A couple’s quest to document Cambodia’s pagodas
13 December 2017
- Danielle and Dominique-Pierre Guéret weren’t just bored when they decided to embark on a seven-year quest to meticulously document the architecture and painted murals of the Kingdom’s thousands of pagodas; they were set on calling attention to what they saw as one of Cambodia’s most precious but ignored cultural treasures.

The result of their endeavour is The Khmer Pagoda, a condensed “best-of” anthology of their research into the country’s pagodas built before 1975, which will be available in select bookstores beginning this weekend.

The Guérets’ relationship with the country dates back to the United Nations Transitional Authority of Cambodia years, when the former French serviceman Dominique-Pierre, 71, was first stationed in Cambodia. Danielle, 70, an archaeologist who trained and taught at the prestigious École du Louvre, took up a teaching position at the Royal University of Fine Arts.
So they began visiting all the Angkorian and pre-Angkorian temples they could, and from these trips they soon had enough for a book, the encyclopaedic 300-page collection Cambodge, published in 2009.


The idea to document pagodas came to them after reading a 2004 publication by the International Institute for Advanced Asian Studies (CESMEO) in Turin, through which it became clear that little formal research had been done on paintings in Cambodian pagodas, with even the fate of important murals largely unknown.

Sadly, the Guérets’ note, even when designated national heritage sites by the Ministry of Culture these pagodas and the paintings within are hardly preserved. The murals are often painted over during “restoration work” or the walls are even knocked down, as was the case at Wat Kampong Thom earlier this year, where a cherished monastic temple was demolished in September to make way for new construction.

With their book, the Guérets said, they hope to create public awareness for the need for stronger preservation. “It’s a completely unappreciated heritage,” Danielle said.

The Khmer Pagoda, or “La Pagode Khmere” (KAM éditions, 179pp, $25) will be available in English at Monument Books.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-life- ... as-pagodas

Atma (my person) once had a nice book called "Wooden Architecture of Cambodia - An disappearing Heritage"

Having been walken thousands of km through the county, and dwelled in many pagodas, there are still a few teasures left. The title of the book maybe misses that even the left overs of a disappearing heritage disapear very fast and still many treasures are simply burded as firewood while cooking food for building constucters of huge "cheap" expensive replacements.

Since some of those treasures are treasures in meaning and message, not only for simple sensual pleasures, it is of course a merit if able to prevent and forward those.

Some tiny shares on the topic may be fond here

It's maybe for some of interest that Vinaya (rules of monks) actually "forbid" such kind of paintings (white wall, if paintings, such of ghosts, hell being, corpse... to increae samvega has been given) for the gathering hall which purpose originally not a little to serve any purpose for lay people but "simply" to perform the Uposatha and Sangha transactions.

Are there any Cambodian teachers of English on this forum?

If there were, they would tell the "what is a pagoda" joke.

I'll be buying the book in the OP in English.
Recently bought this, in Khmer, which is a lovely book about Cambodian Pagoda architecture. Together they'll be a great reference.

Good to let others know Nyom Rama. The mentioned book before, btw. is in Khmer and English and cultural but also buddhist historical aspects good recherched.

There is a little of new tendency in small humble gathering halls, if my person recollects the Vihara near Phnom Oral at Wat Sambo Antait វត្តសំពៅអណ្តែត, some years old, just new restaurated, build and donared by a generous Khmer "Expat". Of course the best way is to put effort and care of what already is sacrified rather than to cause even more taking for the sake of giving.



At least to gather under a tree is also allowed. It requires much of sacrifice to maintain a tree, althought it sounds easy.

That's why virtue, refraining and abstain from taking or wanting is always much higher as any gift. Just think on how many tracks of firewood roll for bricks all over, or for paper for books... even to look nice pictures on internet and share sensualities.

Gov’t set to renovate pagodas
08 June 2018
Hundreds of Buddhist temples nationwide are to be repaired and renovated by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, with the work funded by the national budget. A workshop for the purpose is being held to ensure proper maintenance of the structures.

