The West Australian
May 20, 2011
The West Australian ©
After seeing the Cambodian classical dance troupe perform in France in 1906, sculptor Auguste Rodin announced: "These Cambodian women have given us everything antiquity could hold. It's impossible to see human nature reaching such perfection."
Seven decades later, Khmer Rouge dictator Pol Pot all but destroyed this ancient art form - eliminating dancers and musicians, along with tens of thousands of citizens who were led to the Killing Fields, later portrayed so graphically in the film of that name.
After Pol Pot's demise, efforts by the daughter of former King Norodom Sihanouk saw this art form enjoy a huge revival. It had always been linked to the royal court, which in turn was strongly tied to the French.
And if anything symbolises the twists and turns in the fortunes of Cambodia's French-built capital it must be Cambodian classical dance.
Performances for the court were staged at the Chan Chaya Pavilion in the Royal Palace, and today no visit is complete without a palace tour.
Here you can also see the Throne Hall - robbed of a number of treasures by the Khmer Rouge but still stunning.
The same goes for the Silver Pagoda which managed to retain a floor paved with silver tiles - 5000 all up, each one weighing 1kg. The Silver Pagoda also holds a 90kg gold Buddha encrusted with 9584 diamonds.
Wandering among the buildings of the Royal Palace, it's impossible to ignore a large grey-painted pavilion constructed in the French style with lace ironwork, which was shipped by Napoleon III in 1876.
Occupying such a prominent position, it illustrates Cambodia's ties to France after King Norodom I - caught between the flexing muscle of neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam - signed a treaty of protection with France in 1863. Soon, Cambodia became a virtual colony and Phnom Penh, with its boulevards and gardens laid out by the French, is now considered the prettiest of all the French capitals of Indochina.
The central-domed 1930s Deco-style New Market - great for gold and silver jewellery and souvenirs - also dates from the French era, as does the Hotel Le Royal (now Raffles Le Royal).
This featured in River of Time, journalist Jon Swain's account of the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge. At Le Royal today, the Elephant Bar remains a favourite haunt.
Though displaying delicate Khmer-style architecture, the striking rusty red-coloured National Museum was also built by the French. This is Cambodia's leading historical and archaeological museum and its highlights include artefacts from the classical Angkorian period. There is also an enormous funerary urn used to store the body of King Sisowath, who was cremated in 1927.
Two kings later, Norodom Sihanouk was congratulating himself Cambodia was no longer a French colony. But joy was short-lived as Cambodia was entangled in the Vietnam War.
When that ended, the Khmer Rouge rushed in to the capital, filling a power void, and the king was effectively locked in his palace.
Now, with peace restored and thanks to his daughter, Princess Bopha Devi, the dance that can be traced to the court of the Khmer Empire is again being taught.
Importantly it's accessible to everyone who visits Phnom Penh. We saw it performed on the sundeck of our river cruiser by a talented troupe of schoolchildren, the Khmer Angels. It's unlikely they're aware of the French sculptor who praised their predecessors.
They're busy moving on from an era when the Khmer Rouge all but destroyed Cambodia and its classical dance.
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