ODDAR MEANCHEY — A page of history hidden in a remote area, an architectural work worth seeing, a nearly forgotten temple that still stands to testify of a bygone era despite centuries of intense weathering.

Known as Chek Kbo temple, this monument is thought to have been erected during the 10th century, a period of the Angkorian empire that saw development and construction across a considerable portion of mainland Southeast Asia.

At the height of the empire, roads were built throughout the region as far away as today’s borders with Thailand and Laos. And this involved erecting temples such as Chek Kbo temple along the way.    

Today, this temple in Oddar Meanchey province is surrounded by vast areas of farmland dotted with villages and connected by small rural roads. Due to its remote location, Chek Kbo temple is among the many Cambodian centuries-old sites little known and rarely visited by the public.

Composed of three separate brick towers, the structures have experienced significant deterioration. As of now, the central tower remains relatively intact, the north tower has its upper section damaged while the south tower has been virtually consumed in the course of time, leaving behind a standing sandstone doorframe that marks its orientation.

Constructed on a raised earth platform, the temple is surrounded by a moat that offers both practical and religious benefits. The towers are also adorned by a number of sculpted motifs, though much of its lintels have been eroded, making it quite a challenge to figure out the original sculpted features.

In the absence of inscription at the temple, these sculpted motifs may offer clues as to when the temple was built, what deity it was dedicated to, and how art styles evolved through time and geography. And the intricate cornicing works along with the hefty sandstone supports make the artistry of the temple worth the visit.

From within the chamber of the temple, more cornicing work can be seen producing a very detailed geometrical perspective that runs to the very top of the temple.

Towers such as those of the temple normally housed statues of deities. Through time, many statues have probably disappeared, broken down, been moved to museums or taken away.

It is not too far off to assume that temples such as this one would have been surrounded by wooden homes and structures, giving the abundance of wood in this tropical region.

Major temples such as Phimai, Phnom Rung, Sdok Kok Thom and Wat Phu in Laos and Thailand were once part of the network of the Khmer Empire that dominated the region from the 9th through the 15th century.

Temples with three towers running on the same axis such as those of Chek Kbo temple are often seen across Cambodia. There also are temples with four towers forming a square as seen at Lolei temple, or six towers in a rectangle as seen at Preah Ko temple.

And then, there are massive temples such as Phnom Bakheng in Siem Reap province that consists of more than 100 individual towers in one space.

Chek Kbo temple is about 130 kilometers from Siem Reap city, which is roughly a 3-hour ride, and about 442 kilometers from Phnom Penh.  

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Locate this temple on Google Maps, or by using the coordinates below:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/BEQFcQ1HkhTdpyKP7

14.071994740084032, 103.42847943671559