Guidebooks to Angkor

If you wander into Monument Book Store on the riverside to the south of Old Market, you’ll discover, among many others, about half a dozen shelves piled high with guidebooks to Angkor—but which one should you get? Here are a few that belong on your shortlist.

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A Record of Cambodia—The Land and its People This is a translation by Peter Harris of the accounts of a Chinese emissary who visited Angkor in 1296, when the empire was still at the height of its reach and strength. Zhou Daguan spent a year in Angkor and carefully recorded details of daily life, from the architecture, the customs and religions, trade, the natural world, holidays, agriculture and much more. His is the only surviving witness of daily life at Angkor and his perspective is fundamental to much of what we understand about the capital of the Khmer empire at this time. Some of his accounts will shock you, while you can still see scenes that he described more than 700 years ago being acted out today. See more on Amazon

Some of the pick of the crop. Photo taken in or around Guidebooks to Angkor, Angkor, Cambodia by Stuart McDonald.

Some of the pick of the crop. Photo: Stuart McDonald

Khmer Mythology—Secrets of Angkor The temples of Angkor are renowned for the unique beauty of the carvings that adorn them. The ancient Khmers excelled at this art form, employing a complexity and artistry that is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. The carvings depict scenes from the Hindu epics, especially the Ramayana, the Buddha’s life and Buddhist legends as well as representations of great battles and ordinary scenes from daily life. The best account and explanation of all these can be found in Vittorio Roveda’s book, Khmer Mythology—Secrets of Angkor. He carefully describes the legends involved, and the elements and symbols employed by the Khmers, in a way that will add another dimension to your experience of the temples. See more on ... please log in to read the rest of this story.