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This section covers many valuable resources on Cambodia such as the travel guides or tips to travelers. Some of the topics contain links to the other related sites of similar subjects. In certain topic, we include lists of useful contacting address for your information.

Cambodia
Fact File:
Country Name:  The Kingdom of Cambodia
Country Name in Khmer language: Kampuchea
Motto: Nation - Religion – King
Capital City: Phnom Penh
Language: Khmer (Cambodian). Some English, French.
Government: Multy-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Important/Major Cities: Siem Reap (Gateway to the temples of Angkor). Sihanoukville (port and beach town). Battambang, Kampong Cham.
Major Rivers/Lakes: Tonle Sap River, Mekong River, Bassac River, Tonle Sap Lake
Ethnic Groups: Khmer (90-95%), ethnic-Chinese, Cham, ethnic-Vietnamese, several ethnic-minorities in the northeast.
Boring Countries: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam
International Airports: Phnom Penh (PHN), Siem Reap (SEP)
Religion: Theravada Buddhism (95%), Islam, Christianity, Animism.
Population of Cambodia: 14.2 million (est.)
Land area of Cambodia: 181.035 km2
Land area of Siem Reap: 10.299 km2
Currency: Riel (US$1=4200R). US dollars are as commonly used as riel
Voltage: 220v/50Hz
Time: GMT +7 hours
Country Calling Code: 855
Internet LTD: kh
Business Hours: 7:30-11:30 / 2:00-5:00 Closed Saturday afternoon and Sunday.
 

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Travel Guides » A Closer Look at Cambodia
Cambodia is now at peace, but the shadows of wars are long. The horrors of the Khmer Rouge years are being exorcised slowly. Life in Cambodia is changing gradually. Children are going to school again, and families are living together in peace. The arts and crafts of Cambodia have also been revived.
 
The coming of peace, the reinstatement of the king, and the grandeur that is Angkor have had an impact on people’s lives and hopes. Increased numbers of tourists are coming to see Angkor Wat, and elegant hotels are being built. Cambodia needs the money from tourism, but it is not clear how tourism will change the daily lives of the people.
 
With Pol Pot’s death in 1998 and the impending trail of surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, Cambodians may finally be able to put the destruction of the past thirty years behind them. Poverty still plaques the country, however, and buried land mines threaten the lives of Cambodians daily.
 
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat was one of the greatest monuments built by the Khmer kings, who at one time controlled much of mainland Southeast Asia. It was designed by King Suryavarman II’s architect, financed by war, and built from a wax model by artisans, workers, and slaves, who transported huge stones in three thousand oxcarts. The entire complex took thirty-seven years to build.
 
The Story of the Stones
The stones of Angkor Wat tell endless tales. They speak of richness and war, of kings and their laboring people, and of artists and dancers. The measurements and placement of the buildings at Angkor Wat – the moat, the lengh of the stone wall, the height of the towers – are precise and have magical and cosmic meaning to the Khmer. The original towers were probably covered in gilt and topped with banners and other decorations of religious significance. The stones themselves were richly carved and colored. Inside the walls of Angkor was a whole city, the heart of ehich was the palace. The king rarely left the palace and was believed to have magical powers that protected him and his kingdom.
 
The “Discovery” of Angkor
Four hundred years after Angkor was invaded and sacked by the Siamess, Angkor Wat and other Khmer sites were almost hidden by the jungle. Some temples were used for worship over the centuries, but most were left to invasion of jungle creepers.
 
In an age of exploration, Westerners interest was fired by descriptions of a magnificent ruined city deep in the jungles of Cambodia. In the 1860s, French naturalist Henri Mouhot stumbled upon the ruins of Angkor and brought back to France delicate watercolor paintings of the romantic city. Until the 1970s, French archaeologists and experts were mainly responsible for rescuing Angkor from the jungle.
 
Many of the treasures of Angkor were removed for safekeeping. Some are displayed at hte National Musuem of Arts in Phnom Penh. Beautiful statues, pieces of reliefs, carvings, and atatues of the Buddha have made their way to musuems in France and collections around the world. A great deal of ancient Khmer art, however, has been smuggled out of the country and sold to private collectors.
 
Conserving Angkor Wat
The temples of Angkor are fragile and need protection from the jungle, art thieves, and the harsh effects of the weather. They also deed continual expert restoration.
 
