Angkor 🇰🇭 The Khmer Empire in Cambodia

The Angkor complex represents the entire range of Khmer art from the 9th to the 14th centuries and includes a number of indisputable artistic masterpieces. The Angkor Golden Age, which lasted about six centuries, produced several hundred temples like Angkor Wat, the Bayon or Banteay Shrey, all proof of the treasure, refinement and power of this civilization, which dominated a region including all Southeast Asian countries. It's essential to take into consideration that the areas of jungle between the brick and stone monuments constitute a reserve of buried archaeological remains of immense importance in the study and interpretation of Khmer culture. Another significant element of the Angkor complex is the irrigation system of the region, based on the great reservoirs, which provided the economic infrastructure for the successive Khmer capitals and their rulers. The Angkor region, bordering the Great Lake with its valuable supply of water, fish and fertile soil, has been settled since Neolithic times. The main evidence of Khmer architecture and ultimately of Khmer civilization remains the religious buildings, which are considerable in number and extremely varied in size. They were destined for the immortal gods and as they were built of durable material like brick, laterite and sandstone, many have survived to the present day. Entering Angkor Wat city from the west, visitors cross the causeway over the moat. The balustrades of the causeway are in the form of naga serpents, their bodies raised on short square columns. At six points along its length, steps lead to the ground level of the enclosure and here the balustrades turn and end in rearing naga heads. This is reached via a raised platform with lions on both sides of a staircase. These giant stone lions on each side of the terrace guard the monument. Facing the entrance or gupura of the temple itself, there are galleries extending to the left and right. At this point, visitors have the choice of continuing up towards the towers of the central sanctuary or of first walking around the gallery of bas-reliefs. To gain a proper understanding of what a Khmer temple was, it's important to understand that it was not a meeting place for the faithful but the place of God who was enshrined there to allow him to bestow his beneficence, in particular on the founder and his family and friends. The temple proper stands on a terrace raised above the level of the city. It consists essentially of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, with each level higher than the last. The western exterior forecourt of the main temple contains two libraries or smaller temple structures. Each gallery has a gupura at each of the cardinal points and the two inner galleries each have towers at their corners, forming a quincunx with the central tower. The outer gallery measures 187 by 215 metres, with pavilions rather than towers at the corners. The first gallery has square pillars on the outer side and a closed wall on the inner side. The outside of the inner wall is decorated with pillared windows, apsaras which are heavenly nymphs and dancing male figures on prancing animals. From the earliest days of the city, Angkor had been conceived as a symbolic universe, structured according to Hindu cosmology. The city was accordingly built around a central temple on a hill, which symbolised Mount Nehru, the home of the gods. Sandstone of various colours was the chief material employed by the Khmers, and limonite was also used. The stone was cut into huge blocks which were fitted together with great accuracy, without the use of cement. The uppermost level of the temple combines two major features of Khmer architecture, a pyramid and concentric galleries. Pyramids, which in most cases were created by means of stepped terraces, date back to the 8th century Akyum and the better-known 9th century Bakong, and were the Khmer method of symbolising the centre of the Hindu universe, Mount Nehru, in the form of a temple mountain. Galleries evolved later, around the beginning of the 11th century, and with a natural succession to a growing number of annex buildings surrounding the sanctuary. Khmer decoration, profuse but harmonious, consists chiefly of the representation of gods, men and animals, which are displayed on every flat surface. Combats and legendary episodes are often depicted. Floral decoration is reserved chiefly for borders, mouldings and capitals. The most famous decorations in Angkor are the heavenly nymphs called Apsara. There are more than 300, each one is unique, and in total we can group them in 30 different styles. Khmer architecture evolved largely from that of the Indian subcontinent, from which it soon became clearly distinct, as it developed in its own special characteristics. Some independently evolved, and others acquired from neighbouring cultural traditions. Known by the modern name of Preah Pohan, the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas, the cruciform cloister has Buddha images, which were left in the cloister by pilgrims over the centuries, although most have now been removed. It was easy for the indigenous people to adopt the gods of Indians from Southeast Asia. These foreign gods could easily find a place beside the local deities, as they had already done in India, within what was doubtless a very similar cosmology. So particular devotion was accorded to the gods Shiva and Vishnu, and also to the Buddha. Shiva is the dominant figure, as he was long considered