Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia which is bordered by Thailand to the west, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.

Angkor Thom is a great Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Lokeshvara who is a manifestation of the most celebrated and popular among all Buddhist deities, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. It is one of the largest monument in the world that was used for religious worship.

Angkor Thom is situated in a province called Seimreap which is to the North of the capital city, Phnom Penh. It is located just above and within walking distance from the glorious and world-famous Angkor Vat. Angkor Thom was built by one of the Cambodian's god-kings named Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181 to 1220) in the 12th century shortly after he defeated the Chams. Geometrically oriented, Angkor Thom is the fortified inner royal city. Its structures are mostly made out of sandstone which were precisely cut and carved so that each piece fits perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle. Angkor Thom has a square wall that extended in the north-south and east-west direction which stands about eight meters high. It is also encircled by a moat that is about 100 meters wide. There are four main gates with carved narrative sculptures of Cambodian's folklore stories on the inner wall. Each gate has a passageway that is elaborately decorated with stone elephant trunks and crowned by four gargantuan faces of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (above figure). The faces of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara are also a representation of a portrait of the god king, Jayavarman VII.

Angkor Thom was the last monument of great architectural work built by the Khmer Kings at the end of the Second Angkor style. It is known for its unique sculptural style of the thick lips with the smile of the Angkor people on the faces of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.