Apsara I

Wat Bo: Scenes of daily life

Wall painting of ordinary life scene in the vihear of Wat Bo, Siem Reap

Vihear (temple), Wat Bo, Siem Reap, Cambodia

I'm fascinated by the occasional representation of ordinary life that can be found in old Khmer art. Unlike the usual depictions of deities, royalty and religious tales, images of daily life (e.g. bas-reliefs of a market scene on the Angkorian-era Bayon) provide revealing glimpses into common Cambodia, the life that most people of the time knew, but was only rarely recorded for posterity. Though much more recent than the 12th century carvings on Bayon, several scenes of turn-of-the-century French colonial Cambodia are tucked amongst the century-old wall paintings of Siem Reap's Wat Bo pagoda, including the amazing tableau pictured above. Sometimes called the 'market scene,' it portrays several shops and dozens of people, many of them foreigners, involved in activities ranging from hauling water and selling silks to meeting friends and getting stoned.

Panels depicting the Reamker

Wat Bo is one of Siem Reap town's earlier pagodas, likely founded in the 18th century. (Wat Preah Prom Rath, reputedly Siem Reap's oldest, was founded in the 16th century.) The vihear of Wat Bo (the main temple building) is at least a century old, constructed with an old-style segmented roof. Like many Cambodian vihears the interior walls are adorned with paintings, but Wat Bo's paintings are quite uncommon. Instead of the usual scenes from Buddhist lore, the wall paintings of Wat Bo depict the Reamker, the Cambodian version of the classic Hindu epic the Ramayana. It is one of the few Cambodian pagodas to do so, (another being the Silver Pagoda at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.) (Harris, 2005, 'Cambodian Buddhism: History and Practice', pg 90-91.) Even the presentation of the paintings is unique, displayed in quilt-like patchwork, possibly inspired by a shadow puppet presentation of the epic (Giteau, 1975, Iconographie du Cambodge post Angkorien, EFEO.) Unfortunately many of the lower panels have been damaged or even whitewashed over. Scenes of ordinary life including foreign soldiers and French officers at a traditional dance performance are primarily located along the bottom edge of the surviving paintings. The painting of the 'market scene' is placed prominently in the center of the front (east) wall, between the entrance doors, at about eye level.

Monks at Wat Bo estimate the painting to be about a hundred years old, which corresponds well with the costumes depicted. It's about a meter wide and a half-meter tall. Though sometimes referred to as the 'market scene,' it looks more like a street scene to me. The compartments in the upper half are not shaped like market stalls but like shophouses (combined shop and home) that are longer than wide. And though the presence of wares seems to indicate that they are shops, the proprietors also seem to be engaged in homey activities including grooming and smoking. The painting would appear to be a representation of a row of shophouses with proprietors (upper register,) and people passing in the street in front of the shophouses (lower register).

French soldiers from panel on east wall.

The scene appears to be set sometime between 1890 and 1920 and contains at least 34 people (more may have been painted over at the edges.) Each individual is unique and displays characteristics (dress, facial features, activity...) indicative of a particular ethnicity, profession, gender, status, etc. In an effort to understand these individual characters I met with the head monk of Wat Bo pagoda last week, Ven. Chou Lim Leang, who graciously granted me almost two hours of his time to discuss the painting. Though he didn't know the complete story, he was able to identify several characters as well as point out some of the cultural cues and indicators, (e.g. neck scarf and sampot chang kben on males indicating Khmer ethnicity,) allowing some informed speculation.

Like others, the head monk estimated the painting to be about 100 years old. He asserted that it was not a representation of some particular market or street of the time, but was rendered in the spirit, style and even time of the Reamker (or Angkor) with contemporary characters that the artist had seen in his daily life inserted into the scene. Further, that the characters were signifiers of peoples present in Cambodia at the time - Chinese, Indians, Khmer and ethnic minorities. I tend to disagree. The costumes and accoutrements (e.g. umbrellas, guns, clock) are contemporary with the artist. The architecture is not inconsistent with the artist's time. And the presence of Europeans would seem to contradict the notion that these are signifiers from a millennium ago. This is a contemporary scene.

The following descriptions of the various characters from the painting are not definitive but amount more to notes from the meeting with the head monk, talks with other monks and guides over the years, and my own speculation. I have not been able to find any significant writings on this painting but I figure there must be something on it somewhere, most likely in French. If you know of any existing papers or articles, please let me know.


Upper Register

The upper register appears to consist of a row of seven shophouses, each displaying products for sale (mostly silks/textiles), and each shop with its proprietor lounging, presumably waiting for customers and often engaged in some personal activity. Each shophouse is much longer than it is wide (like classic Southeast Asian shophouses) with tile roofs and stairs at the front leading up from the street level to the shop area. Below this register is the street scene in front of the shop houses. Above this register is a completely separate painting, part of the Ramayana story.

