Increasingly, tourists are also visiting other areas of Cambodia, including the capital Phnom Penh, the southern beaches, and the islands in the Gulf of Thailand. As Cambodia has emerged from >20 years of political and economic turmoil, the Angkor temples have become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. ![]() Restorations commenced as international visitors began to arrive, but the emergence of the Khmer Rouge regime, and the ensuing decades of civil war, halted most tourist travel to the site until the late 1990s. After the decline of the Khmer Empire, the site was largely abandoned to the surrounding jungle, and remained virtually untouched until descriptions of the ruined temples of Cambodia were published in a journal in the late 19th century. These historical structures were decorated with intricately carved Khmer artwork depicting Hindu and Buddhist themes, providing an archaeological portrayal of the empire that ruled much of Southeast Asia for 5 centuries. The temples were built between the 9th and 14th centuries AD at the height of the Khmer Empire and were part of the empire’s capital (Angkor means “capital city” in Khmer). The Angkor temple complex, located 6 km (4 miles) north of Siem Reap, is considered one of the architectural wonders of the world and in 1992 was designated a World Heritage site. Many tourists to Cambodia visit the Angkor temple complex (which includes Angkor Wat), a collection of approximately 1,000 ancient temples and other structures covering 400 km 2 (250 square miles) in the northwestern Cambodia jungle ( Map 10-20). Thigpen, Dora Warren, Grant Ludwig DESTINATION OVERVIEWĮvery year, >5 million international tourists travel to Cambodia.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |