Cambodia, where is it here?
The full text has a total of 9053 words | It takes 11 minutes to read
Here it is
Cambodia
The media reports are intimidating
One of the strongholds of human trafficking and online fraud
(From Cambodia-China Times)
"Telecom fraud and human trafficking in Cambodia...
has had a serious impact on economic and social development"
Historians in the eyes of human history
The site of one of the massacres
(From American historian Kenton Kramer)
▼
"Comparable to Nazi Germany"
(Jonyike Massacre Memorial Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, photographer @ Xiao Wenkai)
▼
In the mouth of an international journalist
A place abandoned by modern civilization
(From a 2012 book by American international journalist Joe Brinkley)
▼
"More than three-quarters of the population still lives the same life as they did a thousand years ago"
(Please view horizontally, Cambodian river house, photographer @ Liang Jie)
▼
However, a thousand years ago
But this is where the first country in Southeast Asia was born
The dynasty that came out dominated Southeast Asia for 5 centuries
The largest temple complex in the world - Angkor Wat
So exquisite and magnificent, even in the mouths of French scholars
(from the 19th century French naturalist Henri Mouaud)
▼
"More imposing than what Greece or Rome left us"
(Angkor Wat under the rising sun, image source @ Visual China)
▼
So brilliant, so depraved
One can't help but ask
What really happened in Cambodia?
01
The most fertile land
As a Southeast Asian country
Cambodia opens with "King Fried"
First, what we call Southeast Asia
It actually consists of a mainland and an island
The continental part is the most vast
Because it is located in southern China, it is known as the "Indochina Peninsula"
Cambodia is on it
(Indochina Peninsula countries, mapping @ Gao Liqian/Planet Institute)
▼
It's a land of life
Numerous mountain ranges stretch out in a north-south vertical line
Several rivers split the mountains and valleys and rushed south
Among them, the Lancang River from China went abroad
Renamed "Mekong"
It stretches across the peninsula
With a length of 2711 km became
The longest river in Southeast Asia
(The length of the Mekong River above only refers to the length outside the country, please view horizontally, the Mekong River in Cambodia, photographer @ Chen Jianfeng)
▼
The Mekong River travels south and enters Cambodia
It is surrounded by mountains on the north, east and west
It's like a big pot
The mountains in the southwest are the most precipitous
The highest peak "Aura Peak" is 1813 meters above sea level
Become the highest point of the entire country
(Farmers living under the cardamom mountains in Cambodia, named for the rich production of herbal cardamom, image source @ Visual China)
▼
In the middle of the basin is the largest freshwater lake in all of Southeast Asia
A vast plain shaped by Tonle Sap Lake
Further south, there is the delta that has been alluvial by the Mekong River
The terrain is low and flat, and the land is fertile
It is surrounded by mountains
The fertile soil formed by the central great lakes and rivers
The earliest Cambodia was born
(Illustration of Cambodia's topography, cartography@Gao Liqian/Planet Institute)
▼
The water is abundant and the climate is hot and humid
Extremely easy to grow food
Tonle Sap Lake is also like a natural "regulator"
The rainy season is from May to October every year
Water from the Mekong River pours into the lake
Expand the lake's surface to 10,000 square kilometers
Nourishes a large number of fish and shrimp
It still provides 60% of the protein for Cambodians
(Rain at sunset on Tonle Sap Lake, image source @ Visual China)
▼
During the dry season, the lake feeds back into the Mekong River
The surface of the lake shrank sharply, exposing large areas of silt
It is a good field for grain to grow
(Cambodia Water Festival dragon boating, water delivery festival is an important traditional festival in Cambodia, every year around November, Cambodia enters the dry season, Tonle Sap Lake water feeds back to the Mekong River, it is the season of fishing and rice harvest, photo source @ Visual China)
▼
How fortunate Cambodians are
They possess this "heavenly granary"
No need to fight
It was possible to survive on nature very early
No one knows when Cambodia's earliest inhabitants appeared
Where it comes from
Archaeological finds only tell us
As early as 4200 BC
They already know how to make pottery
(Children on Tonle Sap who have been dealing with boats since childhood, prehistoric Cambodians and today's Cambodians are very close in physique, photographer @ Lu Yuchun)
▼
Many of the habits of the prehistoric Cambodians continue to this day
They live in tall wooden houses raised above the water
I knew how to fish, raise cattle, and grow rice very early
Worship earth gods and water gods
This is the premise that brings them everything
