Preah Palilay Archaeological Site

Address: Angkor Archaeological Park, near Bayon, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Website: https://www.apsaraauthority.gov.kh

Hours: Daily 5:00am-6:00pm (Angkor Archaeological Park opening hours)

Admission: Included with Angkor Archaeological Park pass: 1‑day $37, 3‑day $62, 7‑day $72 (APSARA Authority rates)

Preah Palilay is a compact temple ruin within the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, dating to the late 12th or early 13th century. It combines brick, laterite and sandstone construction and shows features associated with the Jayavarman VII building program.

The monument comprises a central sanctuary and adjoining small galleries, and it has been used as a Buddhist shrine in later periods. The site is noted for its comparatively tranquil setting within the park and for masonry that displays both Hindu and Buddhist iconographic elements.

Preah Palilay sits among the central cluster of Angkor monuments and is commonly visited on circuits that include nearby major sites such as Bayon and Angkor Thom.

Located inside the Angkor Archaeological Park, the temple is within the archaeological complex north of Siem Reap town.

• Visiting note: Smaller and quieter than major Angkor monuments, often visited together with nearby Bayon and the Royal Square for a compact circuit.

Preah Palilay sits in Angkor Thom, immediately north of the Bayon. From Siem Reap it is a 10-15 minute tuk‑tuk ride; inside the park it is a short walk from the Bayon and the Royal Terrace area. Entry is via a valid Angkor Park pass.

• Explore early morning to see shafts of light through the trees and to avoid tour groups from Siem Reap.
• Look for the carved lintels and reused Khmer blocks leaning in unexpected places - they tell the story of repair and recycling.
• Combine a visit with the nearby Bayon and the Royal Gardens for a varied hour of architecture and shade.

Preah Palilay combines Hindu and Buddhist elements, which makes it difficult to date precisely. It is generally attributed to the reign of Jayavarman VIII, though different parts of the temple were clearly built at different times: the central sanctuary may date to as early as the 12th century, while the surrounding gopura more likely originated in the 13th or 14th. Fortunately, many of its Buddhist carvings survived the anti-Buddhist iconoclasm of the 15th century. The temple was cleared by Henri Marchal in the early 1900s, and the gopura restored between 1937 and 1938 by Maurice Glaize.

The temple’s cross-shaped terrace carries seven-headed naga balustrades on its east side, in surprisingly good condition, along with a lone guardian lion whose companion has been lost. A causeway some 33 metres long leads to a three-metre shrine depicting the Buddha seated on a lotus leaf, thought to be one of the temple’s later additions.

At the northern entrance is a carving of animals within the Parilyyaka Forest, where, in ancient myth, the Buddha retreated after leaving Kosambi; the temple’s name may itself be an alteration of Parilyyaka. Set amid quiet forest a short walk north of the Royal Palace enclosure, Preah Palilay is often combined with nearby Tep Pranam as a peaceful detour away from the hawkers near the Leper Terrace.