Older than Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Vat Phou temple complex in Laos is a UNESCO World Heritage site built by Khmer kings to celebrate the Hindu gods. Photograph by Wattanayut, Getty Images.

A visitor comes face to face with bas-reliefs of apsaras at the top terrace of Angkor Wat, Cambodia. These asparas, or celestial dancers, are most likely modelled on the entourage of dancers serving ...