by the kings a supreme protector of their empire. The plan of Angkor Wat is difficult to grasp when walking through the monument because of its vastness. The East Gate is one of the two main gateways into the complex. Exhibiting key style and elements of classic Khmer architecture, Angkor Wat remained shrouded in a veil of dense jungle vegetation, long before its discovery in 1860. Pioneers were soon replaced by researchers. Several missions, largely French for historical reasons, took place before Siam ceded the northern province of Cambodia in the 1907 treaty, including that of Siem Reap, where Angkor was located. Thousands of cubic meters of soil were excavated, beginning with Angkor Wat and the Bayon, as well as the elephant terraces. When the vast network of temples was discovered, the heavy cloak of mystery surrounding the fascinating ruins was slowly lifted to reveal an extraordinary find. Comparatively little damage was caused to the sites during the period of civil war, as each Khmer faction respected the Angkor monuments. A major problem of theft arose at the beginning of the 1990s. Freestanding figures, lintels and pediments have been hacked away and removed, often to be sold to Western collectors. Angkor Wat, the largest monument of the Angkor group and the best preserved, is an architectural masterpiece. Its perfection in composition, balance, proportions and sculpture make it one of the finest monuments in the world. Its majestic façade is a fine example of classic Khmer architecture. The road from Angkor Wat and Siem Reap is the first point of entry to the city for most visitors. All five gates are similar, but the south gate has been the most extensively restored and is the most complete. The majority of the heads on the other gates have been stolen and only the south gate retains a number of completed figures. The approach to the gate, crossing the moat, is lined by an avenue of statues. On the left and right, two rows of figures each carry the body of a gigantic serpent, a seven-headed naga, almost as if in a tug of war. The figures on the left are gods, while those on the right, with fierce grimaces, are demons, asuras. The use of the naga balustrades lining the approach to the Angkor Thom temple and usually across a moat was common, and it's believed that the purpose was to link the world of men outside the temple to the world of gods inside. According to some specialists, such naga bridges correspond to a rainbow, which provides the same function in Hindu tradition. Another suggestion is that the nagas are the guardians of the city's royal wealth. The gates have a triple tower, carved with four faces, which closely resemble the known statues of Jayavarman VII. At the base of the gate tower is a three-headed elephant, plucking lotus flowers with its trunks, which form pillars. Angkor Thom is a quadrangle of defensive walls, totalling 12 kilometres, that once protected the Khmer capital of the same name. Angkor Thom, in fact, means great city. Dating from the 12th century, Bayon Temple is the spectacular central temple of the ancient city of Angkor Thom. The complex is located just north of the famous Angkor Wat. The state temple of Jayavarman VII and his immediate successors is one of the most enigmatic and powerful religious constructions in the world. The temple is extremely complex, both in terms of structure and meaning, having passed through different religious phases, from the pantheon of the gods to Hindu worship and Buddhism. The Bayon has gone through several architectural changes, with additions that are responsible for the complexity and the crowding at its centre. Uniquely, a mass of face towers was used to create a stone mountain of ascending peaks. The towers were originally 49 in number. Today, only 37 are standing. Most are carved with four faces on each cardinal point, but sometimes there are only three, or even just two. Climbing the steps to the long terrace, visitors approach the temple with guardians, lions and nagar balustrades on either side. On the columns of the outer gallery, a few reliefs can be found. On the terrace, the lightly incised carvings of dancing apsaras on the pillars are well conserved. Bayon Temple is surrounded by two long walls, bearing an extraordinary collection of bas-relief scenes of legendary and historical events. In total, there are more than 11,000 carved figures over 1.2 kilometres of wall. Originally, they were probably painted and gilded, but this has long since faded. Uniquely, the Bayon has two sets of bas-reliefs carved at different times. Those on the walls of the outer enclosure were carved earlier, perhaps at the beginning of the 13th century, and deal with historical subjects, from battles with the Chams to scenes of daily life. The stone used exclusively by Khmer builders was sandstone, and at Angkor, the source was the Kolen Mountains. Its weight and the distances over which it needed to be hauled added to the structural problems that the architects had to face. These included finding designs for structures that would not collapse under their own considerable weight. And it wasn't until the end of the 10th century at Angkor that the Khmers had the confidence to build more or less exclusively in stone. The inner bas-reliefs cover the interrupted walls of the inner enclosure and were carved in the second half of the 13th century, when under Jayavananda VIII, the Bayon was converted to Hindu worship. Their subjects are from Hindu mythology, and the complications of rebuilding meant