In 2010 we made the trek up north to the Thai Cambodian border so we could visit the amazing Preah Vihear Temple that is being disputed by the Thai & Cambodian people. There have been numerous clashes over the years and when we arrived there the tensions were still high. The Cambodian military staunchly protect Preah Vihear with a great sense of national pride and respect and we were very lucky to be granted permission by he military to take a tour of this sacred site.
Preah Vihear Temple is a Hindu temple built during the reign of Khmer Empire, that is situated atop a 525-metre (1,722 ft) cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains, in the Preah Vihear province, Cambodia. In 1962, following a lengthy dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over ownership, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague awarded the temple to Cambodia.
Affording a view for many kilometers across a plain, Prasat Preah Vihear has the most spectacular setting of all the temples built during the six-centuries-long Khmer Empire. As a key edifice of the empire's spiritual life, it was supported and modified by successive kings and so bears elements of several architectural styles. Preah Vihear is unusual among Khmer temples in being constructed along a long north-south axis, rather than having the conventional rectangular plan with orientation toward the east. The temple gives its name to Cambodia's Preah Vihear province, in which it is now located, as well as the Khao Phra Wihan National Park which borders it in Thailand's Sisaket province and through which the temple is most easily accessible. On July 7, 2008, Preah Vihear was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Cambodian Military live around the temples in make shift bunkers and camp sites ready to protect the temples. They have a very small budget from the government so they grow and farm much of their own food around the camp sites next to the temples. We were shocked to see the military growing their own fish in fish ponds and growing their own vegetables, it's a tough existence up there in the mountains. Before leaving we donated much of our own supplies to the military as a token of thanks for their hospitality for the day ... they seemed to be over the moon with some city treats!
Cambodian Military Camp Site
Damo soaking up the view from the cliff face at the Preah Vihear Temple
Preah Vihear from Nicolas Axelrod on Vimeo.
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