马德望老建筑‧述说殖民歷史

马德望老建筑‧述说殖民歷史



老街风貌仍保有殖民色彩。（图：柬埔寨星洲日报）

马德望市是马德望省的省会，虽说是柬埔寨第二大城市，但与金边市的繁华与囂闹有相定程度的差別。

马德望市Sangker河的沿河街道，留下了不少殖民时期的法式建筑，是这座城市的特色之一。据说这里是柬埔寨老式法国建筑保存最为集中之地。

旅游指南书向游客推荐这座平静的城市时，强调了她不是旅游热门景点，但也因为如此，游客可以在此体会到道地的高棉风情与歷史。

（星洲日报)

金边上半年旅客‧同比去年增18.40%

金边上半年旅客‧同比去年增18.40%



金边市的堆斯陵罪恶馆，是国游客参观的主要景点之一。

今年上半年，金边市接待来自140国家的旅客，共约有52万人数，与去年同期相比增长18.40%。

据金边市旅游局报告称，大部份来访柬的外国人主要是旅游或参加国际会议，其中有移民外国的柬民共有3万2千154人。

而国际游客市场主要是中国、美国、马来西亚、韩国、法国、澳洲、台湾、英国、泰国与新加坡等10个国家。

据金边市旅游局局长陈速占基斯那表示，到塔山仔观光的游客共有7万6千404人，比去年增31.56%；到堆斯陵罪恶馆参观的游客，共有16万7千126人，比去年增23.60%。

局长还指出，目前，获得旅游部发出相关准证的金边市业者共有2千278家，其中16家已结业，另8家因涉及毒品和性交易，而被勒令停业。

金边机场逾200万乘客

另一方面，国家民航国务秘书处国务秘书毛哈万那透露，今年上半年，金边国际机场接待超过200万名乘客。

他表示，今年金边国际机场整年接待的乘客人数有望达400万人次，再次创下新记录。

毛哈万那昨日上午出席研討会上，如是表示。

他还透露，我国与英国已达成开拓直飞协议，目前英国一家航空公司正在考察我国航空货运市场，同时也有许多国家有意与我国开闢直飞航线，包括肯亚、俄罗斯、澳洲、纽西兰、土耳其和非洲国家。

他透露，从1979年以来，共有24家国內和国际航空公司向民航局登记营业。

（柬埔寨星洲日报）

Stung Treng 上丁

Stung Treng (Khmer: ស្ទឹងត្រែង) is the capital of Stung Treng Province, Cambodia. It is located in the western part of the Virachey National Park. It is the major city (and capital) of both the district and province and has a population of 29,665 (2009). In Lao, the city's name is known as Xieng Teng.

Stung Treng is located on a high sandy bank overlooking the Mekong River, where it is joined by the Se Kong river. It lies along the National Highway 7, about 400 km from Phnom Penh and 50 km south of the Laos border. A bridge connects the city to the other side of the river. The population is made up of a mix of Khmer and Lao people. 

It contains a hospital, the Acleda Bank, Kong Ratana Sambath Guesthouse, Ou Dynak Red Guesthouse, Sok Sambath Hotel and Sorya Restaurant and an old settlement nearby called Thala Borivat.

The city is served by Stung Treng Airport, but currently there are no regular commercial services.

Location of Stung Treng province

~Info courtesy of Wikipedia~

Rith Mony Transport

Khmer Language Classification

Classification

Khmer is a member of the Austroasiatic language family, the most archaic family in an area that stretches from the Malay Peninsula through Southeast Asia to East India. Austroasiatic, which also includes Mon, Vietnamese and Munda, has been studied since 1856 and was first proposed as a language family in 1907. Despite the amount of research, there is still doubt about the internal relationship of the languages of Austroasiatic.  

Most classifications place Khmer in the eastern branch of a Mon-Khmer sub-grouping. In these classification schemes Khmer's closest genetic relatives are the Bahnaric and Pearic languages.More recent classifications doubt the validity of the Mon-Khmer sub-grouping and place the Khmer language as its own branch of Austroasiatic equidistant from the other 12 branches of the family.