that the carvers had to work on small irregular surfaces, short sections of gallery, the angles and corners of the kaporas and corner pavilions and some interiors. Many of the bas-reliefs are obscure, though they include events from the Indian epics that had long been popular among the Khmer. Clearly, scenes grouped together are linked in some way, but their exact relationship is often unclear. On the upper terrace, visitors are in a different world. This terrace has an atmosphere of peace and calm, with wonderful views of the face towers, set against a background of trees. The freestanding face towers, which are shrines, allow a close inspection of the faces as visitors walk around. There are countless views of these faces, some in profile, others framed by doorways, and others juxtaposed in series. The aspect changes throughout the day, as the sunlight falls on and off the different parts of the temple. The sculpture shows how the carvings weren't one stone, but multiple stones pieced carefully together by Khmer artisans. 300 metres long, the elephant terrace runs north from the entrance of the Bayon to the Royal Square. There are five projecting stairways symmetrically placed, three in the centre, and the other two at either end. The staircase is flanked by three-headed elephants, with their three trunks pulling lotuses from the ground. The upper part of the main staircase has Naga balustrades and guardian lions. Beyond this, the three-metre high wall is carved with one long, continuous scene of elephants with their mahouts in hunting scenes. The shorter section of wall leading to the main central stairway is sculpted with lion-headed figures and Garudas, which are birdmen, with raised arms. A birdman is Vishnu's mount. The Garuda is the enemy of snakes, and can often be seen grasping them in his claws. His iconography encompasses a variable mixture of human and avian features, but usually includes at least a pair of wings and a beak. The Elephant Terrace is believed to have been a pavilion for the king to view military parades. A row of twelve small identical towers lines the east side of the Royal Square. The modern name, Swarprat Towers, means Towers of the Rope Dancers. Although they're shrines of some sort, they don't correspond to the normal style of Khmer shrines. The twelve towers are arranged symmetrically on either side of the Victory Way. Two rows of five are in the same north-south line. The remaining two are set back slightly at the centre. Each is square in plan, built of laterite with stone lintels and pediments. Apart from some pediments carved with naga arches, the stonework is undecorated. The two upper levels are in diminishing proportions, and were decorated with antifixes in the form of nagas and hermits, a few of which remain. The door, in each tower, opens via a porch onto the Royal Square. The Leper King Terrace, named after the 15th century sculpture that was discovered on top, stands more or less independent of the other buildings that surrounded the Royal Square. Like the Elephant Terrace, it's difficult to date with certainty. Possibly due to the strangeness of the figures on this building, and the corrosion of its surface by patches of lichen, this terrace later became known as the Leper King, following an old folk legend that one of Angkor's kings was a leper. Headed elephants with trunks pulling lotuses from the ground are on the top of the terrace. On top of the terrace, a statue of Dharma or Yama, the god of the underworld, was found in the centre. A naked male figure is portrayed in a seated position, with his right knee raised, carrying a mace on his right shoulder. At the beginning of the 9th century AD, the two states that covered the territory of modern Cambodia were united by Jayavarman II, who laid the foundations of the Khmer Empire, which was the major power in Southeast Asia for nearly five centuries. One of the sites where his court resided for some years was in central Cambodia, to the north of Tonle Sap, the Great Lake, where half a century later, Jayavarman's son, Yashodharman, was to establish Yashodhapura, the permanent capital of the Khmer Empire until the 15th century. It was later given the name Angkor from the Sanskrit Nagara, meaning city or capital. Ta Prohm is one of the most impressive of all the Angkor temples and was one of the most important temples in Jayavarman VII's huge ambition to build a massive temple complex within Angkor. The intentionally unrestored state of Ta Prohm, along with the size and complexity of its layout, makes orientation a little difficult. Traditionally, the entrance is through the outer and easter Gapura next to the road. This is one of four Gapuras that break the outer laterite wall at the cardinal points and originally had a tower carrying the four faces of Lokasvara. The approach to the entrance of the temple is a path through the forest. After about 500 meters, there's a cruciform terrace forming a causeway across the moat. On this are the remains of some lions, varapalas and of naga balustrades in the style of the Bayon with their straddling Garudas. Unlike most of the temples of Angkor, Ta Prohm has been largely left to the clutches of the living jungle. With its dynamic interaction between nature and man-made art, this atmospheric temple is a favorite for many visitors. This is the temple chosen by the École Française du Xtreme-Orient to be left in its natural state as an example of how most of Angkor looked on its discovery in the 19th century. This was a decision