A: Female with fan. Selling silks/textiles. Basket or bowl on table. She is most likely Khmer or Chinese..

B: Khmer female with mirror and comb, in the act of combing her hair and gazing into mirror. Selling silks. Both finished silks and silk thread (on hook) on display. Two traditional Cambodian bowls on table. (Bowls of this design are common and can still be found in Cambodian homes.) Regarding her ethnicity, the neck scarf suggests she is Khmer.

C: Chinese male sitting and smoking opium pipe. Selling silks/textiles. The head monk suggested that there are  non-Cambodian patterns on the display silks. Oil lamp (mong son) on table. Octagonal wall clock on wall (note the face of the clock is incorrect) possibly indicating that this is a wealthy man.

D: Indian male sitting and smoking pipe. In 'Siem Reap Pagodas' (2000), Zepp suggested that this individual may be Turkish, based in part on the style of pipe. But the head monk posited that he is Indian, citing eastern dress, facial characteristics (facial hair, "sharp nose") and the presence of Indian traders in Cambodia at the time. Note the similarity between this guy and #4 in the lower register, seemingly of the same ethnicity/nationality. Selling silks/textiles. Two jars on table possibly containing other sales items and/or what ever it is he is smoking.

E: Female sitting. Hair knotted back. Ethnicity uncertain, due in part to the damage to the painting. Selling silks and possibly perfumes/fragrances. Finished silks on display. The monk noted of the patterns on the silks, suggesting Angkor-style flower-in-diamond (p'ka-chan) pattern. Two sets of two bottles each on the table, fluted and ornate design, possibly containing perfume/fragrance.

F: Male sitting and smoking pipe. Ethnicity uncertain. Eastern/Chinese shirt, smoking a southern Chinese, hilltribe or perhaps Burmese pipe (opium, tobacco, ganja?). Facial feature suggesting a possible non-Asian ethnicity. Chinese? Birman? Shan (Khmer-kola)? European? A barang 'gone native'? Selling silks/textiles. Finished silks/textiles on display.

G: Khmer female gazing into hand mirror. Selling silks. Both finished silks and silk thread (on hook) on display. Oil lamp (mong son) and bottle on table. Regarding her ethnicity, the scarf suggests Khmer ethnicity.


Lower Register

The lower register appears to be a street scene consisting of at least 27 people engaged in various activities. Several foreigners are amongst the characters including at least 3 Europeans. Many of the characters are depicted in pairs, walking, working, talking together. In some cases the characters seem placed in contrast to each other, e.g. a pair of fancy city folk next to a pair of hilltribesmen. At least one character at the edge (#1) has been painted over.

1: Khmer (?) male (?). Note what appears to be a sampot chang kben, suggesting Khmer ethnicity. Image almost totally obliterated.
2: Khmer male. Wearing a neck scarf and a sampot, suggesting Khmer ethnicity. Image is badly damaged.

3: Malay male. (Re ethnicity: note the style of hat and a male wearing a sarong.) Carrying a shoulder bag, a large umbrella with an bamboo handle and a ring of objects in the other hand, perhaps bells of keys.

4: Indian male with umbrella. Note similarities to 'D' in the upper register - dress, facial hair/features, pipe. Also see note on ethnicity in 'D' above.

5-6: Pair of Khmer males. Note neck scarf and sampot chang kben, both suggestive of Khmer ethnicity. The monk posited that the umbrellas were a indicator that they are Khmer-Kola (Shan), an ethnic minority group formerly present in western Cambodia.

7: A caucasian foreigner of some sort, likely European. Blond with facial hair. Wearing what appears to be a military uniform, but quite different from the French uniforms which are well represented in Wat Bo wall paintings (see photo of French soldiers above.) The monk suggested the red coat indicated that he is British.

8: Chinese male with shoulder stick and baskets. Note style of shirt and hat.

9: Pair of males. Ethnicity uncertain. The monk noted that the sarongs indicated that they were perhaps Malay or Cham. This pair seems unique. Though most of pairs are touching each another in some way, this is by far the closest, the most intimate embrace of them all. They are turned toward each other and may even be gazing at each other. Could this be a gay couple? Or perhaps the market "catamites" noted in Zhou Daguan's 13th century account of Angkor, 'The Customs of Cambodia'?

11-12: Pair of foreigners greeting one another. Note blond hair and mustache on #11. The monk suggests that #11 is in fact a Khmer official and that the hair color is a deterioration of the paint. I disagree. He looks clearly European to me.