In the workshop titled “Construction of Ancient Temples: Risks and Preservation”, hosted on Thursday and Friday by the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Cult and Religion at the Chaktomuk Conference Hall, monks, pagoda committees and followers of Buddhism were encouraged “to preserve and value the heritage of our ancestors”.

Chuch Phoeun, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture, said the workshop informed pagoda committees to notify authorities and officials from the relevant ministries when they see that a temple is in need of repair.

“The government has allocated a budget to support temple resotrations, but the money must be spent wisely,” Phoeun said.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Cult and Religion, there are approximately 4,932 pagodas, including 563 ancient temples, throughout Cambodia. There are also 68,654 monks.

“What is interesting and beautiful is that ancient temples were built with highly priced wood and decorated exquisitely,” Phoeun said. He said most of the wooden temples are located in Battambang, Kampong Cham and Kratie provinces and were built during the 1800s.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... te-pagodas

Renovation and preservation don't generally go hand in hand here. Renovation usually means wiping out the previous structure, or stripping down to bare bones and rebuilding almost completely. If some of the original structures and panels etc were preserved it would be great, but that's not the way things are usually done here.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Tue Jun 12, 2018 12:46 am Renovation and preservation don't generally go hand in hand here. Renovation usually means wiping out the previous structure, or stripping down to bare bones and rebuilding almost completely. If some of the original structures and panels etc were preserved it would be great, but that's not the way things are usually done here.

Indeed. Further down in the same article, they mention this conflict between renovation and preservation.

Neang Mork, 65, who heads the Svay Sach Phnom pagoda committee in Kampong Cham province’s Srey Santhor district, said that for years, many Buddhist followers and locals had wanted to restore the temple. But others wanted to demolish it and construct a new one.

“However, I don’t agree. Some conflicts occurred over what to do. There was intervention from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts which sent experts to study and help with the restoration,” he said.

Mork said the temple had already been fully restored to a high standard and in the original style, with wooden art, pictures and colours in the temple being restored.

He said during the restoration, local Buddhists worked with experts, but he was unaware of the cost at the time. However, when visiting the temple, Ministry of Culture spokesperson Thai Norak Sathya told them the government had spent 300 million riel ($75,000) on the restoration works.

Heads up. If you are interested in pagoda art and paintings, there is an exhibition of photos showing lost works of art at the National Museum in Phnom Penh this month(18-30 Nov).

National Museum hosts ‘lost art’ exhibit
Pann Rethea | Publication date 15 November 2022 | 20:43 ICT

The Department of Fine Arts and Handicrafts at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts will hold a two-week exhibition of photographic archives of lost paintings. Held under the theme “Life of the Buddha” from November 18-30, they will be displayed at the exhibition hall of the National Museum in Phnom Penh.

The exhibition will be open to the public, so they can express their support for the preservation of the Kingdom’s ancient paintings. They could be easily damaged or lost if not cared for, said the department.

Department director Chhim Sothy, himself a veteran artist, said the photographs are of paintings on the life of Buddha from three pagodas in Kandal province. The paintings were lost in 2020 and 2021.

“I took photographs of 50 or 60 paintings, but due to the limited display space, have selected 36 for the exhibition,” he told The Post on November 15.

“Some photos were taken in 2020, when I photographed the ‘Jatakas’ at Ta Ek pagoda in Khsach Kandal district’s Ta Ek commune,” he said in reference to the tales of former lives of Buddha.

“The pagoda has since collapsed into the river due to the erosion of the river bank. The remaining photographs are of paintings which were kept at Wat Traing in Ta Ek commune, and at the Prek Samrong pagoda in Takhmao town commune’s Prek Samrong village. All of these paintings have since been scratched and damaged,” he added.

The exhibition of these lost paintings aims to arouse the interest of the general public – especially the younger generation of Cambodians, so that they will recognise the majesty of the Kingdom’s traditional art forms and contribute to protecting their cultural heritage.

“The ancient Khmer paintings remain on the walls and ceilings of many temples and monasteries, most of which are taken from the Jatakas. I would like to send a message to all Cambodian people, especially the youngest of them: Please help to preserve the cultural heritage of these ancient paintings. Do not neglect them,” added Sothy.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/lifestyle ... rt-exhibit