(Cambodian Tonle Sap Lake Stilt House, photographer @ Ping Tiger)
▼
The surroundings are not without danger
Cambodia has a hot and humid climate, and poisonous snakes are often infested
The venom of snakes is violent, and the fecundity of snakes is extremely strong
It was a powerful creature in people's minds at that time
People fear it and worship it
Thus evolved into Cambodians
An auspicious omen of faith to this day
(Sculpture of the snake god Naga at Angkor Wat, Cambodia, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Cambodia at this time was still very primitive
People do not wear clothes, there are no words, no laws, no country
All this was started by Indian visitors
Around 50 AD
An Indian adventurer crosses the sea
Arrival in Cambodia
After defeating the local natives who tried to kidnap him
He married the chief's daughter and inherited the chief's kingdom
This is the origin of Cambodia, which is widely spread
More Indian merchants then arrived here
Through religion and marriage
The more advanced Indian culture was quickly embraced by the locals
Indian Sanskrit became the official script of Cambodia
(There are several versions of this legend, the details are slightly different, the picture below is a Sanskrit stone carving of Cardamom Temple, photographer @ Lao J)
▼
People wear outfits with distinctive Indian characteristics
Eat with a spoon and right hand
Carry goods with your head
Behaviours are very similar to those in India
(Cambodian vendor, photographer @ Ji Haifeng)
▼
The religion brought by the Indians
Brahmanism
It soon became the dominant faith in Cambodia
It divides people strictly into four classes
The barriers between classes are clear and insurmountable
Incarnation of Lord Shiva, one of the main deities of Brahmanism
Linga statues are widely worshipped
(Cambodian linga is like a male genitalia carved from stone, which is an expression of Shiva's "regenerative power", the picture below is a stone sculpture in Lychee Mountain National Park, mapping @ Feng Yizhuo / Planet Institute, image source @ Visual China)
▼
In Brahmanism, the sacred mountain "Mount Meru" evolved into the worship of high mountains
They built palaces on high hills
The leader called himself the "King of the Mountain" and was the embodiment of the gods
In the ancient Khmer language, Zhongshan is called "bnam"
The Chinese messenger then gave the chief the honorific name
Describe the country as a mountain kingdom - "Funan"
(Cultural relics unearthed from the ruins of Oe, Vietnam today, many scholars believe that this is the seaport of the Funan Kingdom, image source @ Visual China)
▼
The center of the kingdom is on the lower Mekong River
The water network here is dense and prone to flooding
The royal city then built an extensive drainage irrigation system
Agriculture is guaranteed, and the population is gradually prospering
Funan is the earliest country in Southeast Asia
In the 6 centuries after the beginning of the AD
Its sphere of influence spans the entire Indochina Peninsula
Not only received Sun Quan from the Three Kingdoms
He also concluded diplomatic relations with the Indian dynasty
The great power later fell into civil strife over the throne
The northern vassal state of Chenla took the opportunity to invade
In the 8th century
The nearby island of Java is a fierce foreigner
He also plundered and smashed the royal city
The Cambodian king was even captured
Submit to Java
The mountain kingdom has been torn apart
But it's a good foundation
Already for the advent of a golden age
The overture was composed
02
The most powerful era
802 AD
Nearly 50 years have passed since the Anshi Rebellion of the Tang Dynasty
A great empire in China is coming to an end
In Cambodia, a powerful kingdom is beginning to emerge
This year
A Cambodian royal family captured by Java
Returned to his homeland
He put an end to the turmoil in one fell swoop
Subjugation of the divided lands
Break Cambodia out of the shadow of Java
This time, the new king will be the capital
Moved north to north of Tonle Sap Lake
That is, the Angkor area today
There were mountains where he could build temples
There are also abundant fish and shrimp in the Great Lake and rice from the plains
Enough to feed a large population
For hundreds of years thereafter, the capital remained near Angkor
Later generations referred to this period as the Angkor Dynasty
(Mount Curom, one of Cambodia's sacred mountains in northern Angkor, where the new king once held a sacrifice ceremony, marking the beginning of the Angkor dynasty, image source @ Visual China)
▼
In order to ensure a regular harvest of rice in rain and drought
Cambodia's irrigation system has been upgraded again
The dynasty built many large reservoirs to store rainwater
The largest one in the reservoir
The capacity has reached 53 million cubic meters
As a result, agriculture developed rapidly
In some areas, rice can be harvested three to four times a year