~Info courtesy of Wikipedia~

柏威夏古剎‧庆祝列世遗5週年

柏威夏古剎‧庆祝列世遗5週年

昨天是柏威夏古剎被列为世界文化遗產名录5周年纪念日，约1千500名柏威夏官员和民眾一早便举行庆祝活动，提醒柬埔寨国和世人珍惜和维护这个属於全人类的文化遗址。

庆祝活动是在柏威夏古剎下方的洪森全球生態博物馆举行，王家军副参谋长明速比上將代表副总理宋安主持开幕仪式。

柏威夏古剎管理机构总监叶杜波拉致词时表示，柏威夏古剎是於2008年7月7日，获得联合国教科文组织（UNESCO）世界遗產大会通过，列入世界文化遗產名录，至今已是第5个年头。

他说，柏威夏古剎是高棉古代辉煌文化的重要遗址，也是柬埔寨文明的像征，更是全人类共同拥有的文化遗產。

他指出，参加庆祝活动的官员和民眾人数多达1千500人，包括柏省各级政府机构代表、柏威夏古剎管理机构人员和平民百姓等。

长久以来，我国和泰国针对柏威夏古剎附近地区的主权归属上存有爭议。柏威夏古剎建於公元10世纪至12世纪，两国在歷史上都宣称对该寺所属区域拥有主权。1962年，海牙国际法院把柏威夏古剎判归柬埔寨所有，这一裁决结果在泰国引发爭议。

2008年，联合国教科文组织正式批准柏威夏古剎为世界文化遗產，两国有关柏威夏古剎的主权爭议升级，泰柬双方在这一区域多次发生武装衝突，並造成人员伤亡，上万民眾被迫逃离家园。

今年4月15日，荷兰海牙国际法庭就我国於2011年要求，召开一连4天的听证会。柬泰两国都派出由政府高级別官员组成的代表团出席。我国代表团由外交部长何南丰率领，成员当中包括来自法国、英国和美国的有关法律与边界问题的国际律师。

大面积率领泰国代表团向国际法庭陈述的是，泰国驻荷兰大使威拉差，而泰国副总理兼外长素拉蓬、副总理兼教育部长蓬贴以及国防部长素坤蓬都將主席听证会。

国际法庭预料將於今年杪，就1962年裁决结果追加詮释申请，作出裁决。洪森总理和泰国首相英叻已表明，无论国际法庭裁决结果如何，两国都將尊重裁决，不应再起事端。

而刚於6月间举行的第37届世界文化遗產大会上，副总理宋安在记者招待会上表示，联合国教科文组织遗產委员会，已经同意拨出有关监管、保护和维修柏威夏古剎受损部份（在2011年柬泰交火期间遭受破坏）的经费，並將於今年10月或11月开始实施维修计划。

联合国教科文组织和国际生態安全合作组织代表团也经於6月18日，前往柏威夏古剎进行实地考察，以著手为柏威夏古剎战后修復工作进行准备。

（柬埔寨星洲日报）

Beach-bumming in Sihanoukville

Beach-bumming in Sihanoukville
BY HEIDI FULLER

With 60 pristine tropical islands nestling in sapphire waters easily reached from Phnom Penh, Cambodia is the place to island-hop while enjoying sand, surf and traditional village life.

Trussed between two huge palm trunks, my hammock sways in a gentle breeze as Heng brings me a Mojito packed with ice and fresh mint.

Stretching out a lazy hand to clutch the ice cold glass, I bless the owner of Sihanoukville’s Snake House - a quirky Russian food restaurant where you eat surrounded by crocs and snakes - who told me about the 60-plus islands studding the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand along Cambodia’s southern coast.

Far from the (sometimes maddening) full-moon parties and kitsch bungalow accommodation cramming Thailand’s coastal resorts, Cambodia’s beaches - because they were undiscovered for years due to the upheavals of the Khmer Rouge regime - are largely deserted, a fact that tempted me immensely.



