“Hotel Cambodiana” …is not a meditation on things but on place, and the very absence of all those things – deck chairs, umbrellas, bamboo-clad poolside bar, and hotel guests in swimming costumes – that during the Khmer Rouge five-year rule denoted the depravity of foreign luxury. Although photographed four years after the Khmer Rouge had been ousted from the capital, the hotel’s neglect highlights the fact that for a traumatized population the necessities of basic sanitation, adequate food, and survival were more important than a poolside cocktail.

China’s influence in Cambodia is not new. The earliest records of Chinese settlement dates back to the late 13th century, where a detailed and comprehensive Record of Cambodia mentions the presence of Chinese businessmen trading at Angkor.

The French first introduced a legislation in 1873 which classified Chinese immigrants as ‘Alien Asians’ and King Norodom introduced a legislative reform in 1884 which required the Chinese immigrants to pay higher resident taxes. In 1891, the French introduced a legislation called “bang” in Chinese. Five associations were established in Cambodia, each identified by its specific region of ancestral origin in China; Cantonese, Hokkien, Hainanese, Teochew and Hakka. Chinese immigrants were required to register with their association to settle in Cambodia. Each of these associations was led by an elected headman, who would be responsible for maintaining law, order and tax collection duties from his countrymen. Despite these restrictions the Chinese have married into many Khmer families and their descendants usually identify as Cambodians or Sino-Khmers.

Today China plays a major role in developing Cambodia and dominates the economy. There are many high ranking government officials and political elite that are from Chinese ancestry.

**The country was poor economically, but most of the population enjoyed a basic subsistence of food and shelter
**In 1970, Cambodia became a war-plagued economy
**The monetary circulation and banking system were dismissed during the government of Pol Pot in 1975-1979 but were restored by 1979
**Cambodia blossomed economically over the two decades before COVID-19 struck in 2020
**In 2015, Cambodia reached lower middle-income status and set its sights on attaining upper middle-income status by 2030
**In 2022, Cambodia’s economic recovery solidified, with real growth accelerating to 5.2%
**In 2021, a Capgemini report suggested there were over three thousand millionaires in Cambodia
**In 2000, Cambodia’s GDP was $3,667 million, and its GDP per capita was $300
**In 2022, Cambodia’s GDP was $28.54 billion, and the per capita income was rapidly increasing but still low compared to most neighboring countries
**Cambodia’s two largest industries are textiles and tourism, while agricultural activities are the primary source of income for many Cambodians living in rural areas
**Cambodia’s open borders to international trade and investment have helped attract foreign direct investment to support manufacturing, construction, and tourism
**Cambodia’s economic recovery solidified in 2022 when real growth accelerated to 5.2%
**Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, and long-term economic development remains a challenge due to corruption, limited human resources, high income inequality, and poor job prospects
**In 2019, 17.8% of the population lived below the national poverty line
**While poverty has decreased significantly, many Cambodian families hover just above the poverty line. Based on World Bank’s data, nearly three-quarters of the population still live on less than US$3 a day. Poverty is primarily concentrated in rural areas though urban poverty is rising.
**Cambodia’s national poverty line is 10,951 riel per person per day, which is equivalent to US$2.70. The Royal Government of Cambodia set this national minimum based on the 2019-20 Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey (CSES).

John Bingham wrote: ↑Fri Jul 14, 2023 11:42 am

“Hotel Cambodiana” …is not a meditation on things but on place, and the very absence of all those things – deck chairs, umbrellas, bamboo-clad poolside bar, and hotel guests in swimming costumes – that during the Khmer Rouge five-year rule denoted the depravity of foreign luxury. Although photographed four years after the Khmer Rouge had been ousted from the capital, the hotel’s neglect highlights the fact that for a traumatized population the necessities of basic sanitation, adequate food, and survival were more important than a poolside cocktail.

The construction of the Cambodiana started in the late 60s but didn't open as a hotel till around 1990, so no wonder there were no poolside cocktails in 1984.