(Sibale Lake is the largest reservoir during the Angkor period, mapping @ Feng Yizhuo/Planet Institute, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Food is plentiful and the population is growing
The national strength of Angkor flourished
The kings then embarked on another major project
Build statues and temples
It was at this time that the style and tradition of Cambodian architecture were formed
It was the reign of the third king of Angkor
He ordered six masonry towers to be built
The tower houses statues of his parents and ancestors
In order that the souls of our ancestors may live forever in the "immortal Eucharist"
This group of buildings was built in the 9th century AD
Also known as the Preah Ko Temple
Although not on a large scale
The carvings are extremely exquisite, far beyond any previous building
It started the tradition of building temples within moats and walls
This is the Khmer architectural style that has continued since then
(Holy Cow Temple, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Not only that, but this king was built
The first pyramid-shaped temple in Angkor
Bakong Temple
A temple built on top of towers
It is the "Mount Meru" where the gods in Brahmanism live
Also known as "Temple Mountain"
The tradition of building Temple Hill has continued for hundreds of years, starting with the establishment of Angkor
Unlike the reservoir or the Holy Cow Temple
Temple Hill was reserved for the king and became a mausoleum after his death
(Bakong Temple, photographer @ Lu Yuchun)
▼
This is the earliest major complex of the Angkor dynasty
The erection of statues and temples became characteristic of the Angkor dynasty
They come in a variety of forms and have distinctive characteristics
thereinto
Wat Preah Vihear, Cambodia's highest hilltop temple
Standing on the edge of a cliff on the Cambodian-Thai border
Take a leisurely look at the kingdom's changes
(Preah Vihear Temple, 525 meters above sea level, its ownership has repeatedly caused fierce disputes between Thailand and Cambodia, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Prasat Thom on the outskirts of Angkor
It has seven floors and is 35 meters high
With the ambition of heaven, it reflects the power of the king
(Prasathorn Temple, photographer @ Zhu Zhiyong)
▼
The Queen's Palace is known as the "jewel of Angkor art"
Made of pink sandstone
It is especially outstanding in the gray-black Cambodian architecture
It is famous for its large number of fine female reliefs
(Queen's Palace, photographer @ Flat Tiger)
▼
11th-first half of the 12th century
The Angkor dynasty reached its peak
Warlike King Suriyavarman II
He led an expedition to Vietnam and attack Thailand
Greatly expanded the territory of the kingdom
The buildings built by such a majestic lord are naturally more grand
He recruited a large number of laborers
A group of magnificent temples were built on the south side of the royal capital
This is the famous Angkor Wat
(Aerial photography of Angkor Wat, you can clearly see the entire layout, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Angkor Wat covers an area of nearly 163 hectares
Including monasteries, mausoleums, observatories
In the center is still a pyramid-like tall temple hill
Five pagodas stand on the temple hill
The tallest one is 65 meters tall
The outermost side is a moat about 200 meters wide
The building is magnificent and the reliefs are exquisite
It is the largest temple complex in the world today
Probably the most beautiful relic of the Angkor dynasty
(Angkor Wat, image source @ Visual China)
▼
However, the shadow under the glory has loomed
Years of conquest and construction consumed a lot of national strength
Not only is there a rebellion in the country, but neighboring countries are also about to stir
East of Cambodia there is an ancient country called Champa
Its area is much smaller than Cambodia
He was a defeated general of the Angkor dynasty
But this time it seized the opportunity of Angkor's civil unrest
Capture the Mekong Delta and trace the river
In 1177 AD, the capital Angkor was captured
The occupation ruled Cambodia for four years
(Please view horizontally, the Cham ruins of My Son Holy Site in present-day Vietnam, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Fate did not abandon the Angkor dynasty
Just then, another leader who saved the crisis appeared
Shé yé bá mó VII
"Varman" means "protector" in Sanskrit
And he did take on that role
He organized a well-trained army to fight back
Not only restored Angkor, but also occupied Champa territory
This king actively expanded his territory
Created the largest territory in Cambodia's history
It is bordered by the South China Sea to the east, Myanmar to the west, and the Malay Peninsula to the south
It even covers southern Vietnam, Thailand and most of Laos
It was the most powerful country in Southeast Asia at that time
