CULTURE

 CULTURE
 

Arts : The Khmer Rouge's assault on the past and on artists and intellectuals was a terrible blow to Cambodian culture. The Khmer Rouge not only did away with living bearers of Khmer culture, it also destroyed cultural artefacts, statues, musical instrument, books and anything that served as a reminder of a past it wished to efface. Despite this, Cambodia today is witnessing a resurgence of traditional arts and a limited amount of experimentation in modern arts. 

Dance : More than any of the other traditional arts, Cambodia's royal ballet is a tangible kink with the glory of Angkor. Early in his reign, King Sihanouk released the traditional harem of royal apsara (heavenly nymphs) that went with the crown. Nevertheless, prior to the Pol Pot regime, classical ballet was still taught at the palace. Its traditions stretched long into the past; when the art of the apsara redounded tp the glory of the divine king. Cambodian court dance is related to the dance of Thailand, Java and India. They all share the same cultural sources, and many of the dances from the Hindu Ramayana. Another interesting dance tradition is lkhaon khaol, Cambodia's masked theatre. Traditionally all the roles are played by men, like kabuki in Japan and some of the regional opera styles in China.  

Music : The bas-reliefs on some of the monuments in the Angkor region depict musicians apsara holding instruments. The instruments that are depicted are similar to the traditional Khmer instruments of today, which suggests that Cambodia has a long musical tradition all its own. Traditionally the music of Cambodia was an accompaniment to a ritual or performance that had religious significance. Musicologists have identified six types of musical ensemble, each used in different settings. The most traditional of these is the areak ka.  

Architecture : Khmer architecture reached its period of greatest magnificence during the Angkorian era (the 9^th to the 14^th centuries). Some of the finest examples of architecture from this period are Angkor Wat and the structures of Angkor Thom. See the Temples of Angkor special section for more information on the architectural styles of the Angkor are.  

Sculpture :  Even in the pre-Angkor era, in the periods generally referred to as Funan and Chenla, the people of Cambodia were producing masterfully sensuous sculpture that was no simple copy of the Indian forms it was modelled on. Some scholars maintain that the Cambodian forms are unrivalled in India itself. The earliest surviving Cambodian sculpture dates from the 6^th century. Most of it depicts Vishnu with four or eight arms. Generally Vishnu has acquired Indo-chinese  facial characteristics and is more muscular than similar Indian sculpture, in which divinities tend towards rounded flabbiness. A large eight-armed Vishnu from this period is displayed at the National Museum in Phnom Penh