Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
World War I Firing Walls
Cercle solaire du Kiischpelt
Kiischpelt’s Solar Circle
Front of the monument from the ground
Niederwald Monument
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
Rats didn’t take over the city by being foolhardy.
Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Cambodia Siem Reap The Reclining Buddha of Baphuon Temple

The Reclining Buddha of Baphuon Temple

Though it was originally dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, Baphuon was converted to a Buddhist temple in the 15th century, complete with a massive hidden statue.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Added By
katielou106
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Carved Buddha.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Baphuon   Enrico Strocchi/CC BY-SA 2.0
Serene Buddha fcae   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Viewed straight on Buddha’s face is much harder to make out   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Hidden on the west-facing section of the third enclosure wall is a giant reclining Buddha image   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Offerings litter the temple at the statue’s feet   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Baphuon   Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Walkway   Clay Gilliland/CC BY-SA 2.0
Hallway atop Baphuon.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Near the top.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
  linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The beautiful Baphuon is a striking part of the Angkor Thom complex in Cambodia. Often less busy than its more famous counterparts, the temple has an interesting history and hidden statue. It has a wonderful approach along its long, raised processional path passing between the remains of its reflection pools.

Built in the 11th century as the state temple for Udayadityavarman II, Baphuon was originally dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. But in the late 15th century, the three-tiered temple was converted to a Buddhist site. As a result of this conversion, hidden on the west-facing section of the third enclosure wall is a giant reclining Buddha.  The brickwork forming the reclining Buddha image is nine meters (30 feet) tall and 70 meters (230 feet) long. The statue was built into the west side of the temple's second level, which probably required the demolition of an eight-meter (26-foot) tower to supply stones for the statue.

Walking around the base of the temple is uncanny, as what initially appears to be oddly-placed blocks in the wall start to take on the shape of the Buddha's face. Almost as soon as you see it, the image starts to disappear again as the profile changes once you are directly opposite.

The temple was constructed on land filled with sand. Due to its immense size, the site was incredibly unstable throughout its history. It is thought that large portions had already collapsed by the time the Buddha was added.

By the 20th century, much of the temple had collapsed. A large-scale restoration project saw the temple dismantled so that its core could be strengthened before its reconstruction. This process was interrupted when the Cambodian Civil War broke out in 1970. Archaeologists were forced to leave the 300,000 blocks carefully numbered and organized over 10 hectares of land surrounding the temple site. Unfortunately, these plans were lost during the Khmer Rouge conflict. It was not until April 2011, after 51 years of work, that the restored temple was unveiled and the giant Buddha's face once again stared serenely out of the complex once again.

Related Tags

Buddha Civil War Hinduism Temples Buddhism History & Culture Statues

Know Before You Go

Follow the Buddha's serene gaze out towards the jungle and you will spot a trail through the trees.  Follow the trees to find Phimeanakas temple hidden in a clearing in the jungle.

Community Contributors

Added By

katielou106

Edited By

linkogecko, Michelle Cassidy

  • linkogecko
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

January 13, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.siemreap.net/visit/angkor/temples/baphuon/
  • https://www.efeo.fr/temple_Baphuon/20e_siecle.html
The Reclining Buddha of Baphuon Temple
Unnamed Road
Siem Reap
Cambodia
13.443971, 103.85644
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Phimeanakas

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Dinosaur of Ta Prohm

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Ta Prohm

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Siem Reap

Siem Reap

Cambodia

Places 6

Nearby Places

Phimeanakas

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Dinosaur of Ta Prohm

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Ta Prohm

Siem Reap, Cambodia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Siem Reap

Siem Reap

Cambodia

Places 6

Related Places

  • A massive seated Buddha is carved into a rock face.

    Tianshui, China

    Bingling Temple

    A hidden Buddhist gem accessible only by boat.

  • Funerary stelae and graves from past centuries (note that these are not the Bone Buddhas).

    Osaka, Japan

    Bone Buddhas at Isshin-ji Temple

    This temple is home to a group of Buddha statues made from thousands of bones and ashes of the deceased.

  • Kannon and their thirty-three avatars.

    Kamakura, Japan

    Thirty-Three Avatars of Kannon

    In the former treasury of a popular temple, a rare sculptural depiction of Kannon’s diverse avatars.

  • A worn statue of a Japanese monk picks his nose.

    Kawagoe, Japan

    Five Hundred Arhats

    Hundreds of statues of Buddha’s disciples meditating, napping, sneezing, and picking their noses.

  • Mahakal Mandir

    Darjeeling, India

    Mahakal Mandir

    At this unique temple in Darjeeling, Hindu and Buddhist practices co-exist harmoniously.

  • Kyoto, Japan

    Gokōshiyui Amidabutsu

    This statue of Buddha has a distinctive hairstyle meant to represent an unfathomably long period of meditation.

  • Sasaguri, Japan

    Nanzoin Temple

    A serene mountaintop temple complex featuring one big, bronze Buddha.

  • Thotagamuwa, Sri Lanka

    Aluviharaya Rock Cave Temple

    Ancient cave temple near a massive Buddha statue.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.