13-14-15: This is either a group of three or a pair (the center and right) and a stand alone individual (the left.) The hats and style of clothing would seem to link them. It has been variously suggested that they are Europeans (based on the bowler hats), French provincial governors, and a group of Chinese men. The first time I saw this painting about 15 years ago, a young monk there specifically said that the left-hand character "is not Charlie Chaplin." I'm not sure why he said that, but once mentioned I couldn't stop noticing the resemblance - the hat, the umbrella, the pants, shoes and dark coat, the seeming little mustache. Chaplin (known as 'Cha-Lo' in Cambodia) was very popular in Cambodia and it is easy to see how someone might come to suggest this is Chaplin, or perhaps even how Chaplin's image could come to be painted on a pagoda wall amongst early 20th century characters.

16-17: Pair of French (?) soldiers, unarmed, carrying walking sticks. Though this painting is in rough shape, there are several good examples of French soldiers on the northern wall, wearing similar but not identical uniforms. (See photo of French soliers above.)

18: Uncertain. Male (?) with shoulder bag, machete (?), and walking stick.

19: Khmer (?) female with water jug (?).

20-21: Pair of hilltribesmen (ethnic minority people) with shoulder stick, carrying wild boar.

22-23: Pair of Khmer males. Note neck scarf and sampot chang kben, indicating Khmer ethicity. The monk suggests that from their dress they appear to be rich and/or city folk, in contrast to the hilltribesmen on either side of them.

24-25: Pair of hilltribesmen (ethnic minority people.) Which tribe might be identifiable by headgear and dress. One carrying a fluted bottle.

26: Uncertain. Male (or female?) carrying umbrella (and fish?). Similar hat and facial structure to 'F' in upper register?

27: Male with shoulder stick, hauling water.

Siem Reap 1995/2013

Filtering through old photos I took of at Angkor in the 90s I found a few of Siem Reap Town I took in 1995. Unfortunately the photos are not in great shape, but good enough for a couple of comparison shots. The April 2013 photos were taken today, standing in the approximately the same spots I did 18 years ago.

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 Wat Bo Road, April 1995. At the time Wat Bo Road had several wooden guesthouses, catering primarily to budget travelers, but there were no hotels or restaurants along Wat Bo.

Wat Bo Road, April 2013.

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Corner of National Route #6 and Wat Bo Road, looking east down Route #6, April 1995. Route #6 at the time was in very poor shape. There were no buses or regularly schedule road transportation from Phnom Penh. It was possible to hire a taxi, but due to road conditions the trip could take 9-14 hours, there were dubious military checkpoints along the way and the KR was still about. Most travelers from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap took the river ferry or the plane. Even the trip from Siem Reap to the Roluos Group (only 13km) was a chore, that stretch of dirt road particularly trenched and pot-holed.

Corner of National Route #6 and Wat Bo Road, April 2013. It's a smooth, paved 5-6 hour drive to Phnom Penh. Buses rule. The river ferry only runs part year now. Roluos is an easy 15 minute drive.

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 Garden House Guesthouse on Wat Bo Road. Fan, bed, net, shared bathroom, $4/night. April 1995.

Garden House Guesthouse on Wat Bo Road. April 2013.

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The Ya Tep Statue in the center of town, in the middle of National Route #6, near the Hotel Grand d'Angkor Park. April 1995. Ya Tep is a neak-ta (powerful spirit) local to Siem Reap and is said to help bring protection (and winning lottery numbers) to the faithful. At the time people told me that she likes "ugly things" and she always used to be surrounded by stinking chicken skins left by worshipers. I haven't checked thoroughly, but these days the offerings seem to consist mainly of incense, flowers and fruit.

The Ya Tep Statue in the center of town, April 2013.

Monks on Film

Monks, Angkor Wat 'library', March 1994

Poverty Song

Click the play button to hear the music: 

Flute song of a blind beggar, Cambodia
(The recording is somewhat on the loud side so prepare to turn down the sound level a bit.)

Check this out on Chirbit

I've heard this sound in the night since I've lived here in Cambodia, especially in Phnom Penh (to listen see above) - the flute song of a blind beggar wandering the neighborhood in the early evening. It's not a common occurrence, but not an unusual one either - a sound present often enough to have become one of the characteristic background noises of this city, (though I've heard it less in recent years - I'm not sure why.) The flute produces an exotic moaning whistle of a distinctly south Asian strain, particularly haunting in the evening when street noise is low and the song echoes clearly through the neighborhood, slowly increasing then fading as the beggar gradually shuffles closer and passes. It rings a sad song to my ear - a plaintive call, alluring in its way, more a pleading cry than a moan.

It is also a song of deep poverty. I don't know if this particular beggar whose song I recorded this evening was trafficked here to beg or is on his own, but either, he was in a poor way. Small and dark with ragged clothing, facially disfigured and totally blind, walking slowly down the street alone (!), playing the flute continuously and hoping for handouts. No doubt doing this same thing, walking and playing and hoping for untold years. When I heard him passing the house around 8PM this evening I went out and took him aside and asked if I could record his song. I wanted to capture this little bit of Phnom Penh - the poverty, the music, the tradition. He never said a word, but understood what I asked, and played for me. 