The sand foundations of the temples have subsided, and water has seeped in. The soft sandstone itself has become crumbly with age. Bat droppings corrode the inner walls, lichen attacks the stone structure, and the roots and branches of giant strangler figs and ceiba trees entwine around, in, and through cracks, eventually pulling apart whole walls.
 
Angkor Wat was listed by the Unites Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage site in 1991.   
 
Buddhism in Cambodia
The Khmer have been Buddhist since the time of Angkor. Buddhist monks have often been involved in politics. In 1942, two monks were arrested for preaching anti-French sermons. The arrests sparked the first demonstrations of Cambodian nationalism. The Buddhist Institute and its newspaper also played an important role in Cambodia nationalism.
 
In 1975, there were 3,000 monasteries and 64,000 monks. Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge banned all religion in Cambodia. Most monks were executed during the Khmer Rouge years, and many temples were destroyed or used for other purpose, such as storing grain.
 
The temple was the seat of learning in Khmer culture and was the only place that the written Buddhist teachings were taught. Monks were often the only literate people on a village. Until the 1970s Monks taught Cambodians to read and write.
 
Unlike those who become novice monks for a short period, learned monks have a long history in Khmer culture. They are often skilled not only in the Buddhist scriptures but also in such arts as astrology and healing. By their way of living, monks demonstrate the ideal Buddhist way of life. Monks are usually present at all important ceremonies.
 
Wat Ounalom
Wat Ounalom in Phnom Penh is the most important temple in Cambodia. Wat Ounalom was built in 1443 to create a sacred place for a hair of the Buddha. Before 1975, five hundred monks lived there, but the Khmer Rouge attacked the temple killed the patriarch. Most of Wat Ounalom has been restored, and it is still the headquarters of Cambodian Buddhism.
 
Buddhist Celebrations
Most Khmer celebrations are connected to important dates on the Buddhist calendar. Pisakh Bochea, held in April, is the anniversary of the birth, death, and enlightenment of the Buddha. Chol Vassa, anther major festival, take place in July, this is when the penitential season begins for monks, who remain inside temple compounds until September. The end of the penitential season is celebrated with offerings to monks.
 
Temple processions are colorful and often feature large puppet figures and bright costumes. Now that peace has come to Cambodia, people have been repairing the wats and giving them fresh coats of paint. Shops everywhere sell pink Buddha statues, incense, joss sticks, and other items used for prayer.  
 
Children at Work
With a per capita income of $700 US a year, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world. All over Cambodia, boys and girls younger than ten years of age work alongside adults as farmers, fisherman, street vendors, porters, factory workers, plantation workers, and housemaids. Children cost less to hire than adults, and many have to work to provide for their families.
 
School versus Work
Child labor is a growing problem in Cambodia, where many children cannot afford to stay in school. Books and school supplies are too expensive for many families. School buildings are often in poor condition and are too far away for children who live in isolated villages. As a result, many people decide they cannot send their children to school. Instead, children are sent to work to provide food for the family.
 
The Working Child
Children work full days in brick and cement factories, in rubber plantation, at construction site, and as stone cutters. At one fish-processing plant, children work from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Some children work part-time selling food, newspapers, and other market items. Many other have jobs in small restaurants, where they are paid low wages and work long hours. Young girls often work as maids in households. Young boys are found in all sorts of occupations, such as driving commercial boats on the Tonle Sap.
 
Growing numbers of children work in dangerous conditions and do heavy work meant for adults. Some of these children work alongside their parent. Not all occupations are harmful, however. For example, some children who work as tour guides at Siem Reap use the money they make to help pay their school fees.
 
Local and international organizations have started programs to help Cambodia’s working children, especially those who are orphans or homeless. These organizations are also trying to influence the Cambodian government to enact more laws to protect children.
 
Cyclos, Boats, and Oxcarts 
Much of the road network in Cambodia was severely damaged during the war. Outside towns, boats are used during the wet season, while oxcarts are used during the dry season. Harvested crops are piled onto oxcarts and transported to mills. Ferries, buses and trains are often packed with people and goods.
 
Trains are often overflowing with people on the roofs and hanging out the doors. Until recently, they were a frequent target of Khmer Rouge guerrillas and bandits. The two main railroad lines from Phnom Penh which extend to Poi Pet at the Thai border and to the port of Kampong Som, are in need of repair.
 
