ARTS AND LITERATURE
The most famous examples of architecture in Cambodia are the temples built near Angkor, the former capital. Angkor Wat, the largest, was built in the 12th century by Suryavarman II. Temple mountains were symbols of the kings' earthly power, since they were the only buildings made of stone. Stone buildings last forever if left undisturbed. Other buildings were made of bamboo and wood, which deteriorate in the moist warm climate.

 The wats are famous for their size and intricate architecture. In the past they contained statues of gold and bronze, but many have disappeared over the centuries. The temples are decorated with many carvings of faces, heavenly dancers (aspara) and warriors.
Archaeologists have learned much from these temples, since no written language existed in Cambodia when they were built. In the Bayon, a wat located in Angkor Thom, carvings show the lives of ordinary people in the 12th century. People are depicted shopping in the markets, picking fruit and transporting rice and fish with oxcarts. 

Cambodia has a strong tradition of dance. The national dance is called the ramthon. Dancers perform barefoot. The ramthon involves slow, graceful hand and arm movements. Dancers wear elaborate silk brocade costumes. The Cambodian government recently re-established the national dance troupe. Dancers perform for dignitaries and delegations. Performances are not open to the public.
Music is an important aspect of court and religious life. The traditional orchestra consists of three xylophones, violins, wind instruments, drums of various sizes and shapes and a kong thom (a horseshoe-shaped instrument with 16 flat gongs).

 During the Pol Pot era, movies, theatre productions and other cultural events were not available to people outside of Phnom Penh. Because of the years of war and the killing of artists by the Khmer Rouge, few people remain who can contribute to the arts. It will take years to rebuild Cambodian cultural life.
 Did you know? 
 
When the classical dance troupe performs the apsara they wear a tight-fitting costume. These costumes are sewn onto the dancers just before the performance.		  
Most recent Cambodian works of fiction are by writers who left the country in the 1970s. One particularly interesting book is the story of Dr. Haing Ngor, a refugee from the Khmer Rouge regime who came to the United States. Ngor acted in the movie The Killing Fields (1984), which was set against the backdrop of the Pol Pot regime. Ngor played the part of Dith Pran, a Cambodian journalist who also survived the regime. Ngor's memoirs were published in 1987. Dith Pran has also published a collection of memoirs by survivors of the regime.