I recorded about a minute and a half there on the street on my iPhone. At the end I thanked him and gave him $5 with which he seemed happy. I didn't have a functioning camera with me, but I don't think I would have had the heart to take a photo of the guy anyway. He was poor, meek and disabled and a photo of his broken, pitiful form would have felt exploitative. Better to record his attempt at contribution, his music. Still, I wish I could have at least got a shot of the instrument - a recorder-like flute about 30cm long, built of a varnished bamboo body with open tone holes and a bone mouth and window piece.

Veal Preah Man open to public

Now that Royal funeral is over and done, the grounds of Veal Preah Man (a.k.a. Veal Preah Meru), the funerary complex of the late King Father Sihanouk, is open to the public for the first time since it was constructed. The entire complex except the interior of the central crematorium was open today. I don't know how long it will remain open or the hours, but today the guard there told me that it would be open for at least the immediate future.

This entire complex was constructed specifically and exclusively for the funeral of the late King Father Sihanouk. Similar crematoriums were built for previous Kings of Cambodia (including Sihanouk's father King Suramarith in 1960) on this same spot, and then dismantled sometime after the funeral, leaving an open park. I don't know when or if this complex will be similarly dismantled, but assume it will. There was some talk before the funeral that it would be left in place, but it does not appear to be built to last. Much of the construction is just painted plasterboard and in my inexpert opinion wouldn't last long in the rain. If you want to see Veal Preah Man close up and in all its splendor, I think you should visit fairly soon.     

If you happen to be touring Cambodia right now, or have any interest in Cambodian culture or history, this is a absolutely unique opportunity to see a fleeting bit of living Cambodia history.

It is located in on Sothearos Blvd between streets 178 and 184 in Veal Preah Man Park, next to the Royal Palace and in front of the National Museum 

The Cambodia Daily: In Pictures, Cambodia Prepares for King Father’s Cremation
LTO: Funeral of Sihanouk: Final Touches
LTO: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 4, cremation

Cambodia's other New Year

Chinese New Year (Tet) at Wat Phnom is always an amazing experience. I continue to be surprised that so few (if any) foreigners/tourists come to see the scene at midnight. This year I saw 3 besides myself. I've done photo essays of Chinese New Year at Wat Phnom the past couple of years and so won't burden the reader with yet more photos of the coming of the year.  (See Greeting the Dragon at Wat Phnom - 2012 and It's New Year again - 2011.) But I couldn't resist taking a couple of short shaky videos with my iPad, and managed to capture the clamorous scene at midnight.

A few points of note: This was the end of the year of the Dragon (Naga on the Khmer calendar) and the beginning of the year of the Snake, the Water Snake to be specific... The crowd at Wat Phnom was about the same size as last year - a good crowd but still a bit smaller than the crowds of 5-10 years ago... Unlike last year, there were more beggars lining the steps up the hill this year, including a couple of dozen young children. Many people brought stacks of small bills especially for the beggars... Midnight seemed to arrive a little late this year. As I was filming I could hear people in the crowd muttering "midnight already." The clock on my iPad concurred. Yet the gong was not sounding. About a minute later the bell clanged, people cheered and the New Year was officially in... Lastly, in the videos notice the motorcycle helmets and aluminum foil gloves that people were wearing to try to protect against incense burns. People have been wearing helmets for the last year or two, but the foil gloves are, to my memory, a new innovation this year. Check out 1:00 in the second video - midnight, the moment New Year arrives - to see why such protective gear is necessary.

The first video is about 15 minutes before midnight. The second video from 11:59PM to 12:03AM and captures the moment New Year enters. 

Chinese New Year, 2013. About 15-20 minutes before midnight at Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh. Note people wearing motorcycle helmets and foil gloves to protect against incense burns.

Chinese New Year, 2013. Midnight at Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh. 

See 1:00 for the moment the New Year gong sounded.

Death of Sihanouk: 118 days of links

The Cambodia Daily, October 16, 2012

'King Father Norodom Sihanouk Dies at 89'

The Cambodia Daily also published a sensitive and informed obituary online the morning of Oct 15 within hours of Sihanouk's death, ('The Cambodia Daily: King Father Norodom Sihanouk Dies at 89'.)

The following list of links to articles covers the death and funeral of King Father Norodom Sihanouk from the day of his death through today. It is not comprehensive but (I believe) includes most of the major articles on the subject as well as articles addressing all of the important events, turns and announcements related to the death of the King Father. Articles in bold are of special note of some sort - either particularly good, contain unique content or made some sort of significant impact on the on-going discussion of Sihanouk's death. Bolding does not necessarily mean that I think the article is good or agree with the content. For example, The Fantasy of King Sihanouk by Philip Gourevitch was a particularly awful piece, inaccurate and biased, but generated a lot of reaction and discussion and led to one of the most interesting and heart-felt pieces on Sihanouk (and my personal favorite,) An Ode to Norodom Sihanouk—A Rock Star King by Kevin Barrington. The Cambodia Daily and VOA both offer rich sources of information on the death of Sihanouk and are available online. The Phnom Penh Post also published several informative articles over the course of the past three months, but as the Post articles are only available online for a short period without subscription, I have not included them in this list.

