Lion Temple Group (ប្រាសាទតោ)

Lion Temple is part of a group of ancient temples in the Sambor Prei Kuk area, located in Kampong Thom province, about 25 km from the town center.

Two walls surround the temple site: The outer wall is 200 meters long on each side, but is mostly broken. The inner wall is 150 meters long and also damaged. There were 43 temples in this group, but now only one temple is still standing. This is the Lion Temple. The rest are just ruins.

History: The temples in this area were built in the 7th century during the reign of King Isanavarman I. The Lion Temple was built later, in the late 8th to early 9th century, by King Jayavarman II, after he descended from Kulen Mountain.

Design and Meaning: Lion Temple is made of brick and laterite (a type of stone). It is about 20 meters tall, square-shaped, and was built to worship the Hindu god Shiva. The temple has 7 steps, with the base of the stairs shaped like lotus petals, which is a special design in this temple group. The stairs were only for the king to use during religious ceremonies. Ordinary people could not go up.

Lion Statues: Two lion statues stand at the front of the temple stairs. These lions look different from usual Khmer lion statues; they have curly manes and look powerful. They represent the strength of King Jayavarman II, who united the country and brought peace. Originally, there were 6 lion statues at three gates. Now, only 2 remain in front of the temple. Two others are kept in the Kampong Thom museum. The temple has 4 gates, but today only the main front gate is open for visitors.

Name “Lion Temple”: There is no ancient inscription that tells the real name of the temple. Locals named it “TaoTemple” (meaning Lion Temple) because of the lion statues in front.