This past week, SIFC high school students travelled to Siem Reap, Cambodia for the annual ‘Week Without Walls’ trip. While in Siem Reap, the students learned about the history of the Angkor Wat complex and its importance to the Cambodian people and their rich history. In addition to visiting Angkor Wat, the students learned how to cook local Khmer cuisine, visited museums and spent time with kids at a local orphanage. Overall, it was a positive and educational experience for everyone!

 

Cambodia Kingdom

Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is 181,035 square kilometers in area, bordered by Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand.

The beginning of a wonderful trip

 

Day 1

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat, also known as Angkor Temple, is located in Cambodia, known as the national treasure of Cambodia. It is the largest temple in the world and the earliest Khmer-style building in the world. The original name of Angkor Wat is Vrah Vishnulok, which means "the Temple of Vishnu".

 

Sulliyah Bama II (1113-1150) was built for the worship of Vishnu, which was completed in more than 30 years. Angkor Wat is the most outstanding part of Angkor's heritage and the representative of Kampuchea's early architectural style. 

 

There are many beautiful Mural.

This is the heaven of the Angkor kingdom.

There are also have many special stores.

 

Ta Prohm

This is a very magical temple, built by a Buddhist emperor, but destroyed by the emperor's brother. It's also a favorite place to make

movies such as <Tomb Raider>.

 

There are many great things that are broken now.

And there are many high and huge trees

Day 2

Cooking Lesson

We got a certificate for cooking.

 

Panorama museum

The Museum has a 3-D film about cutting and transporting stone during the Khmer period, hundreds of picturesque Cambodian paintings, a scaled Grand Buddha at Barong Temple in Angkor Wat and a 394-foot panoramic fresco depicting life and war during the Angkor Wat period.

 

 

Day 3

Beng Mealea 

This is a Angkor Wat-style temple. Its name means "Lotus Pool". The temple is 40 kilometers east of the Angkor Monument Group. The Collapses stones was a Hindu temple, but some of its sculptures reflect the theme of Buddhism.

 

§  The original material used to build the temple was sandstone, so many buildings had been damaged and it was difficult to restore them.

 

§  This is one of the most primitive (not restored by modern technology) buildings in Angkor. 

Cherub leather carving orphanage 

The orphanage is a relatively remote place, founded by Cambodian Ratana in 2002, and currently has 76 orphans and children from poor families. Latana adopted the children and taught them how to make and sell leather sculptures to raise money for life and education.

 

Angkor Thom

Angkor City was the longest capital of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries. The capital of Angkor covers an area of 9 square kilometers, which includes a series of ancient capital relics established by various dynasties: the air palace rebuilt by Suliyabama I, the Bapuan Temple established by Udayadityavarman II, the Bayun Temple, the Elephant Group Platform and the King's Platform established by Saiyabama VII.

 

Prasat Suor Prat towers----it is used to punish criminals.

The most famous one here is their King's smile.

Old market

This is the old market, which is worthy of the name. There are many scarves hanging outside, it is suitable for shawl, and it can also be used as a headscarf to block dust.

It has many foods to eat, these Cambodian food is sweet, but it's not too bad to eat in the old market. They like lemon grass. It's hard to describe what it smells like. It's a little strange, but it's not bad. It's even a little interesting.

 

Day 4

Tonle sap lake

There are some Vietnam people who lived together after Vietnam and Cambodia ended the war. There's water all around here, and the villagers are basically on boats whatever they go.

There are many crocodiles.

 

There also are many birds and monkey.

 

3D art box

§  This is a paradise full of fantasy. They show the effect of 3D with a 2D portrait, which is very shocking.

 

 

 The little Reflection

 

In the dry and cracked land of Siem Reap Province of Cambodia, the poor Cambodians who still can't eat and clothe themselves, but you can see they have the positive attitude, so that they have such splendid ancient culture. The Khmer’s smile, the millennium old tree of the Pangen Temple and many beautiful architecture will tells you the power of Angkor.

 

The written materials are from：

Teacher Amy, Patrick，Studnet Eden,Ben

The photos are from：

Student David, Eden, Victoria