Enjoying the serenity in the Koh Ru bungalow

“It’s no tourist guide’s junket,” Ivor of the Snakehouse told me. “Not many of these islands have decent transportation links, so if you want to discover the best of what’s out there, you’ll probably need to hire a boat.”

That night in Sihanoukville, as my feet were nibbled free of calloused skin by fish in a tank, I decided to get a first-taster and booked a ticket for Koh Tang. Ivor had warned me to bring plenty of camping gear.

“Not many of the islands have proper tourist facilities or accommodation, so you’ll need to be prepared and, if you need diving gear, it’s probably better to arrange it all ahead of time from the mainland,” he warned.

Dragging my heavy pack on and off boats and along sandy beaches and jungle paths was a bit of a nuisance, but I was soon glad I heeded his advice.

A breezy five-hour trip from the mainland, Koh Tang became a battle ground in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured the crew of SS Mayaguez, a US-flagged container ship, and US marines launched an abortive rescue operation.

Later in 1978, this uninhabited island some 40km south of the Cambodian mainland again hit the headlines when Englishman John Dewhirst and New Zealander Kerry Hamill were captured here and later executed at the Khmer Rouge’s notorious S21 prison in Phnom Penh.

Deserted, apart from a small military presence, Koh Tang today has a happier reputation as one of the best dive sites in Cambodia.

Along with five other deep sea fans who’d come here, with Scuba Nation Diving Centre (two days’ “room”-and-board from US$220, we set up tents in a shady spot behind the long, sandy beach, then headed out to dive.

Over the next few days, we explored the wonderland of multicoloured shoals of fish that live in the staghorn coral of Explosion reef and frolicked with the barracudas, jacks and cobias along Three Bears reef, then returned to the campfire every evening and ate fresh fish, and drank punch-packing palm wine under a brilliant canopy of stars.

However, with my hair matted from washing in briny water and skin stinging from sunburn, the romance of roughing it Robinson Crusoe-style began to wear thin, so I was more than ready for my next stop at Koh Rong Saloem a few days later. Hailed as the next Ko Samui, Rong Saloem island is breathtakingly beautiful with endless stretches of chalk-white sand and a dense jungle interior where I hiked with a guide the following day and glimpsed a big-fanged black cobra.

Most of the time, however, I spent in the aptly named Lazy Beach Bungalows (US$40 a night) chilling out in one of half a dozen thatched-roofed huts scattered along a sandy beach nursed by a gentle curve of turquoise sea, then cooling off in the phosphorescent waters at night.

Seeking stimulation on the last day of my stay, I hired a long-tail boat powered by an outboard motor that looked like a hedge trimmer, and headed round the coast to Mai Pei Bei to do some volunteer work.

“If you’re staying for a while, you can teach at the school, but if you’re only here for the day, we’d love it if you help out with our beach clean-up operation,” said Nhean, who runs volunteer operations in this friendly little fishing village.

Along with Nhean and some other volunteers, we combed the beaches all day for litter and felt pleasantly meritorious as we relaxed our tired legs and aching backs that evening in one of the local food shacks sipping ice-cold Angkor beer and supping on tasty chunks of fresh-caught squid.

Back at Sihanoukville and surrounded by revelling crowds, I was soon feeling agoraphobic, so I decided to head for the islands on the other side of this lively Cambodian resort. Catching the Coasters boat which leaves every morning at 9.30 from Ochheuteal beach, I was soon leaping from the high prow of the boat into the soft sand of Koh Russei.

An hour’s ride from the mainland, Bamboo island is just two long sandy beaches linked across the middle by a jungle path that buzzes with cicadas. Friends had recommended Bimbamboo Bungalows on the busy side of the island which attracts all the daytrippers, but I opted for the more peaceful Koh Ru Bungalows (from US$15) on the southern side.

