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Angkor Panorama Museum

Coordinates: 13°22′39″N 103°52′50″E / 13.377594°N 103.8806495°E / 13.377594; 103.8806495
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Angkor Panorama Museum
Map
EstablishedDecember 5, 2015; 8 years ago (2015-12-05)
LocationSiem Reap, Cambodia
Coordinates13°22′39″N 103°52′50″E / 13.377594°N 103.8806495°E / 13.377594; 103.8806495
TypeArt & History Museum

The Angkor Panorama Museum (Khmer: សារៈមន្ទីរសព្វទស្សន៍អង្គរ) is a museum in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The museum is dedicated to show the history of ancient temples in Cambodia.

History

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The museum was built by a North Korean company Mansudae Art Studio with the participation of the APSARA Authority.[1] The construction of the museum began in 2011, the Mansudae studio designed the structure, in which the studio consulted a committee of government officials from Cambodia.[2] The North Korean government invested US$24 million in the museum.[3] The museum was inaugurated in December 2015. One of the North Koreans who worked on the museum is Kim Je Jung, who also made a military sculpture for the António Agostinho Neto Cultural Center in the capital of Angola. Also, Jong Hui Jin participated in the creation of one of the museum's paintings.[4] In 2020, the Cambodian government closed several North Korean businesses including the museum to comply with United Nations sanctions.[5]

Collections

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The museum features a 360-degree mural of the 12th century Angkorian Empire depicting artisans and warriors at war, the mural is 123 meters long and 13 meters high.[6] 63 artists worked on the mural, which took a year and a half to complete.[7] The museum contains a painting of King Jayavarman VII on top of an elephant leading the soldiers. The historical details of the museum's paintings were investigated by the Cambodian Ministry of Culture, under the administration of Director General of Heritage Hab Touch.[8] The museum contains miniature models of the main Angkor temples as well as maps of ancient temples located in different parts of Cambodia.[9] Other paintings in the museum include a painting of a smiling Buddha, based on a reproduction of the stone faces from the Bayon Temple.[10] The museum contains exhibits on the 1471 Cham-Vietnamese War as well as on the construction of the Bayon Temple.[11] The museum contains a series of photographs showing the North Korean artists painting the mural.[12] The museum contains 3D films on the evolution of the Angkorian Empire.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Sreyny, Chan (2020-01-04). "Angkor Museum, along with other businesses invested by North Korean companies, have been shut down due to UN sanctions". Khmernote Business (in Khmer). Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  2. ^ "Cambodia's new cultural jewel". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  3. ^ "[캄보디아 르포②] 北의 탄식...283억 들인 앙코르 박물관 결국 폐쇄". 시사주간 (in Korean). 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  4. ^ Solero, Ricardo (2015-12-22). "Corea del Norte abre un museo sobre Angkor en Camboya para vender su arte" [North Korea opens a museum on Angkor in Cambodia to sell its art]. Agencia EFE (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  5. ^ Min-ho, Jung (2020-01-09). "Cambodia shuts down North Korean businesses to comply with UN sanctions". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  6. ^ "North Korean Artists Bring Ancient Angkor to Life for Visitors in Cambodia". VOA Cambodia. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  7. ^ "North Korea's museum outpost in Angkor". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  8. ^ Cox, Jonathan (2016-03-23). "Angkor in Acrylic". Khmer Times. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  9. ^ "A controversial new view of Angkor Wat". The Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  10. ^ Strangio, Sebastian (2016-02-22). "N Korea's multimillion-dollar museum in Cambodia". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  11. ^ Chey, Portia (2016-02-01). "A tour of North Korea's multimillion dollar museum – in Cambodia". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  12. ^ Ritz, Naomi (2015-12-07). "A Peek Inside North Korea's Angkor Museum". Khmer Times. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  13. ^ "Mysterious North Korean museum opens in Cambodia". The Japan Times. 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2022-02-17.