which involved a significant amount of work to prevent further collapse and enough clearing of vegetation to allow entry. It's been maintained in this condition of apparent neglect. Ta Prohm has a Bayon style like Banteayg Dey and Angkor Thom. The sculptures represent a diversification of iconography. More symbolic and more realistic scenes are depicted as well as scenes of everyday life. The temple has sophisticated architectural elements. The ornamentation is a triumph of Khmer art where the architecture is the realization of a ritual. Far from distracting attention from the collective composition or from the geometry of the lines and volume, the ornamentation emphasizes and enhances each form without domination. Through the ornamentation, the rigid framework of the profiles and masses becomes animated with the shimmering of light and shade. All are in living communion. The main entrance opens onto a large rectangular enclosure of 20 by 30 meters. With the view of the internal courtyard that follows, one is plunged into a surreal world. On every side, in fantastic overscale, the enormous pale trunks of the silk cotton trees soar heavenwards under a shadowy green canopy, their long spreading skirts trailing the ground and their endless roots coiling more like reptiles than plants. The trees that have grown intertwined among the ruins are especially responsible for the tarprom atmosphere. There are two species of trees. The larger is the silk cotton tree, distinguished by its thick, pale brown roots with a knobbly texture. And the smaller is the strangler fig with a greater mass of thinner, smoother, greasy roots. In both cases, the plant takes hold in a crevice somewhere in the upper structure of the building, usually where a bird has deposited the seed and extends roots downwards to the soil. In doing this, the roots work their way between the masonry so that as they grow thicker, they gradually wedge open the blocks. The roots of an enormous silk cotton tree envelope part of the wall and run vertically right next to a devata. Tarprom is a Buddhist monastery, typical of the last formula of the Khmer temples, in which the ensemble laid out on a single plane no longer followed the principle of multiple levels, but where the notion of elevation was expressed rather by the rising of the towers and predominant central sanctuary from within an arrangement of concentric galleries. In the large courtyard of the enclosure, there are two similar sanctuary towers or prasat. It's the fundamental element that sheltered the idol within its square chamber. Orientated accordingly, it opens to the exterior sometimes with two or four doors, but usually with a single opening to the east, the closed sides being walled with false doors. A rare inscription at Tarprom provides statistics about the temple's workers, allowing for some exaggeration to honour the king. The inscription's report of around 80,000 workers, including 2,700 officials and 615 dancers, is still astounding. The conformity of Khmer art is undeniable, and though India may be at its source, it's there a stimulator rather than creator. India perhaps imposed ideas of direction, framework, tradition and constraint, but in following these formulae, the Khmer put them to their own particular use and in so doing took control. While the builder of the Hindu temple has no respect for any architectural concept and carried away in a frenzy of modelling encumbers the composition which becomes so confused with the extravagance of the decoration, the Khmer sculptor, on the other hand, works differently. He maintains a feeling for the dimension of the mass and working always directly on the surface of the pre-formed panels of wall, submits to the discipline imposed by the architect to enhance the main idea, to emphasise the form by the organisation of his mouldings and ornamentation. Rather than to detract from its purity. Through India, themes also came from Greece, Rome, Egypt and from Syria, and with some reminiscence of Arab or French art of the Middle Ages. There are also influences from China and by a sort of anticipation, certain elements that can be found in the Renaissance, Baroque or Rococo styles. All Khmer architecture relies on notions of axis and symmetry, necessarily implying the repetition of its elements. When they're not defined by galleries, the different enclosures are bounded by simple walls with a coping. There's usually an entrance pavilion or gopura on each axis, with a central core that's generally cruciform in plan and frequently complemented with vestibules, porticos and lateral wings with secondary entrances. If the Khmer artist managed occasionally to free himself from the constraints that controlled him to give expression to his personality, then it would evidently be in the narrative form of the bas-reliefs. Escaping from the strictly ornamental intricacy of the Arabesque, he could, on subjects drawn from history or mythology, from epic legends or ethnography, if not let his emotions go, then at least tend towards movement, nature and life. It's also probable, although nothing remains of them today, that besides these stone pages, recalling in some ways the tapestries of our own Middle Ages in Europe, there were frescoes painted in the same spirit, serving to animate the cold, bare interior of the sanctuary walls. With the colonnettes, the only sculpted sandstone elements in the early brick prazads is the top. The decoration, straight from India and deriving from architecture in wood, was composed