The Bayon Temple in Cambodia is a breath-taking 12th-13th-century Khmer masterpiece, built under the reign of Jayavarman VII as the state temple at the heart of his capital, Angkor Thom. Bayon stands out for its surreal forest of towers originally around 50–54, though only about 37 remain, each tower is crowned by giant stone faces gazing serenely in all four directions. Bayon is worth visiting not just for its extraordinary artistry or architecture, but for the haunting serenity of its smiling faces, its evocative carvings, and the powerful sense of stepping into a sacred world that once stood at the centre of a mighty empire.