(Illustration of the territory of the Angkor Dynasty, cartography @ Gao Liqian / Planet Institute)
▼
The capital of Angkor, which had been looted, was dilapidated
To avoid being hacked again
Jayavarman VII was determined to rebuild an impregnable city
This is the famous monument that we can still see today
Greater Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom is a regular quadripartite city
There are thick walls that stretch for three kilometers on each side of the east, south, and northwest
The height is 8 meters
There is also a moat about 100 meters wide outside the city walls
Enough to daunt any enemy
(Angkor City Gate, photographer @ Wang Xinchao)
▼
Five stone causeways cross the moat
Enter the city through five tall gates
The meeting place is the center of the kingdom
Bayon Temple
(Bayon Temple, photographer @ Poon Wei Kwong )
▼
This is a group of huge temples second only in size to Angkor Wat
It consists of a pyramid-shaped temple and 54 four-sided towers
Each side of the four-sided pagoda is carved with a huge Buddha face
The Buddha statue has a serene expression and a slight smile
Its mystery can't help but be explored again and again
This is what is known all over the world
"Khmer smile"
(Khmer Smile, photographer @ Jason the Beard)
▼
The picture of a magnificent dynasty is now fully revealed
Its capital defense is impregnable
Its water conservancy facilities are precise and effective
It has a vast territory and a large population
Enemies who dare to provoke are subservient
However, the shadow has not disappeared
Instead, it is getting bigger and bigger
No great power can withstand such frequent military construction
Taxes and servitude for civilians are increasing
The king's theocracy is no longer strong
People began to doubt the Brahmanism they once believed
Was the king really the embodiment of a god?
Can it really protect the people?
This crisis of faith intensifies
And sudden decades of drought
Another blow to the agricultural kingdom
Water conservancy projects to ensure grain production are useless and lack maintenance
The Khmers began to experience the vagaries of rainfall
If prosperity needs to be built gradually
Defeat will come like an avalanche
The Thais in the north of the Angkor dynasty invaded in a big way
Occupied a large part of Cambodia's territory
They were established in the Chinese history books
The kingdom known as "Siam (xiān) Luo"
The former Cambodian city of Sukhothai became the royal capital of the Thais
(The reasons for the decline of the Angkor dynasty are still debated, this article refers to some mainstream views in the academic community, the picture below is the ruins of the ancient city of Sukhothai, photographer @ Xue Fei)
▼
The Thais constantly attacked Angkor
The "impregnable" royal city failed to stop the enemy army
Twice captured
thereupon
Conversion, climate change, peasant uprisings, foreign invasions
It was as if sparks kept descending on this huge empire
Finally started a sky-high fire
Burn its prosperity to the ground
1432 AD
The reigning king took refuge from Siam
Abandon Angkor
The capital was moved to the south, where the Funan Dynasty was once located
The capital is Phnom Penh
The Angkor dynasty ended
The darkness caused by dark clouds that can entrench over the Khmer
It's just beginning
03
The heaviest clouds
Return to Cambodia by the sea
Develop maritime trade by virtue of geographical advantages
But for the next three centuries
It struggles for royal power within the country
Externally, it has never been possible to shake off the threat of a strong neighbor
Siam has repeatedly interfered in Cambodia's internal affairs
Even sent troops to support the king's candidate
For the first time in Cambodian history, a puppet king under Siamese control appeared
Cambodia is not without struggle
King Anzan, reigned in 1516 AD
At one time Cambodia was revived
Lead an army to defeat the invading Siamese by the river in Angkor
A village near the battlefield was therefore named "Siem Reap"
It means "conquered Siamese"
Later, it became a famous tourist city in Cambodia
(Please view horizontally, Siem Reap landscape, image source @ Visual China)
▼
However, this accomplished King of Anzan
It was quickly overthrown by troops from eastern Cambodia
These areas are backed by a new force
Another neighbor of Cambodia, Vietnam
This is tantamount to scheming with the tiger
Vietnam is narrow and densely populated
Cambodia's fertile soil has long coveted
More than 70 years from 1699 to 1775
Vietnamese whales devour cannibalization
It completely occupies Cambodia's fertile Mekong Delta
This is a fatal blow to Cambodia
The Mekong Delta is also an outlet to the sea
The Vietnamese strangled Cambodia's trade with the sea
A new trade center was built
This is Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam today
Cambodia, which had lost its sources of trade, quickly became impoverished
For the next 200 years, he was trapped inland and isolated
