At the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, serene stone faces rise above a processional way once crossed by triumphant Khmer kings returning from battle. The naga balustrades, hauled by rows of devas and asuras, evoke the Churning of the Sea of Milk and symbolize the bridge between the human realm and the divine city within. Today this weathered Bayon-style gateway, framed by encroaching jungle, still captures the grandeur and ritual power of Jayavarman VII’s royal capital.