City Travel
City streets are riddled with holes and craters and in need repair or reconstruction. In Phnom Penh, many cars have appeared since the country’s first democratic election in 1993. Most of these new cars belong to foreigners and to wealthy upper class business people in the cities.
 
The favorite mode of travel in the cities is by motorcycle, or by hiring a cyclo or moto. Cyclo is the French word a bicycle rickshaw. The cyclo rider pedals his bicycle, pulling along his customer. Cyclos are cheap, and passengers can bargain with the rider for a satisfactory price. A faster way of moving around is by moto, or motorbike taxi.
 
Water Travel
Where roads are damaged, the most important form of transportation in the country is still by river. Boats, ferries, and ships ply the waters of the Mokong and the Tonle Sap. Passengers travel in small boats. Large vessels transport commercial goods, such as timber, agricultural produce, foodstuffs, and household goods, to and from Phnom Penh. The most important domestic ports are at Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham.
 
Disappearing Forests
in 1992, the world Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, described Cambodia as the green lung of Southeast Asia. In 1965, over 75 percent of the country was covered with forest. Now, only 40 percent of Cambodia is forest land. If the current rate of deforestation continues, many fear almost all of Cambodia’s forests could disappear early in the twenty-first century.
 
How has this come about, and what does it mean for Cambodia and its people? Much of the deforestation is due to unrestrained and, often, illegal; logging. The forests of Cambodia are also disappearing because of development and settlement. Land is cleared for agriculture and for the construction of houses. Firewood is a source of fuel for many Cambodian homes because most do not have electricity. The chief culprit, however, is large scale logging.
 
The business of Wood
Neighboring countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam, need a great deal of wood for many industries, especially construction and furniture. With the political instability in Cambodia for the past ten or more years, it has been relatively easy to obtain forest logs cheaply and ship them out for a good profit. Some Khmer Rouge leaders, government officials, and logging companies from other countries have combined to chop down and remove valuable trees with great speed for generous profits.
 
All the partners in this business make a great deal of money, but almost none of it goes into the Cambodian economy. The rapid loss of Cambodia’s forest cover is its most serious ecological issue. A change in weather patterns has occurred as a result of deforestation, and the delicate ecosystem of the Mekong and the unique fisheries of the Tonle Sap have beep greatly affected.  
 
Deforestation has caused the loss of valuable topsoil, as well as an increase in the number of landslides, which have destroyed houses and killed many people. Furthermore, the soil that is washed off is silting up rivers, making them shallower and contributing to heavier flooding. As the Tonle Sap’s mangroves silt up, the lake’s fish species are gradually losing their only spawning grounds. Deforestation is also stripping away the habitat of numerous species of flowers, plants, and animals. The disappearing forests also affect the tribal people who worship the spirits of the forests.
 
The Sun Bear
The sun bear is one of the many animals whose habitat is threatened because of deforestation. Sun bears, named for the yellow crescents on their chests, are also in danger because they are sold for Chinese medicine in illegal markets. The government began a protection program in 1995 to prevent the sun bear from becoming extinct. In 1999, the first sun bear born in captivity showed that breeding could save the species.
 
The flooding of the Tonle Sap
The Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Southeast Asia, lies at the heart of Cambodia. Over the centuries, much of Khmer history has revolved around the Tonle Sap. For six months of the year, the lake increases in size until it occupies nearly 3.7 million acres (1.5 million hectares) of Cambodia’s land area.
 
The Retreat of the Waters
In spring, the monsoon rains swell the Makong River so much that water flows uphill into a tributary and into the Tonle Sap. From June until the end of the wet season in October, the lake expands and becomes an inland sea. When this happens, the surrounding forests are partly submerged and hundreds of species of fish spawn and breed amid the underwater roots and trunks. This unique ecosystem also supports a large number of bird species that feed in the fish.
 
A large proportion of Cambodia’s population earns a living from the lake through farming and fishing. The seasonal flooding brings with it many species of freshwater fish. When the water retreats, it leaves a rich alluvial residue around the shores, enabling rice cultivation.
 
Biosphere Reserve
In recognition of its biodiversity and great cultural and economic value, Tonle Sap was named a Biosphere Reserve by UNECSO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1997. Biosphere Reserves have been established throughout the world in an effort to find ways to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with an ecosystem’s sustainable use. Threatened species include several bird species, the clouded leopard, civets, the Siamese crocodile, and spotted cats.
 
