Cambodia has a rich and old cultural legacy, though it has suffered badly in the past twenty-odd years, when the barbarism and terror of the Khmer regime has inflicted terrible damage on the country as a whole. Perhaps the luckiest survivor of the civil war was the amazing temple complex of Angkor Wat, a brilliant example of Khmer architecture and sculpture at its finest. There are other examples, of course- most of them can be seen in the museums in Phnom Penh, and many forms of art still survive. Scour the markets, and you’ll find exquisite jewellery, beautifully woven cloth, woodwork, papier maché and silverware- all made with an innate aesthetic sensibility.
Of course, handicrafts are not the only expression of Cambodian culture- you’ll also see it in the grace of native dances that are accompanied by chants and music. You’ll see it in the carefully prepared food, rich with herbs and spices, at even the poorest of roadside stalls; and you’ll see it in the exuberance with which festivals like the Khmer New Year (Chaul Chnam) are celebrated. Yes, Cambodian culture may have suffered because of the war in the country, but it isn’t dead- and it’s on the road to recovery.ง