Dei Chnang Gate

In the north wall of Angkor Thom, on the road north from the Bayon towards Preah Khan. It is inside the Angkor park, so you need an Angkor pass. Use the coordinates on this page.

The North Gate of Angkor Thom, the walled city built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. It is one of five gates in the city wall, with the Victory Gate in the east and the Ta Kav Gate in the west, and the road through it runs north from the Bayon towards Preah Khan and Neak Poan.

Like the other gates, its tower carries great carved faces looking out in each direction, the same faces as the towers of the Bayon. On either side of the arch stands a three-headed elephant, and outside, the causeway over the moat is lined with devas and asuras hauling on the body of a naga, the churning of the Ocean of Milk. Many of them have lost their heads.

Its Khmer name, Dei Chnang, means clay for cooking pots. It is a local name, said to come from the clay found in the area.

It stands in forest, and the moss and lichen on the faces grow thick in the rainy season.