The water festival
The Water Festival dates back to the twelfth century, when King Jayavarman VII and his navy defeated waterborne invaders. This festival is celebrated with dragon boat races in Phnom Penh. At the end of the celebration, the king commands the waters to retreat.
 
Heavenly Dancers
Apart from Angkor Wat, the most famous symbols of Cambodia are apsaras, or heavenly dancers. Hundreds of these dancers are carved on the temple walls at Angkor. Their real – life counterparts in Angkor were so famous that the conquering Siamese took the dancers back to Siam as part of their war booty. It was thought that their dancing was so perfect that gods and humans were in harmony during a performance.
 
The Ram Vong
The Khmer express themselves in a folk dance called Ram Vong (ram – vong). In the ram ving, people of all ages dance in a line to the beat of a drum, using their hands as much as their legs. With the advent of television, folk dancing is less common today, but it is still popular at festivals.
 
The Revival of Dance
The revival of Cambodian dance is a heroic tale. Cambodian dancers almost vanished during the Pol Pot era, many dancers and musicians were killed because they were connected to the royal court. Surviving members of the Royal Ballet taught dance to Cambodian children living in horrendous conditions in refugee camps in Thailand. In 1981, the National Dance School reopened to train a new generation of recruits, many of them orphans.
 
Dancers are trained from the age of six for a repertoire that includes romances and epics such as the Reamker. Children of all classes are accepted into the Royal Ballet dance troupe. They are taught special exercises to loosen their joints. They must learn the movements while their limbs are still supple. Cambodian Ballet dancers can bend their fingers back to their wrists!
 
Dancers are usually women, but there are now some male dancers and characters. The dancers perform barefooted and the movements of hands and feet are significant. Dance costumes are richly embroidered expert dancers wear sumptuous silk and velvet costumes that have to be sewn on before every performance. For some roles, glittering headdresses and masks completed the ensemble.
 
Khmer New Year
In Preparation for the New Year
The Khmer New Year is one of the main celebrations in Cambodia. The Cambodian year begins in mid-April and is based on the lunar calendar-that is, it is linked to the cycles of the moon, not the sun. April also signals the end of the harvest, when most Cambodians, who are farmers, can relax and enjoy themselves. The exact starting date of the New Year is set by an astrologer. During the New Year celebrations, the people thank the departing demi-god of angel and welcome the incoming one. A small altar is set up in front of each house. Horoscopes and predictions are also made for the coming year.
 
Families begin preparing for the New Year weeks before the festival. Houses are cleaned and scrubbed thoroughly to remove bad or unclean spirits still lingering inside the household and causing mischief. Lengths of silk or other fabric are bought to make new clothes.
 
The Three Days of New Year
New Year celebration last for three days. The first day, called Maha Sangkran, is the entry into the New Year and is signaled by the ringing of the bell or the rhythmic beating of the drum at the Buddhist temple. The bell ringing is a signal for the new angel to arrive. Plates of food are taken to the temple for the monks, and most people attend New Year service, where they chant Buddhist prayers with the monks. Special dishes, such as peanut curry, are served on the first day. 
 
Games are played throughout the first day, creating a merry atmosphere. One activity that children particularly enjoy is throwing buckets of water over each other and everyone else! Passersby are drenched in honor of the New Year.
 
The next day, Vana Bot, takes on a more serous tone. This second day of the New Year is a time for more praying, for showing respect for one’s elders, and for being charitable to the less fortunate. Children give parents, grandparents, and teachers gifts. People offer charity and forgive others for misdeeds.
 
New Year festivities end on the night of the third day, called Loeung Sak. Buddhist monks bless small sand hillocks that people have built around the temple grounds. People wash statues of the Buddha with perfumed water to bring good luck, long life, and happiness. The washing of the statues also symbolizes the hope for sufficient rainfall during the next rice harvest.
 
The Killing Fields
The Khmer Rouge era, also known as the Pol Pot era, was the darkest period of modern Cambodian history. Cambodia cannot be understood without knowing about the “experiment” the Khmer Rouge performed on their own people. Today, Cambodians remember the hunger and fear. They mourn the loss of mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers, as well as the disappearance of teachers, artists, musicians, doctors, and dancers. Their temples and mosques were destroyed, and their ancient manuscripts and libraries burned. An estimate 1.5 million Cambodians were killed or died from hunger or overwork during Pol Pot’s rule. In the killing fields, or mass graves where victims were tortured and killed, the skulls and bones of these victims remain.
 
