A reddit used posted a link to this article about a draftsman who worked for Conservation d’Ankor in the late 1960 and has since built miniature scale models of some of the temple complex. Anyone visited his garden in Siem Reap? Located at Street 17 off River Road, other side of Royal Residence near Rosy Guesthouse/Bar.




CAMBODIA’S MOST DILIGENT AND HEROIC ARCHITECT
Writing and photos by Zoe Osborne.

Thousands of tourists flock to Siem Reap every day to visit Angkor Wat, piling into the temple complex with their cameras at the ready.

But down a quiet side-street in the center of town, there is a very different scene. Here, Cambodian architectural draftsman Dy Proeung lives with his daughter in a quiet, dusty house, its garden littered with miniature sculptures of the imposing temples tourists come to see.

At 82, he finds it increasingly hard to care for his miniatures and without adequate funding for repairs or restorations, they have fallen into disrepair. Exposed to the elements in his courtyard, they have gradually lost their details, eroding with time, rotting in the rain and cracking in the sun as tourists trickle in to see them for just $1.50.

But for Proeung, they are still treasures. He cuts a tiny figure, walking among his work in worn plastic sandals, his slim, sun-browned face cracking occasionally into a kind smile. To him, these sculptures are a reminder of an extraordinary life, a hard-won relic from a time when art flourished in Cambodia—before the Khmer Rouge installed a regime that made Proeung, as an artist and intellectual, a target for killing.

Full article: https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2018/minia ... ngkor-wat/

I was there last year and there were some real nice pieces there.He has a lot of stories to tell and has lived a very interesting life. He posed for a few photos with me and sent me on my way with a free bag of mangos.

Cambodia's 'hidden' Angkor Wat

After hiding his identity, burying his work in the forest and narrowly escaping death, a Cambodian architect built a masterpiece inspired by Angkor Wat.

With its labyrinth of defensive walls and moats, magnificent five-spire towers, weather-worn sandstone statues and inspired pyramidal temples, Cambodia’s vast Angkor Wat (“Temple City”) complex isn’t just a proud symbol of national culture, but one of the greatest expressions of ancient architecture ever built.

Conceived roughly 900 years ago and spanning some 400 sq km, it’s also the single largest religious monument in the world. Yet, if you wander a few kilometres away and follow a small side street in Siem Reap to a hand-painted sign reading “Angkor Wat in Miniature”, you’ll find one of the smallest.

Inside a cottage courtyard, architect and sculptor Dy Proeung has painstakingly recreated elaborate models of Angkor Wat’s rose-pink sandstone towers, soaring pediments and defensive moats, all built to scale. The inspired museum-residence represents Proeung’s life’s work, and the story behind its creation is just as remarkable as the miniature Temple City itself.

Video in link below:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/2020071 ... angkor-wat

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[Mod edit: thanks @Ti_Rod for your first post and welcome. There's an older, existing topic so merged your post with this. ]

Found this video also

Mrs Cargo and I went here last December so adding a few pics..

There used to be a park that had miniatures of all the famous sites in the Kingdom of Wonder. Whatever happened to the park and all the miniature?