At the beginning of the 13th century, the Chinese traveler Zhou Daguan described Phimeanakas (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភិមាអាកាស) as the “Golden Tower,” noting it was believed to be crowned with a golden pinnacle. He recounted a legend associated with the temple:
On top of Phimeanakas, a spirit in the form of a nine-headed serpent (Naga) lived.
Every night, the serpent would transform into a woman, and the king was required to spend the night with her in the tower before joining his other wives.
If the king missed a night, it was believed disaster would befall the kingdom; if the spirit failed to appear, the king himself would die.