The Dark Year, 1975 – 1979
When the Khmer Rouge defeated the Lon Nol government and marched into Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975, many welcomed the end of the five-year civil war. The leader of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, wanted to wipe out all traces of the old Cambodia and start a new society. Khmer Rouge soldiers forced everyone on the cities to leave their homes and walk into the countryside.
 
People were divided into camps and had to work as farmers and laborers in return for food. Life was strictly ordered and “social equality” was enforced. The people were ruled by the central Khmer Rouge organization, the Angka, and had to obey every order. If they did not obey, they were cruelly punished or killed.
 
The Annihilation of Culture
Many of those who were killed were educated people, such as teachers and monks, and people who had authority in the old regime. Educated or talented people had to disguise their identities and abilities to survive. One such person was Dith Pran, a journalist. His story of hardship and survival was made into an award-winning film, the Killing fields.
 
Toul Sleng
Toul Sleng was a school that was taken over by the Angka and turned into a center for torture and interrogation. All of the prisoners taken there were accused of some “crime” against the Angka, to which they had to write a confession. Almost everyone who was taken there was executed even after confessing to crimes they did not commit. Most of those who were brought to Toul Sleng were themselves Khmer Rouge, including leaders whom Pol Pot wanted to eliminate.
 
Choeung Ek Genocidal Center
Choeung Ek Genocidal Center is a unique and special place which reflects the most barbarous and cruel crime committed by the Ultra Communist Khmer Rouge Regime during 1975 – 1979. Here about 20.000 people including foreigners were executed and murdered. Obviously, 129 mass graves and about 8.000 human skulls at the site bear testimony to this unspeakable crime, in order to remember the spirits of victims at the site and as well as over 3 million victims throughout the country, a Memorial Charnel was built in the center in 1988.
 
Land Mines
One of the most long-lasting and horrific effects of Cambodia’s long period of war is that Cambodia is now one of the most heavily mined counties in the world. Land mines were planted by all factions in Cambodia’s civil and guerilla wars. Cambodian armies obtained mines and weapons from other countries. The land mines are concentrated in the northwest, especially in the Battembang province, one of the most important agricultural areas before the war. An estimated 1,390 square miles (3,600 square km) of land in Cambodia is mined. Most of the mines were deliberately planted to make the land impossible for use by each side’s opposition.
 
A Land of Victims
Hidden in the fields, land mines exploded when someone steps on them or when a field is plowed. The mines are designed to maim their victims, but they are powerful enough to kill. Small children step on them or play with them unknowingly, and many victims have had limbs amputated. In 2002, 841 people were injured or killed by mines in Cambodia, about one – third of them are children living in the countryside.
 
The Cambodian Mine Action Center
Various overseas charities have set up to help Cambodian craftspeople make inexpensive artificial limbs, which are normally made from wood. Mine clearing has been going on since 1990, but it is a costly and slow process. Experts estimate that it will take one hundred years to clear Cambodia land of all the mines. Experts are trying new methods, including the use of dogs to sniff out explosives. In dangerous areas, warning posters are put up, but mines are often planted in unexpected areas. In 1995, the first Mine Awareness Day was held to educate the people about mines.
 
The Cambodian Mine Action Center is the only Cambodian institution looking at the entire problem. It is responsible for mine marking, mine clearance, mine information, and mine clearance training. The United Nations has provided funds to help Cambodia eliminate its estimated 4 – 6 million mines and other unexploded devices. Its goal is to reduce the number of mine – related injuries and return the land to the farmers to live on and cultivate crops. 
 
Magic, Spirits, and Faith Healers
Cambodians of all faiths tend to believe in and invisible world of ghosts, spirits, and magic. Cambodian Buddhist and Muslim beliefs are closely interwoven with these older practices. When Cambodians are ill or facing crises, they seek the help of the spirit world. The spirits are appeased by items, such as fruit and food, placed in shrines, but often Cambodians enlist the help of a medium or faith healer. It might appear that the Cambodian villagers’ belief in this rich world of spirits is the real religion of the Khmer, but Buddhism, Islam, and other religions play important roles in the lives of the Khmer as well.
 
