Lives, Arts, Streets, & Travel

03 February, 2017

[UNESCO] - Angkor - Part 1 - Rubble Series

LOCATION: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis
Angkor, in Cambodia’s northern province of Siem Reap, is one of the most important archaeological sites of Southeast Asia. It extends over approximately 400 square kilometres and consists of scores of temples, hydraulic structures (basins, dykes, reservoirs, canals) as well as communication routes. For several centuries Angkor, was the centre of the Khmer Kingdom. With impressive monuments, several different ancient urban plans and large water reservoirs, the site is a unique concentration of features testifying to an exceptional civilization. Temples such as Angkor Wat, the Bayon, Preah Khan and Ta Prohm, exemplars of Khmer architecture, are closely linked to their geographical context as well as being imbued with symbolic significance. The architecture and layout of the successive capitals bear witness to a high level of social order and ranking within the Khmer Empire. Angkor is therefore a major site exemplifying cultural, religious and symbolic values, as well as containing high architectural, archaeological and artistic significance.

The park is inhabited, and many villages, some of whom the ancestors are dating back to the Angkor period are scattered throughout the park. The population practices agriculture and more specifically rice cultivation.

Criterion (i): The Angkor complex represents the entire range of Khmer art from the 9th to the 14th centuries, and includes a number of indisputable artistic masterpieces (e.g. Angkor Wat, the Bayon, Banteay Srei).

Criterion (ii): The influence of Khmer art as developed at Angkor was a profound one over much of South-east Asia and played a fundamental role in its distinctive evolution.

Criterion (iii): The Khmer Empire of the 9th-14th centuries encompassed much of South-east Asia and played a formative role in the political and cultural development of the region. All that remains of that civilization is its rich heritage of cult structures in brick and stone.

Criterion (iv): Khmer architecture evolved largely from that of the Indian sub-continent, from which it soon became clearly distinct as it developed its own special characteristics, some independently evolved and others acquired from neighboring cultural traditions. The result was a new artistic horizon in oriental art and architecture.
(Source: unesco.org)

01 September, 2015

[Urban Design] Town Area, Terengganu, Malaysia

LOCATION: Terengganu, Malaysia

THOUGHTS: We had 30 minutes to explore the area before the ferry arrives. Walking around the empty city from the jetty on first day of Hari Raya left trails of buzzing activities from the previous night with many stalls covered with groundsheets. The roads have been modified into one way streets to accommodate smoother traffic. Modern businesses occupy the old shops giving it a unique appeal.

The streets are decorated with artistic features and paintings hidden within the back and side lanes of the shops. The Bazaar Warisan Terengganu is just a stone throw away from Chinatown making this town a unique pot of cultures mixed and co-existing harmoniously.