Neak Poan temple is the 12 th century Buddhist temple means (Intertwined Naga) is a petite yet perfect temple constructed by King Jayavarman VII. It has a large square pool surrounded by four smaller square pools. In the center of the central pool is a circular “island” encircled by the two Naga whose intertwined tails give the temple its name. Although it has been centuries since the small pool were last fill with water. In the pool around the central island there were once four statues but only one remains, reconstructed from the debris by the French archeologists who clear the site. The curious figure has the body of a horse is clinging by the people. It relates to a legend that Avalokestishvara once saved a group shipwrecked followers from an island of ghouls by transforming himself into a flying horse.

Water once flowed from the central pool into the four peripheral pools via ornamental spouts which can still be seen in the pavilion at each axis of the pool. The spouts are in the form of an elephant’s head, a horse’s head, a lion’s head, and a human’s head. The pools were used for ritual purification rites and the complex was once in the center of a huge 3 km by 900 m Baray serving Preah Khan, now dried up and overgrown. It must have been truly spectacular to approach this island temple by boat.