Obituaries
NYT: Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodian Leader Through Shifting Allegiances, Dies at 89, Oct 14
VOA: Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk Dies, Oct 14
The Cambodia Daily: King Father Norodom Sihanouk Dies at 89 by Michelle Vachon, Oct 15 
Time: Cambodia’s Mercurial Former King, Norodom Sihanouk, Dies at 89, Oct 15
Blue lady blog: Death of King Sihanouk makes world headlines, Oct 15
LTO Cambodia blog: King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Oct 15
VOA: Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk Dies, Oct 15
Xinhuanet: Cambodian former King Norodom Sihanouk dies at age of 90, Oct 15
WSJ: Cambodian King Left Mixed Legacy, Oct 15
BBC: Cambodia former king Norodom Sihanouk dies aged 89, Oct 15
AFP: Cambodia's ex-king Norodom Sihanouk dies in Beijing, Oct 15
AFP: China offers condolences for 'great friend' Sihanouk, Oct 15
SMH: Cambodia's political chameleon Sihanouk dies, Oct 15
John Vink: King Sihanouk Dies..., Oct 15
VOA: Cambodia Mourns Former King Who Shaped Decades of History, by Irwin Loy, Oct 15
VOA: Cambodia's Former King Leaves Mixed Legacy, Oct 15
VOA: Cambodian-Americans Mourn Death of Former King Sihanouk, Oct 15
VOA: China Considered Cambodian King Key Ally, Oct 15
Death of a survivor: Norodom Sihanouk by Milton Osborne, Oct 15
The Death of Cambodia's Nimble Prince by James Pringle, Oct 15
The Guardian: King Norodom Sihanouk obituary by Martin Woollacott, Oct 15
BBC: Cambodia former king Norodom Sihanouk dies aged 89 by Guy Delauney, Oct 15
The Bloodied Legacy of Cambodia’s Chameleon King by Mark McDonald, Oct 15
The New Yorker: The Fantasy of King Sihanouk by Philip Gourevitch, Oct 15
Cambodia Herald: King, Hun Sen head to Beijing to receive Sihanouk's body, Oct 15

VOA: Cambodians Mourn Revered ex-King Sihanouk, Oct 16
The Cambodia Daily: Condolences for King Sihanouk Arrive From Home and Abroad, Oct 16
The Cambodia Daily: Nation Mourns King Father’s Death, Oct 16
The Cambodia Daily: Young and Old Mark Passing of ‘The Last King’, Oct 16 
The Cambodia Daily: King Father Communicated Through His Website Until the Very End, Oct 16
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk, Twitter, First Reactions, Oct 16
Cambodia braces for biggest royal funeral in half a century (Funeral of King Suramarith), Oct 16

LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 2, Oct 17
VOA: Former Cambodian King's Body Arrives in Phnom Penh, Oct 17
CNN: Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk dies at 89, Oct 17
The Cambodia Daily: Norodom Sihanouk—The End of an Era, by Michelle Vachon Oct 17
The Cambodia Daily: 100,000 Expected to Welcome King Father’s Body, Oct 17
The Cambodia Daily: On the Eve of King’s Return, Unity at the Royal Palace, Oct 17
The Cambodia Daily: Tributes Pour In Praising Life, Legacy of Late King Father, Oct 17
RFA: Whither Cambodia's Monarchy?, by Parameswaran Ponnudurai, Oct 17

Beginning of first mourning period, Sihanouk's remains returned from China

The Economist: Norodom Sihanouk, Oct 18
The Economist: Cambodia after Sihanouk: Dancing off the stage?, Oct 18
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 3, Return, Oct 18
The Cambodia Daily: The King Father Remembered—in Pictures, Oct 18 

The Cambodia Daily: Tradition, Splendor for King Father’s Funeral, Oct 19 
The Cambodia Daily: One Million Line the Streets in Final Farewell to King Father, Oct 19
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 4, Mourners, Oct 19

LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 6, Monks, Oct 20

LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 7, Palace, Oct 21
The Cambodia Daily: Sam Rainsy Seeks Return To Bid King Father Norodom Sihanouk Farewell, Oct21

Sihanouk in the Moon
VOA Khmer: What Cambodians think about tonight moon on our Facebook Page, Oct 21
LTO Cambodia blog: Sihanouk in the Moon, Oct 22