(Ho Chi Minh City, hundreds of years back, is still the territory of Cambodia, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Cambodia in the 18th and 19th centuries is one example
A history of constant enslavement invasions by Thailand and Vietnam
The most typical event is this
In 1817, the Vietnamese recruited tens of thousands of Cambodians to excavate
A canal to the Gulf of Siam
Thousands of Khmers died during this period
Yongji Canal
Become a symbol of Vietnamese enslavement of the Khmers
(Vietnam Vinh Ji Canal, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Mid-19th century
The rivalry between Thailand and Vietnam over Cambodia has intensified
That's when new entrants appeared
France
French missionaries came to Cambodia very early
50s of the 19th century
The king of Cambodia was exhausted in order not to be eaten by the Thai Vietnamese
Choose to turn to France for help
In 1863, Cambodia signed a treaty with France
Logging and mining rights in exchange for protection
So, not a single shot was fired
French colonial rule in Cambodia began
The French began the construction of the colony
The capital Phnom Penh is close to the great river and the sea
Suitable for being transformed into a business center
Little by little, French blood is pumped into this Cambodian city
A large number of French-style buildings appear in the streets
(French architecture on the street in Phnom Penh, photographer @ Ai Bin)
▼
French bread has become the most daily breakfast for Phnom Penh people
(Baguette sold in a carrot basket in Siem Reap Market, photographer @ Lu Yuchun)
▼
They even built Cambodia's first high school in Phnom Penh
Sent dozens of talented students to study in Paris
It is hoped that they will return home to serve the colonial government
One of the students, Pol Pot, lived up to expectations
The consequences of the day set off huge waves in Cambodia
However, at this time, it is still decades before he appears
France is not a protector of mercy
They gradually took control of Cambodia's administrative, judicial, and financial powers
They even appointed and dismissed kings at will
Pro-French came to power, and those with independent tendencies were removed
In 1941, the reigning King Moniwang died
The French chose a named one
Members of the royal family of Norodom Sihanouk succeeded to the throne
He is only 21 years old and has no independent tendencies
It's a good candidate
(Sihanoukville circa 1946, image credit@wikimedia Commons)
▼
However, France looked away this time
This is not a weak king
During Sihanouk's reign
Maneuvering in Japan, the United States and other forces
Fight for Cambodia's independence
Finally, November 9, 1953
Due to the complex international situation and pressure from all sides
Cambodia is in front of the royal palace in Phnom Penh
A grand handover ceremony was held
France's nearly 90-year colonial rule in Cambodia came to an end
November 9 becomes Cambodia's national holiday
(Cambodian Independence Monument, photographer @ Ai Bin)
▼
Cambodia's successful independence raised Sihanoukville's prestige to the pinnacle
The people loved him so much that they called him a "national hero."
He relied on personal prestige
This gave Cambodia 15 years of political stability
During this period, he relied on his manifesto to maintain independence and resist imperialism
Win China's friendship
(Prince Sihanouk led a Cambodian national delegation to visit China from February 13 to 21, 1956, photo source@wikimedia Commons)
▼
Chinese-aided factories laid the foundation for Cambodia's industry
Cambodia gradually popularized education and prospered economically
It was the "golden age" that many people would miss many years later
Cambodia's bright future seems to lie ahead
However, thousands of cheering Khmers did not expect it
This hope, this joy, turned out to be so short-lived
(Cambodia Zhuoreding Cement Co., Ltd. was one of the early factories in China, photo source @Zhuoreding Cement Co., Ltd. official website)
▼
This period was also the Cold War period of confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union
American forces gradually invaded Cambodia
To oppose US interference
In 1965, Sihanouk severed diplomacy with the United States and refused foreign aid from the United States
This inevitably affects the domestic economy
Sihanouk's enemies began to stretch out their tentacles
In 1970, Sihanouk took advantage of his visit abroad
Pro-American domestic forces staged a coup d'état to oust Sihanouk
Sihanouk had nowhere to go but to go into exile in China
For the people of Cambodia
Like a thunderbolt on a sunny day
How could the god-like Sihanouk be overthrown?
Uprisings broke out in many provinces
Sihanouk took the opportunity to form an alliance with the Communist Party of Cambodia
Jointly oppose the new government
This was the organization that came to be translated as "Khmer Rouge."
