The ruins of Angkor, a huge tourist drawcard for Cambodia, have been looted for centuries. Photo: Supplied theage.com.au
Robert Turnbull, Siem Reap, Cambodia
July 7, 2008
THERE is no question that Angkor and its famed temples are among the world's archaeological treasures, providing a window into the Cambodian dynasty that flourished there from the ninth century to the 15th century.
But tourists who flock to the site in north-west Cambodia say something is missing; few artefacts remain to help them imagine the customs and rituals of the ancient empire.
Many antiquities were looted over the centuries or appropriated by museums in France, the country's former colonial ruler. Of those that remained, many were moved to Cambodia's National Museum, more than 300 kilometres from Angkor.
Now, a Thai company says it is trying to tackle the problem, opening a museum that borrows artefacts, including nearly 1000 Buddhas, from the National Museum and elsewhere.
But the Angkor National Museum, which opened in October last year, has drawn criticism from powerful detractors, including restoration specialists. Angkor was restored by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (UNESCO), and others after the wars of the 1970s.
Some quibble with the museum's aesthetics — it includes a sprawling retail area — and with its sense of history. There are hundreds of Buddhas, for instance, that date back no further than the 20th century. Other critics object to the Thai involvement; Angkor was once under Thai control, and Cambodians remain suspicious that Thailand retains designs on their patrimony.
One critic, Darryl Collins, an historian based in Siem Reap, said the displeasure of some Cambodians was understandable. An enterprise that is foreign-led and "primarily interested in turning a profit", he said, can hardly be called national, particularly as Cambodia already has a National Museum.
Angkor National Museum was created by Vilailuck International Holdings, based in Bangkok. Under the terms of its contract with the Cambodian Government, the company agreed to transfer control of the museum to the Government after 30 years in exchange for the right to display treasures from the National Museum and from the Conservation d'Angkor, a national trove of some 6000 artefacts.
The Thais involved have been stung by criticism of the museum, which Vilailuck spent $US15 million to build. "We want to educate Cambodian people about their own history," said its managing director, Sunaree Wongpiyabovorn. There are those "who know little about its monuments, and even less of the progress of Buddhism and what led up to it", she said.
UNESCO, which has declared Angkor a World Heritage site, is generally supportive of the museum and is trying to help by providing advice. Still, Azedine Beschaouch, an adviser to the organisation, agrees with some of the criticism. An expert on Angkor, he is no fan of the retail area that Vilailuck calls a "cultural mall".
The museum insists that it needs more time to develop its identity. Its curator, Cambodian Chann Charouen, plans to rotate artefacts and bring in new pieces from Cambodian provincial museums. It remains to be seen whether the museum will embrace the growing scholarship around Angkor or be content to lure tourists stopping to see the knick-knacks of the cultural mall.
NEW YORK TIMES
Robert Turnbull, Siem Reap, Cambodia
July 7, 2008
THERE is no question that Angkor and its famed temples are among the world's archaeological treasures, providing a window into the Cambodian dynasty that flourished there from the ninth century to the 15th century.
But tourists who flock to the site in north-west Cambodia say something is missing; few artefacts remain to help them imagine the customs and rituals of the ancient empire.
Many antiquities were looted over the centuries or appropriated by museums in France, the country's former colonial ruler. Of those that remained, many were moved to Cambodia's National Museum, more than 300 kilometres from Angkor.
Now, a Thai company says it is trying to tackle the problem, opening a museum that borrows artefacts, including nearly 1000 Buddhas, from the National Museum and elsewhere.
But the Angkor National Museum, which opened in October last year, has drawn criticism from powerful detractors, including restoration specialists. Angkor was restored by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (UNESCO), and others after the wars of the 1970s.
Some quibble with the museum's aesthetics — it includes a sprawling retail area — and with its sense of history. There are hundreds of Buddhas, for instance, that date back no further than the 20th century. Other critics object to the Thai involvement; Angkor was once under Thai control, and Cambodians remain suspicious that Thailand retains designs on their patrimony.
One critic, Darryl Collins, an historian based in Siem Reap, said the displeasure of some Cambodians was understandable. An enterprise that is foreign-led and "primarily interested in turning a profit", he said, can hardly be called national, particularly as Cambodia already has a National Museum.
Angkor National Museum was created by Vilailuck International Holdings, based in Bangkok. Under the terms of its contract with the Cambodian Government, the company agreed to transfer control of the museum to the Government after 30 years in exchange for the right to display treasures from the National Museum and from the Conservation d'Angkor, a national trove of some 6000 artefacts.
The Thais involved have been stung by criticism of the museum, which Vilailuck spent $US15 million to build. "We want to educate Cambodian people about their own history," said its managing director, Sunaree Wongpiyabovorn. There are those "who know little about its monuments, and even less of the progress of Buddhism and what led up to it", she said.
UNESCO, which has declared Angkor a World Heritage site, is generally supportive of the museum and is trying to help by providing advice. Still, Azedine Beschaouch, an adviser to the organisation, agrees with some of the criticism. An expert on Angkor, he is no fan of the retail area that Vilailuck calls a "cultural mall".
The museum insists that it needs more time to develop its identity. Its curator, Cambodian Chann Charouen, plans to rotate artefacts and bring in new pieces from Cambodian provincial museums. It remains to be seen whether the museum will embrace the growing scholarship around Angkor or be content to lure tourists stopping to see the knick-knacks of the cultural mall.
NEW YORK TIMES
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