Painted in vivid colours, these bungalows are fairly basic, with shared showers and toilets, but the gently shelving sandy beach strewn with seashells makes it ideal for kids, giving a laidback, family feel to this side of the island. After a few days lazing on the beach and supping on prahok-flavoured fish soup, samlor machu and a grilled-fish-and-pickle dish called trik kreoung pahok at the beach restaurant, I headed back to Sihanoukville.

Up early the next day, I headed a few kilometres out of town and caught the passenger boat which travels along the mangrove-lined Prek Toeuk Sap River into Ream National Park.

Created in 1995, the park, which extends over 15,000ha of land and 6,000ha of marine habitat, is home to a host of endangered wildlife, including king cobras, pythons, great hornbills and leopard cats.

During my six-hour trip along this river which empties into the Gulf of Thailand, I saw coffee-coloured Rhesus monkeys grooming each other in the sun, rare Irrawady dolphins that popped their strange lumpy heads out from under our boat and dozens of flying fish leaping out of the water around us like rainbow-coloured spinners.

Apart from a few budget rooming places, the only accommodation inside the park is the Ream Beach Guesthouse (room from US$15 a night), a basic-but-friendly sleepery right on the beach where I spent the night.



The Ream Beach Guesthouse is the only accommodation available inside the Ream National Park

Early the next day, a small boat whisked me on the 30-minute ride across the glittering gulf to Koh Thmei, a pristine island where I’d reserved a room at the eco-friendly Koh Thmei Resort (room from US$15 a night).

Sitting on the balcony of one of the resort’s wooden bungalows overlooking a long sandy beach fringed by casuarina trees, I ordered another mojito and toasted the sun setting in streaks of fiery crimson over the gulf of Thailand. - Heidi Fuller-Love

~News courtesy of The Star~

New flights from Da Nang to Seoul, Siem Reap

VNA opens new flights from Da Nang to Seoul, Siem Reap



National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) on June 28 in Da Nang City announced that it has opened two direct flight routes from the city to Seoul (Korea) and Siem Reap (Cambodia).

There will be three flights a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, which will depart at 0.05 am in Da Nang and at 9.30 am (local time) in Seoul, by Airbus A321 aircraft for the Da Nang - Seoul route.

As for Da Nang - Siem Reap route, there will be one flight a day by ATR-72 aircraft, departing at 2.10 pm from Da Nang City and at 5.15 pm from Siem Reap.

The carrier announced that it will sell tickets at prices nearly 50 percent cheaper than normal prices for both routes until December 31 this year, with a round-trip ticket for Da Nang - Seoul route costing VND5,940,000, and VND1,738,000 for Da Nang – Siem Reap route.

~News courtesy of SGGP~

Khmer words 柬文

Khmer Language

Khmer (/kəˈmɛər/;ភាសាខ្មែរ, IPA: [pʰiːəsaː kʰmaːe]; or more formally, ខេមរភាសា,IPA: [kʰeɛmaʔraʔ pʰiːəsaː]), or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language(after Vietnamese), with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious registers, through the vehicles of Hinduism and Buddhism. 

It is also the earliest recorded and earliest written language of the Mon–Khmer family, predating Mon and by a significant margin Vietnamese. The Khmer language has influenced, and also been influenced by, Thai, Lao, Vietnamese and Cham, all of which, due to geographical proximity and long-term cultural contact, form a sprachbund in peninsular Southeast Asia.

Khmer is primarily an analytic, isolating language. There are no inflections, conjugations or case endings. Instead, particles and auxiliary words are used to indicate grammatical relationships. General word order is subject–verb–object. Many words conform to the typical Mon-Khmer pattern, having a "main" syllable preceded by a minor syllable.

The Khmer language is written with an abugida known in Khmer as អក្សរខ្មែរ (IPA: [aʔksɑː kʰmaːe]). Khmer differs from neighboring languages such as Thai, Burmese, Lao and Vietnamese in that it is not a tonal language.

~Info courtesy of Wikipedia~