Pol Pot, a student studying in France mentioned above
It was one of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge
Western ideas had a great impact on him when he was born in a feudal country
He questioned the meaning of the king's existence and threw himself into the revolution
(Pol Pot's article published when he was a student, cartography @ Feng Yizhuo/Planet Institute)
▼
For the next few years
There was constant war between the pro-American government and the Khmer Rouge
The pro-U.S. government's military is poorly trained and corrupt
The Khmer Rouge continued to win wars
In 1973, in order to support the pro-American government
The United States even had the greatest power against the Cambodian countryside where the Khmer Rouge was strongest
Massive bombing was carried out
(U.S. military bombing of Cambodia, about 150,000 Cambodians died in the bombing, mapping @ Gao Liqian & Feng Yizhuo / Planet Institute)
▼
None of this, however, prevented the Khmer Rouge from winning
April 17, 1975
This force occupied Phnom Penh and Cambodia was liberated
Countless people's nightmares began here
The Khmer Rouge in power tried to start a fight
"Extreme and crazy" communist experiments
Thus changing the backward Cambodia
The first is the "physical elimination of the bourgeoisie"
A large number of businessmen and intellectuals were imprisoned in concentration camps for forced reform
A considerable number were executed
Some were slaughtered simply for wearing glasses or watches
The second is to break down the social hierarchy divided by individualism and religion
Factories and shops were all owned by the state
More than 2 million urban people were driven into the countryside for farming
People work extremely long hours
It lasts from 5:30 in the morning to 10:30 in the evening
Cambodia's economy and society have collapsed
People lose all schools, books, private property, freedom of movement
There are more than 1 million people in the country — one in every four
Died of exertion, disease, hunger and political persecution
This is a horrific massacre in the history of the world
Cambodia was completely stained red with blood
(On February 15, 1981, the Khmer Rouge guerrillas of the Pol Pot regime rode "war elephants" through the jungle of western Cambodia, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Eventually overthrew the Khmer Rouge
It is the feud of Cambodia Vietnamese
Christmas 1978
Vietnam sent 200,000 troops to invade Cambodia
The Khmer Rouge nightmare came to an end
A new government supported by Viet Nam has emerged
The political situation in Cambodia remains turbulent
Three anti-Vietnamese factions were established among the people
They are constantly fighting
The holes that tear Cambodia apart
More than 10 million mines have been buried in the ground
Forest fields become deadly dangers
(A Cambodian disabled by landmines with his son, image source @ Visual China)
▼
Factions fight openly and darkly, day and night
In the end, it was up to the international community to mediate the conflict
Cambodia became the first country to be briefly taken over by the United Nations
(People celebrate the signing of the Paris Peace Agreement in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, October 24, 1991, image source @ Visual China)
▼
In 1993 everything seemed to have improved
Cambodia is under the watchful eye of the international community
The different parties shook hands and formed a coalition government
Under the surface peace, the dark tide is still surging
There are many contradictions between the political parties that have been forcibly "matched"
Even so
Cambodia still ushered in rare independence and peace
The ruins of Angkor bring it millions of visitors every year
Low labor has won it orders for garment processing in Europe and the United States
Traditional agriculture provides it with the same nutrition it did thousands of years ago
Clothing, tourism and agriculture continue to nourish Cambodia's economy
2011-2018
Cambodia's economic growth rate has remained above 7%.
(Major export market for Cambodia's garment industry and main source country for tourism, cartography @ Fung Yi Zhuo/Planet Institute)
▼
A whole new Cambodia was born with difficulty
The clouds seem to be dispersing
However, has Cambodia really gained a new lease of life?
04
The most vague truth
We may find the answer in Cambodians
In this traditionally agrarian country
Land is still the basis for most people's survival
However, the output of land has not increased
Cambodia a thousand years ago
With the ingenious irrigation works of the Angkor dynasty
Rice can be harvested 3-4 times a year
And Cambodia in 2009
There is no formed irrigation system
Relying on the sky for food, the average harvest is only once a year
A deputy governor of Cambodia
Contrast Angkor with the present after exclamation
(From Cambodia: The Cursed Nation)
▼
"I don't have the ability to compare life during the Jayavarman period. But compared to today, the country was very, very developed."