The Spirit World
Cambodians believe in several types of spirits, which show themselves through strange noises or happenings. There are ghosts, nasty demons, evil spirits (usually female), animal guardians, and neak ta (ne – ak – tah), or ancestral spirits. Ancestral spirits live in the forests, hills, or trees. Each village has its resident spirit, and villagers often leave offerings of fruit and food in front of a roughly hewn stone taken from the spirit’s dwelling place.
 
Good spirits must be shown respect, or they may cause mischief. If a child does not provide food for the spirit of his or her dead mother, for example, the spirit may cause misfortune to the child.
 
Of Achars and Krus
Various kinds of people help meditate between the real world and the spirit world: a kru, or spirit healer, an achar, or ritualist a thmup (tee-moop), or witch, and a rup areak (rup – ah – re – ak), or medium, usually male. A kru is often a former Buddhist monk with considerable prestige and power. He or she is a kind of alternative medical practitioner, curing illnesses with charms, amulets, and magic potions.
 
The achar is a master of ceremonies who attends births, weddings, and funerals. The rup areak is a medium possessed by supernatural beings with whom he communicates. Mediums are often important in the psychological and spiritual healing of Cambodians whose family members have died unnatural deaths. Through these rituals, they can “talk” to their family members.
 
Fortune tellers and astrologers are also very important. Many Cambodians consult them before making major decisions, such as marrying or building a new house. Many Cambodians believe in the power of magic amulets and charms. Khmer soldiers often wear amulets to ward off bullets when they are in battle.
 
Markets and Stalls in Cambodia
Everything under the Sun
Almost anything can be bought or sold at a Cambodian market. In every town, farmers, artisans, wholesalers, fisher folk, and others gather at markets to sell everything from food to electronic goods to rare gems. Most Cambodians cannot afford to operate permanent shops. Many are farmers who need to be in their fields for most of the year. People rent small spaces in markets or spread their good on a cloth. Many transform their oxcarts into mobile stores. These mobile stores ravel from place to place, stopping wherever there are interested buyers.
 
Something for Everyone 
Most market stalls are run by women. Cambodian markets are busy, noisy, and colorful places. The larger markets in Phnom Penh and other towns, such as Battembang and Siem Reap, are livelier versions of modern shopping complexes. Smaller markets may sell only food or specialize in one product. For example, the Olympic market in Phnom Penh sells a lot of electronic goods and bicycle parts. Some markets are mainly for wholesalers – that is, they sell large quantities to shopkeepers or distributors who have stalls or shops elsewhere. Every market has food stalls.
 
The Central Market
Perhaps the most famous market building is Phnom Penh’s Central Market. Also called the New Market, the Central Market was built by the French in 1937. From the outside, this huge market, painted in dark yellow, looks something like a Babylonian ziggurat. Inside, it is divided into sections filled with shops selling all kinds of goods: checkered cloth scarves, household goods, antiques, flowers, gold and silver jewelry, and food. Other popular markets in Phnom Penh include the Olympic Market and Russian Market.
 
Some markets sell decorative, luxury, or souvenir items for local buyers and tourists. Items such as real or fake antiques, miniature reproductions of Angkor Wat, Buddha, and silk cloth are often sold by craftspeople.
 
Markets are not just places to buy produce and other goods; they are also places where women and men meet to catch up on the latest news.
 
Phnom Penh        
Phnom Penh has had a colorful history dating back to the mid – fifteenth century. In 1434, the Khmer nobility started a new capital in Phnom Penh, but it never achieved the grandeur of Angkor. However, its location at the meeting point of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap allowed it to become a center for trade. The port received goods, mostly from China, which were shipped in through the Mekong Delta.
 
The Sights of Phnom Penh
The principle sights in Phnom Penh are Riyal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, Wat Ounalom, the National Museum of Arts, and Wat Phnom. The Royal Palace was built by the French in 1884.
 
The Silver Pagoda was originally built by King Norodom to enshrine royal ashes. It was rebuilt by Sihanouk in 1962 to replace the old building. The floor of the pagoda is made up of 5,000 silver blocks. In the center of the pagoda is an emerald statue of Buddha and a golden Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds. King Norodom, acting in the fashion of a typical god – king of Angkor, had the Buddha cast with own height and measurements.
 
