|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By
: Ann Creevey, Picture Courtesy of Krousar Thmey.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
he site of the permanent exhibition
near the gates to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. A traveling
exhibition is expected to get on the road very
soon.
|
| |
|
The waters
of the Tonle Sap Lake support millions of Cambodians.
They are rich in fish, their flood planes support
rice and other crops, and the waters that flow into
it down the Siem Reap River are home to the gods
of Phnom Kulen.
Now a new exhibition organized by non-government
organization Krousar Thmey specifically about the
Tonle Sap Lake will travel the country helping Khmers
understand just how pivotal this massive body of
water is to their culture.
"Between 1970 and 1991, for 21 years, there
was no communication between people here,"
Krousar Thmey communications manager Florent Combeaux
explained. He said continuing civil war followed
by massive displacement of the population disrupted
the way Khmers learn about themselves and their
country.
Khmers have traditionally passed information down
from generation to generation orally and local people
keep local traditions and folklore alive. "After
1991 we were faced with children who had grown up
in refugee camps who had to be taught how rice grew
_ they thought it came out of UN |
|
|
emergency ration
bags. People there lost an enormous amount of heritage
in that period," he said.
Krousar Thmey believes that exhibitions like this are
a tool which can be used to help people here re-appropriate
their culture.
The organization first initiated a traveling exhibition
along these lines in 1994.
The aim is to provide information in an accessible, user-friendly
format, not only to Cambodians but all visitors, for free.
The 1994 exhibition, "Cambodia, a people, a culture"
was visited by more than 125,000 children before it finally
settled permanently in Battambang, Cambodia's second city,
about 290 kilometers north of Phnom Penh and now receives
an average of 70 visitors a day. |
|
Krousar
Thmey is expecting at least as many people to view
the Tonle Sap exhibition.
Krousar Thmey translates as New Family in English.
The NGO is probably best known for its child welfare
programs.
"But Krousar Thmey actually operates in three
key areas," Mr Combeaux said. "Child welfare,
educational and schooling support and cultural and
artistic development."
All projects are run by Cambodians for Cambodians.
Of the organization's 180 employees, only four,
who provide assist in overseeing financial and communications
areas, are not Khmer.
"For this project, we enlisted the help of
former students of the Royal University of Fine
Arts," Mr Combeaux said.
About 20 boards at the exhibition provide visitors
with information about the area in Khmer, French
and English.
Drawings, maps, pictures and text tell visitors
about everything from the ecological resources of
the region to legends and religious beliefs associated
with it.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
Some of the models on show at
Krousar Thmey’s
Tonle Sap Lake exhibition.
Left: Students visiting the exhibition learn how
vital the lake has
traditionally been to their culture.
|
| |
|
There are
also videos and interactive displays.
The exhibition is a way to help people in the rediscovery
of their culture and through that their own identity.
"This is a whole way of life. Millions of people
live off this lake," Mr Combeaux said.
Although Krousar Thmey especially hopes children
visit this exhibition, and will run transport from
local schools in each area the display stops at
so local children can visit it more easily, the
organizers also value adult participation.
"It's important to get adults involved for
their own realization and to dispatch the message
to young Khmers," Mr Combeaux said.
Tourists and expatriates are also very welcome and
the display provides an informative supplement to
a visit to Angkor Wat. Water and irrigation was
at the heart of the Angkorean empire and the elements
of water and religion are inextricably mixed in
any study of Angkor.
The Exhibition on the Tonle Sap is currently on
display in Siem Reap. It is located about 150 meters
before the ticket booth for the Angkor complex,
on the right hand side.
It is free and opens daily.
In the coming months, a second, mobile exhibition
is expected to visit provincial towns including
Kampong Cham, Pursat, Battambang, Poi Pet and Sisophon. |
|
|
| For further information
regarding the exhibition or Krousar Thmey, telephone 023
366 184 or 023 880 503 or visit the Krousar Thmey website
at http://www.krousar-thmey.org. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Previous
Article |
Next Article
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
|
|
|
|
|
Read
Leisure By :