CTN News (video, See 9:47): Face SM Norodom Sihanouk in the Moon, Oct 22
Au Cambodge, on voit le roi-père Sihanouk dans la lune, Oct 23

The Cambodia Daily: Monks Stage Mass Prayer at Palace for Late King Father, Oct 22

LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 9, Prayer, Oct 23

The Cambodia Daily: King, Queen Mother Join Crowds at Royal Palace, Oct 24

LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 11, Waiting, Oct 25

The Independent: Trail of the unexpected: Cambodia - for king and country, Oct 26
Soma Norodom's blog: My Most Controversial column, We Should Be United, Oct 26

LTO Cambodia blog: Sihanouk Photos, Oct 28

A cremation fit for a King, Oct 30
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 16, Oct 30
The Cambodia Daily: King Father Likely to Be Cremated by February, Oct 30

LTO Cambodia blog: Mourners, Monks and Nuns, Oct 31 

The Cambodia Daily: Remembering the King, Norodom Sihanouk, Nov 1

An Ode to Norodom Sihanouk—A Rock Star King by Kevin Barrington 

The Cambodia Daily: King Father’s Body to Be Cremated on February 4, Nov 27
The Cambodia Daily: City Quiet as Water Festival Canceled, Nov 27
China Daily: Former Cambodian king Sihanouk to be cremated, Nov 27

Foreign Dignitaries to attend funeral, Jan 15

Travelfish: King Father’s funeral: What to expect, Jan 16

The Cambodia Daily:  Late King Sihanouk’s Cremation Site Will Cost $5 Million, Jan 17
Procession route announcement (Khmer), Jan 17

K440: Royal Funeral Procession Route and Times, Jan 18

Living in Phnom Penh blog: Preparations underway for funeral of late Cambodian King Father Sihanouk, Jan 21

John Vink: Funeral Rehearsal Take #2, Jan 26

Bangkok Post: Yingluck to attend Sihanouk cremation, Jan 28

The Cambodia Daily: Gun Salute Tested Before King Father’s Funeral, Jan 28
The Cambodia Daily: Final Preparations Put in Place for Sihanouk’s Cremation, Jan 28

New Mandala: Norodom Sihanouk’s wonderful, horrible life, An interview with Milton Osbourne, part 1 by Susan Cunningham, Jan 30
New Mandala: Sihanouk's Revenge, An interview with Milton Osbourne, part 2 by Susan Cunningham
AFP: Cambodia pardons 400 prisoners for funeral of ex-king, Jan 30

VOA: Cambodia Prepares for Former King's Cremation, Jan 31,
The Cambodia Daily: In Pictures, Cambodia Prepares for King Father’s Cremation, Jan 31
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Final Touches, Jan 31
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral schedule for Day 1, Jan 31

Funeral of Sihanouk: Procession
VOA: Cambodians Mourn Late King in Funeral Procession, Feb 1
The Cambodia Daily: In Pictures, a Funeral Fit for a King, Feb 1
The Cambodia Daily: Cambodian Officials Prepare Funeral Ceremony Fit for a King, Feb 1
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 1, Procession, Feb 1
John Vink blog: King Norodom Sihanouk Funeral, Day 1, Feb 1
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 2, Feb 1

AP: Sihanouk: Cambodia’s last true king, Feb 2
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 2, Feb 2
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 3, Feb 2
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 4, Feb 2
Telegraph: Strongman Hun Sen faces rising dissent over human rights as country mourns King, Feb 2

The Cambodia Daily: The Final Journey of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 3
The Cambodia Daily: A Generation Says Farewell to Their King, Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 3
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral schedule for tomorrow, day 4, cremation, Feb 3
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 3, Feb 3
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 5, Feb 3
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 6, Feb 3
China Daily: China's top advisor arrives for Sihanouk's funeral, Feb 3

Funeral of Sihanouk: Cremation
VOA: Thousands Attend Cremation of Former Cambodian King, Feb 4
Global Post: Cambodia: Sihanouk's love affair with North Korea, Feb 4
The Cambodia Daily: Thai Spy Freed; 412 Prisoners to Be Released on Monday, Feb 4
The Cambodia Daily: Thousands Line Up to Pay Final Respects, Feb 4
AP: Cambodia Mourns as 'King-Father' Sihanouk Cremated, Feb 4
BBC: Cambodia cremates former King Sihanouk, Feb 4
BBC: In pictures: Cambodia mourns King Sihanouk, Feb 4
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 4, cremation, Feb 4
Global Post: Cambodia sends off King Father Sihanouk in fiery ceremony by Faine Greenwood, Feb 4
Chasing Trade Winds blog: "getting past the barriers", Feb 4
Chasing Trade Winds blog: Thousands gathered..., Feb 4
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 7, Feb 4
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 8, Feb 4
Norodom Sihanouk - Final Goodbyes, Feb 4
VOA: Cremation of Former King Sihanouk Takes Place in Cambodia, Feb 4
Cambodia Herald: Key dates during Sihanouk's lifetime, Feb 4
ThaRum (blog): News in videos: final farewell to Cambodia’s King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 4

