Wat Banan, located south of Battambang town, is a smaller version of the Illustrious Angkor Wat. Begun in 1057 under the reign of Udayadityavarman II (1050 – 1066) then completed a century later by Jayavarman VII (1181 – 1218), it is built atop a hill about 400 meters.When the French Henri Mouhot visited the site in 1858, he found numerous sculptures of Buddha and other deities.
Atop the hill, reached by a staircase of 358 steps of laterite, we can admire the view over the Sangker River meandering between palm trees, rice paddies and traditional villages. Even today, it is very popular with Khmer families who like to go on a picnic and admire the beautiful landscape at their feet.
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