On the Mekong River, just north of Phnom Pehn is Silk Island, home to a village almost entirely devoted to raising silkworms and making fine silk. The silk is spun, dyed, and made into scarves, table linens, and dresses by hand using hand-made looms and discarded bicycles. The island also has a very colorful Bhuddist temple.
Phnom Pehn is the capital of Cambodia. Near the center of the city is Wat Phnom, a small Buddhist temple in a park circled by busy streets. The Imperial Palace is a series of beautiful buildings, built centuries ago in wood and rebuilt in stone during the 19th century. It also contains the tomb of the late Prince Sihanouk. The Fine Arts Museum contains many ancient stone works from the early centuries of the Khmer empire.
The ruthless genocide conducted by Pol Pot killed over 2 million Cambodians, primarily from the urban centers. They were often held in jails such as S-21, a former high school. After torture and interrogation, many were taken to one of the many killing fields outside the cities then killed and buried in shallow mass graves.
Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of several temple complexes in the Angkor Temples Archeological site. The area served as the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled most of South East Asia for more than 600 years (802-1432). Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century, initially as a Hindu temple, and then alternated between Hindu and Buddhist, depending on the preference of the emperor. The four central towers are built to resemble a closed locust flower.
The wall carvings depict historical events of the emperors, including battles and parades. They were carved after the blocks had been put in place.
The East gate of Angkor Wat.
The Bayon Temple was built in the late 12 or early 13th century as the temple of a Buddhist emperor. It's distinctive characteristic are the massive faces on all four sides of its 49 towers.
A much smaller temple than either Angkor Wat or Bayon, the Banteay Srei temple is often considered the jewel of the Angkor temple complex. It was built in the late 10th century from a hard red sandstone that can be carved like wood. The result is beutifuly detailed carvings on the exterior and interiors of the buildings.
Ta Prohm is one of the most visited temples at the Angkor site. It was built in the late 12th or early 13th century originally as a Buddhist monastery. It was abandoned in the 17th century, at the end of the Khmer empire. It has been maintained in mostly the same conditioned as it was when located by French explorers in the 19th century. It is believed that after it was abandoned, birds dropped seeds on the buildings, allowing trees to grown on, in, and through the temple walls.