Present at Sihanouk's Fire, by James Pringle, Feb 5
Ashes of Cambodia's revered ex-king lowered into river, Feb 5
ANN: Cambodia farewells former king Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 5
SEA Globe: Like father, unlike son, Feb 5
SEA Globe: Long live the king, Feb 5
The Cambodia Daily: A Nation Bids Farewell to Its Beloved King Father, Feb 5
The Cambodia Daily: 110 Days of Remembering Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 5
The Cambodia Daily: Police Chief Hits Military Police Officers at Cremation Site, Feb 5
The Cambodia Daily: Mourners Rush to Buy King Father Mementos, Feb 5
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 5, ashes, Feb 5
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 9, Feb 5
VOA: Sihanouk Remains Collected, Dispersed, Feb 5
Telegraph: Cambodian King Sihanouk's ashes scattered on Mekong (video), Feb 5

VOA: Sihanouk’s Cremains Cast to the Rivers of Cambodia, Feb 6
Soma Norodom's Blog: Letter to Our Beloved King Father, Feb 6
Cambodia's king is dead, long live the Prime Minister, Feb 6
Irwin Loy: Photos: A royal funeral in Cambodia, Feb 6
LTO Cambodia blog: The Kantha Bopha Memorial, Feb 6
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 10, Feb 6
The Diplomat: Cambodian King Sihanouk’s Final Journey by Luke Hunt, Feb 6 
AFP: Cambodia's king is dead, long live the PM, Feb 6
The Economist: Loyal to the end, Feb 6

VOA: Monks Take Center Stage as Sihanouk Rituals Continue, Feb 7
Cambodia ends lavish funeral for ex-king Sihanouk, Feb 7
China Daily: Funeral of Sihanouk ends, remains placed in palace, Feb 7
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 7, the end, Feb 7
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 11, Feb 7
The Cambodia Daily: France Pushes Hun Sen on Human Rights Record, Feb 7

VOA: Sihanouk’s Golden Urn Returned to Royal Palace, Feb 8
Sihanouk's ashes enter the Royal Palace, Feb 8
Mouthful (blog): "In the West we seem to have forgotten how lengthy grief...", Feb 8

Binay back from Cambodia Sihanouk cremation rites, Feb 9
VOA: National Grieving Shows Importance of Monarchy: Analyst, Feb 9

Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 7, the end

This morning urns containing the ashes of the late King Father Sihanouk were returned from the Veal Preah Man crematorium to the Royal Palace via an elaborate procession, the King and Queen Mother in attendance, the ashes borne by a the same Hang Bird hearse that carried the King Father's coffin when he was returned from China 3 months ago. Though there have been reports that the ashes are to be placed in the 'Kantha Bopha Stupa' at the Silver Pagoda per the late King Father's wishes, this has not yet been confirmed. The procession of the ashes to the Palace was the final public act of the funeral, effectively bringing to a close the week long funeral and mourning period.

By midday, most of the streets in the Palace area that had been shut for several days were reopened or at least partially opened with most of the orange and white barricades removed. (Sothearos Blvd in front of the Palace remained closed, but has been for almost a year now, somewhat inexplicably and unrelated to the death of the King Father.) Motor traffic flowed freely on Sisowath Quay, Street 240, Street 214 and Street 19 and though the roads around Veal Preah Man were still mostly blocked to motor traffic, pedestrians were able to move unimpeded through the area.

All of the offering tables in front of the Royal Palace are now gone, only a line of incense bowls filled with spent joss sticks remain. By late afternoon workers were collecting the piles of dead offering flowers from the front of the Palace into hand carts and hauling them away, leaving a trail of rotting brown lotus buds and stems along Sothearos. The Palace guards were out of their dress whites and back in  khaki. Black ribbons, funerary pendents and Sihanouk posters will still on sale from street vendors, but the number of vendors was less than half of the day before. A few mourners linger in the area, but the crowds are gone, back to ordinary life, many presumably returning to the countryside from whence they came. At 5PM a couple of dozen mourners still stood at front (east) gate of Veal Preah Man, and perhaps a dozen more at the north gate. When I passed around sunset, the Palace park, which has been the center of mourning activity for the last 3+ months, was all but empty of mourners, only two old ladies quietly paying their final respects.

The funeral complete, table talk is now turning quickly to Chinese New Year, Cambodia's most popular unofficial holiday, coming up on the 10th.