Modern Phnom Penh
In the 1960s, Phnom Penh was a beautiful city, with its broad boulevards, its riverside setting, and its mixture of elegant French colonial architecture and Khmer temples. During the Vietnam War, refugees swelled the population in Phnom Penh to almost 2 million. Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge turned Phnom Penh into a ghost town. Many people were killed, while others were forced out of the city. Today, most of the people living in the city moved there from the countryside.
 
Most of the French colonial buildings and old houses in Phnom Penh are crumbling. Public health facilities are in poor condition and many other facilities and buildings need repair, but the city and port are bustling again. With the revival of the Cambodian economy, Phnom Penh now has the possibility of regaining its former prosperity and charm.
 
Rice Growing
The bowls of rice that Cambodian peasant families eat at every meal are the products of months of hard work and patience. Most family members participate in some way in the processes of sowing, harvesting, or storing the rice. The rice grains are usually not fully polished and thus have a pinkish or off – white hue. Families often sell the best rice, while keeping the broken grains for themselves.
 
The growing of rice has been a central part of Cambodian culture and life for centuries. The ability to cultivate crops of rice in the flood plains of the Mekong and its tributaries helped bring about the great Khmer civilization.
 
From the Seeding to the Grain
Rice is a difficult crop to grow because there are several stages, from planting the seeding to harvesting the rice. Each stage is a delicate and careful process. Rice seed is selected from the previous harvest or bought from a dealer. It is then soaked overnight before being sown into a carefully prepared nursery bed.
 
The nursery bed is often the richest land in the farm. After a month, the seedlings are carefully uprooted and transplanted; oxen, cows, buffalo, or tractors plow and turn the soil. The fields are muddy, and each plant is manually pushed into the soil in neat rows. The work requires a farmer to stand bent over for ling periods of time; this is probably the hardest part of the rice growing cycle. 
 
Rice plants need a constant supply of water throughout the growing phase. The water supply is controlled by dikes and irrigation systems. Farmers have to watch the maturing crop carefully and guard it against pests, insects, birds, and other enemies. A farmer may move his entire family into the fields so that they can all keep an eye in the crop/
 
Rice harvesting is also hard work. Traditionally, farmers in a village would get together to harvest their crops. After harvesting, the stalks of rice are threshed to separate the grains from the stalks. Then the rice is brought back to the village to be stored in a barn. Once the harvest is in, the festivals begin!
 
Weavers of Art
Cloth woven in Cambodia ranges from everyday cotton to unique works of art used in ceremonies. The head scarf, or krama, is the most common cotton garment worn by Cambodians. Cotton sarongs (sah – rohngs), or wrap-around skirts, are worn daily. Silk sampots (sahm – pots), loose – fitting garments wrapped around the waist, are worn by women on special occasions. Shimmering silk has always been a feature of Cambodian dress. Traditionally, brides would weave silk garment for their grooms, the brides herself would change her silk outfits many times during the three – day wedding. Charabap (cha – rah – bap), the most luxurious silk, is actually a tapestry woven with silver and gold thread for important ceremonies, such as those held at the royal court.
 
Silk Weaving
Silk is woven in many areas of Cambodia, and each province is known for its particular designs, colors, and techniques. In times past, weaving villages could be identified by the mulberry bushes surrounding them. Silk is spun from the cocoons of silkworms that eat mulberry leaves. Color – fast dyes and silks are now imported from Vietnam and China, but efforts are underway to revive the traditional processes that produced fine, textured cloth of rich hues. The lengths of silk sold in markets in Phnom Penh are mostly from the Takev and Kampong Cham provinces. 
 
Entire families work together to weave silk. In the home of a silk weaver, daughters begin learning the simple tasks when they are seven or eight. First, they learn to dye the silk threads and help to weave simple sampots. To become master weavers, students attend a school at Phnom Penh, where they learn to mix natural dyes and create complex patterns. Stripes, elephants, fish eyes, and jasmine flowers are some common motifs.
 
The most exquisite silks are made by famous weavers, who produce these cloths when they are specially ordered, often as prestigious gifts. These elaborate works of art use only the finest threads and natural dyes and can take months to complete.
 
Silk Customs
The wearing of silk follows age-old customs: bright purples, yellows, and reds are for younger women, and deeper colors are older ones. In the past, sumptuary laws restricted particular types of clothing, fabric, or patterns for the exclusive use of royalty. This meant that only those of royal blood could wear the finest woven silks. Today, officials attending ceremonies at the Royal Palace still follow the traditional practice of wearing different colors on different days.