The land itself is even decreasing
A large amount of land was sold to foreign enterprises
The best tree species in Cambodia's forests are cut down and sold
Only bare forests and driven peasants remained
(Many forests were cut down and burned, photographer @Sun Jiubo)
▼
Millennia-old Cambodian civilians received little education
A millennium later, it still seems difficult
Cambodia in 2010
Only 30 per cent of students are still enrolled in lower secondary school
Only 2-3% attend college
More children drop out of school in rural areas
Children who drop out of school enter the factory very early
Become a vendor
Even fall into the demon of prostitution
(Cambodian street business child, photographer @ Zhu Zhiyong)
▼
Realistic hardship
Let people miss the powerful Angkor era even more
The magnificent Angkor Wat serves as a lasting memory
On beer bottles, on cigar packaging, on restaurant signboards, on national flags
Eventually omnipresent
(Angkor Wat pattern everywhere, cartography @ Feng Yizhuo / Planet Institute)
▼
Angkor, Angkor
People call it
The real Angkor is always hidden in layers of fog
Let's go back in time more than 500 years
By this time the Angkor dynasty had declined
The capital had to be moved to Phnom Penh
The ancient city of Angkor that lost its maintenance was soon overgrown with lush vegetation
Hidden in dense forests
(The building of Tabuzong Temple encroached on by tree roots, photographer @ Lu Yuchun)
▼
French scholar Henri Muël in search of tropical flora and fauna in 1861
Reawakened the temple complex in the forest
The magnificent Angkor Wat has since become internationally renowned
French scholars have tried to revive Cambodia's glorious past
It was found that most of Cambodia's history is recorded on the bark of leaves
Already completely rotten in the passage of time
Funam and Angkor mentioned above
Most of them are derived from temple inscriptions interpreted by French scholars
A small number of historical materials from China, Thailand and Vietnam
Cambodian written sources from the first centuries after AD
Almost all are recorded by Chinese
And in the 13th century, the Chinese envoy Zhou Daguan saw what the envoy to Cambodia saw
"True La Customs"
It even became the most important material of this period
French research tells the story of Cambodia's ancient history
They restored the ruins of Angkor and gave Cambodia its most glorious past
For a century
History books about Cambodia
All written by foreigners
Cambodia holds it all tightly, as if it has grasped everything
(Mainstream Cambodian history book source, cartography @ Fung Yi Zhuo/Planet Institute)
▼
However, when the script comes from the outside, the director comes from the outside
Cambodia is like a key actor without lines
Is the truth really what others say?
Civilians in Cambodia
It has disappeared from the historical record
There is no life of the people in the inscription of Funan
The builder of Angkor Wat has no name
There were no victims wailing in the American bombing
What many tourists today say about Cambodians is:
Be humble and gentle, and be content with the status quo
Even if they are one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia
The average salary in 2020 was just $212
Even if they suffer from accidents that happen from time to time
More than 10 million mines buried in the ground
As a result, tens of thousands of people were maimed and killed
(Please swipe to watch, Cambodian smile, photographer @ Li Ruoyu & Chai Jianghui & Visual China)
▼
(Cambodian smile, photographer @)
Many foreign writers portray Cambodians more rigidly
lazy
(From Cambodia: The Cursed Nation)
▼
"Cambodians rest when they grow enough rice to feed their families.
If fertilization doubles the harvest, they will only plant half of the original area."
Does the "Khmer smile" really have the magic of calming people's hearts?
Many people try to decipher
Some say that Brahmanism has convinced Cambodians that birth determines social status
Some say that the prevailing Buddhism advocates "contentment and prosperity."
Some say that from ancient times to the twentieth century, there were no schools in Cambodia
Civilians lack ambition to live a better life
Some people say that the horror of the Khmer Rouge
Let people be passive and not expect any innovation
The face of a Cambodian
Gradually blurred in these debates
They still chant Angkor in the national anthem and reminisce about the past
(From Cambodia's national anthem "Kingdom")
"The inheritance of ancestors is passed down from generation to generation
Lead the proud ancient kingdom
The temple sleeps in the forest
Remembering the glory of the Angkor era"
But Angkor has become a relic of the Relic
Big dreams are a thousand years old
Angkor cannot give answers about Cambodia's future
Cambodia needs to make its own voice
Maybe at that moment
Only then can it see its own way
(Happy children in the Cambodian countryside, image source @ Visual China)
This article authoring team
Written by: Xiang is not like
Image: Qin Nan Design: Feng Yizhuo
Map: Gao Liqian
Reviewer: Xia Ya & Zhou Tianxiu & Chen Zhihao
Cover photographer: Li Yanzhao
Audit Specialist
Professor Duan Lisheng, Sun Yat-sen University