At dawn or dusk, Angkor Wat dazzles

Fried instant noodles is a common street food in the SiemReap.[Photo by Xu Lin/China Daily]

The expressions on the faces of the soldiers is as varied as their number. When you are inspecting the walls a cursory look will not do; look closely and you will see fascinating scenes and vivid detail. For example, Chinese place bets on a cockfight, women weigh their goods in the market and there is a troupe of jugglers.

Just like the smile of Mona Lisa, their smiling faces make people feel peaceful and ponder over life. Sometimes you will even see a cat seeming to ponder the structures.

Angkor Thom was the capital of Khmer until the 17th century. Its south gate is the most well-restored one, with a tower of four faces.

In front of the gate is a road above a moat lined by two rows of figures each carrying the body of a giant naga - gods and asuras respectively. As with so much that Zhou recorded in his book, he seems to have got this just right.

The heart of Angkor Thom is the 330-meter long Elephant Terrace, with carvings of elephants with mahouts along its walls. There are carvings of lion-head men and garuda (bird-man, Vishnu's vehicle), with raised arms as if they are supporting the terrace. On the staircase are three-headed elephants with trunks pulling lotuses from the ground.

Next to it is the Leper King Terrace, carved with mythological scenes such as nagas and deities with swords. You can find hidden reliefs when you enter a zigzagging trench by a narrow entrance.

The best way to travel around the city is by tuk tuk, a motorcycle that pulls a two-wheeled trailer. It's better to take a car while visiting temples in the suburban area such as Beng Mealea.

The unrestored temple with collapsed galleries and towers is a perfect place for hiking. The main entrance is just a pile of giant stones and you have to walk on a wooden path built in recent years, if you want to explore further.