SIEM REAP: A special sunrise event takes place at Angkor Wat twice a year, during the Spring equinox in March and the Autumnal equinox in September. An equinox occurs when the sun is directly over the Earth’s equator, making it so that the day and night are of equal length. On these two special days of the year, visitors can witness the sun rise directly over the central peak of the Angkor Wat temples.

According to the Siem Reap Provincial Department of Tourism, close to 10,000 tourists visited Angkor Wat on Tuesday, 21 March 2023, to witness the spectacular equinox sunrise behind the central peak of the temples, as seen from the main central entrance in the West.

The Royal Torch Lighting Ceremony for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games was also held on the morning of the equinox sunrise, with His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni presiding.

The Siem Reap Provincial Department of Tourism has reported that about 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to witness the sunrise, including 2,226 foreign tourists and 6,500 national visitors.

Hundreds have shared pictures of the sunrise on their social media accounts, calling this event a unique and mesmerizing phenomenon.

The equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat shows the meticulous study that went into building the temples, combining brilliant architectural design, complex mathematical calculations, engineering and astronomy.