Angkor's Envoys to China Zhou Daguan's Lost Travelogue

The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History · Jul 8, 2026 · 8m · transcript

In August 1296, a Chinese diplomat named Zhou Daguan arrived at Angkor Thom as part of a Mongol-sponsored mission. He stayed nearly a year, observing every layer of Khmer society — from the king's golden-towered palace to the fish traps of the Tonlé Sap. His book, "The Customs of Cambodia" (真腊风土记), is the only surviving first-hand account of daily life in the Khmer Empire at its height. This episode walks through Zhou Daguan's most vivid observations: the king's daily processions, the betel-chewing courtiers, the open-air markets where women ran the trade, and the mysterious…