Thousands gather at Angkor Wat for Equinox sunrise

2026-03-23 - 05:20

SIEM REAP, Cambodia — More than 30,000 tourists gathered at Angkor Wat on the morning of 22 March 2026 to witness the breathtaking Equinox sunrise over the temple’s central tower. Visitors from across the globe came to experience the rare alignment of the sun with the temple’s main spire, a phenomenon that highlights the advanced astronomical and architectural knowledge of the Khmer Empire. Angkor Wat, located in Siem Reap, is a Theravada Buddhist temple complex and the largest religious complex in the world. Constructed between 1113 and 1150 CE during the reign of King Suryavarman II, it was originally built as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. From the late 13th century onward, the complex gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple and has remained an active centre of Buddhist worship for centuries. The Angkor area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 in recognition of its historical, architectural, and cultural significance.