Neak Pean 'Entwined Serpents'
Another favourite of mine - Healing pools, four pools surrounding a central pool, each representing an element (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) with an associated animal pouring the waters into the pool (Man, Horse, Lion, Elephant) The central builing with entwined serpents at the base and crowned by a lotus flower represented the Fifth intangible element which was something to do with spirit.
People would come here to bathe in one of the pools if they were sick, as a sickness meant a lacking of a certain element.
Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, whose Angkor Empire extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Subsequently, attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the ... ... read more 