essentially of a sort of shallow arch enhanced with medallions, disgorged at the extremities by makaras, which are sea monsters with trunks, that turn to the centre to let a series of pendants fall. In each of the Angkor monuments, a preoccupation with symbolic order seeks to create a representation of the universe in miniature. The tiered bases representing the Meru, the abode of the gods, the chains of mountains as their enclosure walls and the oceans as their moats, realising a kind of correctly ordered model. Astrology determined sighting, which responded to magical ends. At the chosen location, the architect, with the help of the high priest, or the high priest himself, would make an extensive interpretation of space and so construct his building with four doors facing the four cardinal points, the east remaining, and only rarely approximately, the main orientation. With the diagonals of the square joining the intermediate points, the predominance of this eastern orientation, a sort of glorification of the rising sun, could be considered as a manifestation of the sun worship so favoured in ancient civilisations. The narrow cruciform terrace, 200 metres from the entrance of the Banteay Kay temple, crosses the moat and is decorated with lions and naga balustrades with straddling garudas. The proportions of the Banteay Kay temple are similar to Ta Prohm, a central sanctuary of no great prominence and compact galleried enclosures, all at the centre of a much larger outer enclosure. The entire area, bounded by a laterite wall, four entrances or kupuras with face towers, measure 700 by 500 metres. Passing through the face tower entrance, visitors see the best preserved part. Following the path for a few metres to the cross-shaped terrace with naga balustrades, with lions and with the moat on either side, the lions are guardians of the temples, adorning the entrance on either side of the steps. Unknown in the fauna of Indochina, they imposed an obligation on the sculptor to look for inspiration only in themes from India, Java or China, with no reference to natural reality. The naga, a stylised cobra, is endowed with multiple heads, always uneven in number, from three to nine, arranged in a fan. Deriving from India, it appears in the original legend of the Khmer people and is the symbol of water. This temple is another example of the spirit of confusion, although less so than at Ta Prohm and Prakhan, that's characteristic of the monuments built, transformed or completed, by Jayavarman VII and of the crowding of the sacred enclosure, set within a vast overall enclosure. At least two different styles are evident, relating to the periods of Angkor Wat and the Bayon, and the additions are clear, in many places, masking the already existing sculptures. Continuing west over a naga causeway, visitors are inside the enclosure and enter the hall of dancers with its four courtyards, surrounded by pillars that would have supported a tiled or wooden roof. These are the low reliefs of isolated figures or groups, sculpted sometimes on a plain wall or on a background of decoration, but usually sheltered within niches. As celestial nymphs, whose hieratic nature is accommodated so well in their frontal presentation, the devatas generally decorate the recesses of the sanctuary and in the 12th century, the walls of the halls and galleries. These pillars are decorated with apsaras, dancing alone and in pairs, sculpted in slight relief on the surface of the stone. The liturgical dance, which held such an important place in the ritual, should have provided the sculptor with an opportunity to depart from the representation of the usual rigid postures and to express some movement. But although Cambodian dance is capable of expressing the whole range of human sentiments, the apsaras always appear on the stone in the same pose, derived from that of a flying figure, though hard to believe, with only some variation in the gesture of the arms. The stylization is taken to the extreme and the use of a pattern doubtless. Out into the second enclosure, there's a clear view of the towers of the central part of the temple, among the remains of the double-columned gallery. This ensemble seems to be earlier than the style of the Bayon, the central sanctuary, which still carries some traces of sculpture, must have been hacked in order to receive a plaster covering. It's interesting to note the multicolored stone with shades of red and green and the excellent devatas carved in the wall. Like the priests themselves, the architects and sculptors were but servants, responsible for the same cultural tradition, creating, with equal self-denial, their achievement remaining anonymous and impersonal. Working to an abstract concept, the artist's accomplishment was subject to constant repetition, with the art being conditional on this process, engendering not monotony, but rhythm. The state temple of the first city of Angkor, Phnom Bakheng, has a special importance, even though many of its buildings are in poor condition. It was to here that Yosovanam I moved his capital from Rolwus, 13 kilometers southeast of Siem Reap. The city was centered on the sole hill of Phnom Bakheng. With some important differences, this temple imitates the temple of Bakong at Rolwus, built some two decades earlier. The temple itself occupies the summit, which was first substantially leveled, leaving a pyramid of rock in the center, from which the terraces were cut. In addition, the core of the temple was carved as a stepped pyramid from