Kbal Spean is an ancient historical archaeological site deep in the jungle, at the edge of the sacred Kulen mountain. Mount Kulen is an important pilgrimage site for Cambodians, about 50 km northeast of Siem Reap. The Kbal Spean is essentially a small river that flows from the top of Mount Kulen down to the fields surrounding the Angkor plain below. The river is a veritable treasure with an uncountable number of lingas (the symbol of the Hindu God Shiva) carved into the riverbed and surrounding rocks, giving it the name “River of a Thousand Lingas” “. The original carvings were made in the late 10th century, early 11th century. Who made them? Nobody know! But they are said to have been commissioned by the Khmer kings. Locals believe that this blessing is a way to keep their land fertile. Bokor Hill, Cambodia Bokor Hill is located atop the remote Damrei mountain in Preah Monivong National Park, about 37km west of the town of Kampot in southern Cambodia. It was built by the French in 1921 as a mountain retreat to escape the sweltering heat of Phnom Penh. It took only 9 months to complete the resort, but a total of 900 people, most of them Cambodian workers, died during construction. Bokor Hill Station was completed in 1925, welcoming the French and Cambodians of the upper class to relax. During its lifetime, it was known for its lavishness and grandeur. Besides the lavish Bokor Palace hotel and casino, there is also a post office, shops, churches and royal apartments. Fifteen years later, in 1940, due to local uprisings by the Khmer Issarak (an anti-French and anti-colonial movement), the colonists left Bokor Hill. In 1962, a casino was built inside the new hotel, several other buildings were also added. In 1972, Bokor Hill station was once again abandoned when the Khmer Rouge captured the area. By now, it has become very dilapidated and locals say the place is “full of ghosts”. Abbot Ayutthaya Buddha, Thailand Thái Before Bangkok, Ayutthaya thrived from the 14th to the 18th centuries – as one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world. After the Myanmar army attack in 1767, Ayutthaya became an abandoned place. They burned the city and destroyed the temples, destroyed sacred statues, destroyed Buddha statues. Unfortunately, the city was never rebuilt or resettled. All that remains are crumbling brick walls, hundreds of abandoned temples and countless headless Buddha statues. A Buddha’s head miraculously “survived”. It is the Buddha on the roots of a tree at Wat Mahathat, also one of the most iconic Buddha statues in Thailand. No one knows for sure how the Buddha’s head got caught in the roots of a tree. One theory is that the head was buried in the ground during times of conflict and was slowly raised by tree roots over the years. Kyaiktiyo Golden Rock, Myanmar Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda is found atop Mount Kyaiktiyo in a small town in Mon State, Myanmar. This is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in Myanmar. What caught everyone’s attention was the huge golden rock that perched dangerously on the edge of a cliff with more than half of its surface tilted to the outdoors. The rock defied gravity and it looked like it was about to roll down the hill. Pilgrims have flocked to the site for decades. Over the years, the sacred stone has been inlaid with many layers of gold leaf by the devotees to show their respect to accumulate virtue and purify the soul. The Lost City of Mrauk U, Myanmar Mrauk U is a quaint little town in Rakhine State, near the Bangladesh border. It served as the capital of Mrauk U Kingdom from 1430 to 1785. At the time, Mrauk U was an important, wealthy trading city, attracting merchants from the Middle East, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, France and other Asian countries. After the First English War, the kingdom collapsed and the center of commerce was moved to the coastal ports of Sittwe. The Mrauk U of today has been frozen in time with limited accessibility. Forgotten by outsiders, Mrauk U became a “missing city”. Travel to Mrauk U, you will have a trip back in time. Life moves very slowly. Simple houses, small wooden huts scattered throughout the countryside. The main means of transportation are wooden bullock carts, old-fashioned tractors, bicycles and buggies. Similar to Bagan, Mrauk U has a large collection of some 700 ancient temples and pagodas built during the reigns of 49 Arakan kings. Although the site is not as big or majestic as Bagan, it has its own charm. Ancient jungle-covered ruins make a great backdrop for photos, especially at sunrise when the morning mist adds a mystical effect. Temples aren’t the only attraction in Mrauk U. The village offers a chance to explore past life and connect with the local culture. Unlike Bagan, the military government forced people living around the old temples to move to other places, in Mrauk U, people still live and do agriculture here.

My Son Sanctuary is located in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, about 69 km from Da Nang city and near Tra Kieu ancient citadel. My Son Sanctuary is located in a valley about 2 km in diameter, surrounded by hills. My Son Sanctuary includes many temples, once the place of sacrifices of the Champa dynasty. This place is considered one of the main temple centers of Hinduism (Hinduism) in Southeast Asia. In 1999, My Son Sanctuary was selected by UNESCO as one of the world heritages at the 23rd session of the World Heritage Committee according to standard C(ii) as a good example of cultural exchange and according to UNESCO. standard C(iii), the only evidence of the disappearance of Asian civilization. Currently, this place is included in the list of 23 special national monuments of our country. My Son Sanctuary was built in the fourth century. Centuries later, this holy place was supplemented with large and small towers, which became the main relic of Champa culture in Vietnam. In addition to the ceremonial function, My Son Sanctuary is also the cultural and religious center of the Champa dynasties and the burial place of kings and powerful priests. There are about 70 architectural works such as temples, tombs… were built in My Son Sanctuary. These works are built with 2 main materials: stone and fired brick. In it, there is a temple built of stone. It is also the only stone temple of the Cham Pa relics. The main temples in My Son Sanctuary worship Linga and Yoni cultural symbols, the image of Lord Shiva (the protector of the Champa kings). The god worshiped in My Son is Bhadrésvara, who founded the first king line of Amaravati at the end of the 4th century, combined with the name of Shiva, becoming the main religion to worship the god – king and royal ancestors. In 1885, My Son relic was discovered by a group of French soldiers. In 1898-1899, two French researchers, L.Finot and L.de Lajonquière, and architect and archaeologist H. Parmentier came here to study epitaphs and the art of Cham architecture and sculpture. In addition to My Son Sanctuary, Quang Nam province also has the ancient town of Hoi An recognized as a World Cultural Heritage. This is a neighborhood formed from the 16th to 17th centuries, formerly a trading port of the Central region. Up to now, the ancient town of Hoi An still preserves almost the original state of the architectural relics complex, including many types of houses, assembly halls, communal houses, temples, shrines, wells, bridges, ethnic churches, harbors, markets. combined with horizontal and vertical roads to form checkerboard-style squares, a popular model of oriental commercial cities in the Middle Ages.