Kbal Spean lies in the forested Kulen Hills northeast of the main Angkor monuments in Siem Reap Province. Its name is commonly translated as “head of the bridge,” while visitors often hear the place called the River of a Thousand Lingas. The attraction is not a temple with a conventional entrance courtyard. Its central feature is a sandstone streambed and banks carved with religious images, reached by a forest walk that climbs toward the water.
APSARA National Authority describes the carved stretch as running from the north of the site toward a waterfall, with linga forms arranged across the exposed bedrock. The authority’s account gives a length of about 200 metres; older summaries sometimes use a shorter figure, so the exact measured extent depends on what part is counted. The important point for a visitor is that the carvings are distributed along the stream rather than gathered in one single chamber or building.