the hill itself. On the terraces of the pyramid above are 60 tiny towers in sandstone, open to the east, arranged symmetrically in pairs, one on each corner of each terrace. The builders enhanced the impression of its height by manipulating perspective. The elevation of each terrace is less than the one below. The Bakheng pyramid is unique in that its interior isn't formed by infill. The bedrock has simply been hewn away as necessary, and a sandstone cladding applied, as visitors can see in corners where landslides reveal the substructure. No doubt the form of this natural frame has forced the narrow width of the tiers, less than 4 meters, and obstructed by the small pyramid towers, which barely allow any circulation. For those who enjoy the deep discovery of a country, the Lake Tonle Sap road, as well as a ballet dinner boat and the floating villages, are visits which are impossible to miss along with the temples. It's one of the places with the most examples of Cambodian everyday life and its reality. Here, all life revolves around water. The amazing lake and river system of the Tonle Sap is unique. This vast lake, the largest in Southeast Asia, fills with the waters of the Mekong each year, bringing vast numbers of fish and irrigation during the dry season. The Mekong starts its journey in the Himalayas, flowing through China, Laos and Cambodia, before spilling into the sea at its delta in South Vietnam. The Mekong Delta can't absorb all the river water. So in May, the river reverses its normal seaward flow and begins to flow back up the Tonle Sap river. The 160-kilometer-long lake fills with water and expands to 250 kilometers long by up to 100 kilometers wide over a period of three months. The lake rises and progressively floods the surrounding forests and rice fields. The people, who live in simple shacks along the causeways and rivers, move up towards the shore. As the water retreats and the rainy season approaches, the floating villages move inland to take shelter along the riverbanks. The people, living around and on the lake, have developed housing suitable for this unique setting. There are very tall houses on traditional stilts, floating houses resting on bamboo and boats used as homes for the poorest fishermen. About 80,000 people inhabit the lake itself in over 200 floating villages, many of which have been established for more than 100 years. The inhabitants of south of Siem Reap change houses depending on the season. They occupy stilt houses in the rainy season when there are 6 to 8 meters of water, then leave them and build small temporary huts closer to the water when the lake's water level drops and the village empties out. Three million Cambodians depend on the lake for fishing and agriculture in the floodplain. Until the end of 2000, vast areas of the lake, or lots, were allocated to wealthy bidders, preventing small and medium-scale fishermen from getting full access to Tonle Sap's resources. The system is now being restructured. This extraordinary process makes the Tonle Sap Lake one of the world's richest sources of freshwater fish. Millions of migrating fish arrive with the rising water and provide livelihoods to about 1 million people living in the area. The culture of Tonle Sap Lake continues to sustain centuries-old traditions, offering a rare, unrefined glimpse into one of the more undiscovered sides of Cambodia. Gliding through the rather murky waters, you can view what life is like in what most would consider to be the complete opposite to their current way of life. Houses range in size from small houseboats of approximately 45 square meters to larger ones, roughly 121 square meters. Women glide from boat to boat, selling dried foods and other meats. Men fish off the shores. Children play and learn just the same as anywhere else, well, almost. The one downside to the water is the restraints it puts on playtime. So for these schools, the playground is enclosed. Life along Tonle Sap Lake moves at a different pace and in different ways, but is no less hardworking or full of life. Tonle Sap floating villages provide a humbling opportunity to view a way of life many wouldn't otherwise know. This opportunity is remarkable and highly recommended, as it's not yet overwhelmed by visitors, like many other more famous attractions in Cambodia. Many of the floating villages are populated by ethnic Vietnamese, who just might be distant relatives of the Cham warriors who came up the Mekong to fight more than 800 years ago. These villages are almost entirely self-sufficient, with floating sawmills, metal shops, and grocery boats. A water world, where children are born, raised, and sometimes die without ever having set foot on land. Few countries on Earth can match the cultural highs and lows that Cambodia has experienced in the last millennia, a history of disparity spanning the pinnacle of civilization to the darkest depths of humanity. That Cambodia is now back on the world's cultural stage is a tribute to the endearing and enduring qualities of the Khmer people, its most priceless legacy. Built upon a fabled past of triumph and tragedy, the culture is one of contradictions and paradoxes that fuse together to create a unique character. Like its history, the foundations of Khmer cultural society are a unique blend of divergent influences. Khmers have been exposed to more than most and have chosen the precepts which suit them best. With thousands of years of expression and emotion, the culture of Cambodia is magnificent and guaranteed to astonish.