Hotel Viva (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

About Hotel Viva

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee added a listing for the Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi to their list in 1989, recognising the location as the oldest Buddhist sanctuary in the world and a major centre for Buddhism until the 12th Century. Deserted from the 14th-century, it was rediscovered in 1818 and a museum was established there in 1919 by Sir John Marshall, later developing into the current museum. The most famous of the monuments is the Great Stupa which was commissioned by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. This is a large hemispherical brick-built structure containing some of the relics of the Buddha. It features a railing with four gateways facing the compass points and dating from approximately 100 A.D. More stupas and other Buddhist structures were added to the site through to the 12th century and these include what's believed to be one of the oldest Buddhist temples. In total more than 50 monuments can be found at Sanchi and are covered by the UNESCO listing. The site is open from dawn to dusk and an entry fee of approximately $5.00 (US) is charged for visitors aged 15 and older.