There is more to Siem Reap, Cambodia than the Angkor Temples
The Angkor National Museum is located on the road to Angkor Wat at Vithei
Charles De Gaulle, Phnom Salakanseng, Siem Reap. The Angkor National would be
classified as one of Cambodia's premier museum sites.
Upon entering this very modern museum through the foyer the visitor is
ushered in a briefing room where there is a screen presentation of what the
museum has to offer. It sets the scene for the upcoming journey back into an
ancient civilization, that of the Khmer.
Leaving the briefing room, the visitor enters the Gallery of 1000 Buddha
Images. This spectacular room displays rare Buddha statues and images from all
periods in time and would be one of most prestigious collections you could
imagine. There are images in niches around the interior walls which are
highlighted by the colouring and lighting used.
The floor displays are highlighted by an eye catching antique Buddhist
statue.
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There are a total of seven other galleries which highlight this ancient
civilization by both display and video presentations. The video presentations
are very well done and appreciated by visitors who possibly had no knowledge of
the achievements of the ancient Khmer empire. The galleries blend one into the
other after leaving the Gallery of the 1000 Buddha, with the first two
concentrating on the Pre-Angkor period of the civilization, religion and
beliefs. The roles of the Great Khmer kings are honored in the next gallery with
the 4 kings who formed the Khmer kingdom and who also presented the ancient
cities of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom to the world.
The next two galleries gave an insight into architecture and engineering
tents of the two cities and give the visitor an educational background which
would enhance their experience when visiting the Angkor complex. There is a
large scale model of the Angkor temple area which gives the visitor a useful
reference if viewed before their trip to the temples. The next gallery outlines
the use of stone inscriptions to record how people lived in ancient Khmer
times. The final gallery tastefully painted in earth colors blends in with the
displays of Ancient costume.
To complete the museum experience, the souvenir shop has a selection of
genuine Cambodian arts and crafts available for purchase.
For those whose knowledge of Khmer culture had been limited to the
Angkor temples, this museum is an excellent background resource to visitors.