The Kantha Bopha Memorial

 

HRH Princess Kantha Bopha Memorial Sanctuary at the Silver Pagoda (next to the Royal Palace)

The late King Father Sihanouk was cremated two days ago. Yesterday the ashes were collected from the crematorium (Veal Preah Man) and most were taken by royal barge to Chaktomuk and scattered to the Mekong River. Some of the ashes will be taken back to the Royal Palace to be placed in a 'Diamond Urn' and kept there. AFP reported that an unnamed Palace official said "the royal urn containing the King-Father's remains will be kept in the Kantha Bopha stupa," which would make a very touching final resting place for the late King Father.

Princess Kantha Bopha was the beloved daughter of King Sihanouk and Princess Sisowath Pongsanmoni, born in 1948 when Sihanouk was a young King and Cambodia still under French colonial rule. She died of leukemia in 1952 at the age of 3 (or 4). It is said that King Sihanouk was inconsolably grief stricken, even carrying the urn containing her ashes when traveling abroad. In 1960 Sihanouk erected a memorial sanctuary to the Princess (pictured above) on the grounds of Wat Preah Keo Morokat (the 'Silver Pagoda') next to the Royal Palace, the sanctuary set amongst the stupas of Cambodian Kings.

The sanctuary is referred to as the 'Kantha Bopha Memorial Sanctuary' in Julio Jeldres' authoritative 'The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh' (1999.) I'm not sure if this is also the said "Kantha Bopha stupa" of the AFP article, but am unaware of any other structure on the Palace/Pagoda grounds of that name.

Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 5, ashes

Sunset on the Palace
The 'Four Faces' crowning the spire of the Throne Hall 

at the Royal Palace. Sunset, February 5, 2013

The late King Father Norodom Sihanouk was cremated yesterday evening at the Veal Preah Man (Meru) next to the Royal Palace. This morning the ashes of the pyre were collected from the crematorium and transported by procession to the the royal funerary barge docked near the Preah Ong Dong Ar Temple in front of the Royal Palace area on the Tonle Sap River. The barge, pulled by a tug boat, ferried the ashes and attendees a short distance to the confluence of the Mekong River, the 'Chaktomuk,' literally translated, the 'Four Faces' of the Mekong, where most of the ashes were lowered to the river in sacks, scattered to the waters.

With the ashes gone, the tiered Royal parasol that crowned Veal Preah Man (Meru) was removed, and stood conspicuous in its absence today. The remaining ashes will be returned to the Palace and ultimately the 'Silver Pagoda' where, according to AFP, they will be placed in the "Kantha Bopha stupa," King Sihanouk's beloved daughter, Kantha Bopha, who died as a child.

The Chaktomuk, literally translated the 'Four Faces,' is the riverine crossroads in the heart of Cambodia where the Mekong River and its tributary the Tonle Sap meet and connect Phnom Penh to the 'four corners' of Cambodia - the old Angkorian capital to the west, Laos to the north and the South China Sea to the south and east, loosely quartering into the four cardinal point. When the Khmer capital moved from Angkor to the banks of the confluence of the Mekong in the 15th century, the area was known as 'Chaktomuk,' only later becoming 'Phnom Penh.' This move also reflected a fundamental shift in the nature of the Khmer empire, from an agrarian society to a trade based society, harkening back to the old empire of Funan.

The Four Faces is also a theme echoed throughout Khmer art and architecture. The spire of Throne Hall of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is crowned by Four Faces, the design of which is said to have received inspiration from the Four Face monuments of Bayon temple at Angkor. Today, Sihanouk was laid to final rest at the Chaktomuk, the Four Faces, at the geographic and spiritual heart of post-Angkorian Cambodia.  

Spires of the Throne Hall of the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh (2011). The Palace sits on Sothearos Blvd. about 100 meters off river, overlooking the Chaktomuk.

'Four faces' at Angkor, Bayon, Angkor Thom, Siem Reap province, circa 13th century AD.

Map of the area around the confluence of the Mekong River, Chaktomuk, Cambodia

Map of the area around the confluence of the Mekong River, Chaktomuk, Cambodia

Veal Preah Man with tiered-parasol removed. Feruary 5, 2013, 5:00PM.

Royal funerary barge, its duty discharged, being tugged into port. The Chaktomuk ('Four Faces' of the Mekong River) in the background.)

Empty, barricaded street in front of the Royal Palace. Most of the area remained closed to the public today, though the police seemed a bit looser in enforcement. People (Cambodians) that I spoke to on the street continued to complain about being kept away from the funeral and the security measures in general. Everybody seems to have a story of some country person that had gone to extraordinary lengths to travel to Phnom Penh for the funeral, only to be denied access. Other Cambodians say that despite the heavy police presence, crime has in fact been rife, recounting tales of pickpockets, robberies and assaults in the riverfront area, adding that while the police have been effective at protecting the elite and keeping the public away from the funeral, they have done little else. I don't have any confirmation of these claims of increased crime, but true or not, it likely reflects an increasing frustration with how security and crowd control have been handled.