The Bayon was built around 800 years ago. The faces are thought to be a mix of the Buddha and the king who built the temple. Each face is about 2 metres tall - just taller than most adults. They have a slight, peaceful smile that visitors find calming and a little mysterious.
Walking through the Bayon feels very different from other temples because no matter which direction you turn, a face is looking at you. The faces appear from behind trees, between corridors and above doorways. Some visitors say it is the most magical place they have ever been.
The walls of the Bayon are also covered in carvings of everyday life from 800 years ago - markets, fish being cooked, soldiers playing chess, children playing. These carvings are like a picture-book of what life was like in Cambodia long ago.
The Bayon is slightly chaotic - towers lean, corridors lead to dead ends, and some faces have sunk into the ground over the centuries. Unlike the neat, symmetrical Angkor Wat, the Bayon feels like it has been growing and changing on its own. That is part of why people love it.