kbal Spean River look like something right out of an Indiana Jones production diary. The designs range from fields of low circles that almost look like holy cobblestones to ornate images of Hindu deities carved in relief on the rocks. Not all of the carvings seem to have originated in the same era, having been added to over the millennia, but today, they all look like they are of a piece.

The site is also known as the "Valley of 1,000 Lingas." This common name is in reference to the low carved circles that were once mound-shaped representations of the Hindu god Shiva, called lingas. In contrast, there are also a number (though not so many) of designs symbolizing the yoni, a symbol for the Hindu goddess Shakti.

The site looks not unlike something that would have come out of a Hollywood storyboard, all fearsome gods and cryptic symbols, barely hidden beneath the jungle undergrowth. Whether you are visiting for a sense of adventure, archaeology, or simple history, the Kbal Spean carvings won't let you down.

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Archaeology Rivers Sculptures Water

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31 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Siem Reap. From the parking lot it's a beautiful mile walk in to the stretch with the carvings.

Community Contributors

Added By

leiris

Edited By

hrnick, aribrown, linkogecko, vijayhm...

  • hrnick
  • aribrown
  • linkogecko
  • vijayhm
  • EricGrundhauser

Published

February 5, 2016

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Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kbal_Spean
Kbal Spean
Phumi Khna Rôngvoas
Cambodia
13.686282, 104.01564

Nearby Places

Cambodia Landmine Museum

Kampong Thom, Cambodia

miles away

Neak Pean

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Dinosaur of Ta Prohm

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cambodia

Cambodia

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Places 30
Stories 10

Nearby Places

Cambodia Landmine Museum

Kampong Thom, Cambodia

miles away

Neak Pean

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Dinosaur of Ta Prohm

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cambodia

Cambodia

Asia

Places 30
Stories 10

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