Museum opens near Angkor Wat

Saturday, November 3, 2007
Japan Today

PHNOM PENH — A museum adjacent to Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple complex in the northern province of Siem Reap was inaugurated Friday.

The Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum, built at a cost of more than $1 million, houses and exhibits 274 Buddhist statues excavated at the Banteay Kdei Temple in 2001 by the Sophia University Angkor International Mission.

King Calls for Preservation of Cultural Heritage [-Your Majesty, how could they when they couldn't even preserve their homes and their lands?]

Vong Dara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Siem Reap
02 November 2007

King Norodom Sihamoni Friday called on Cambodians to retain the country's historical and cultural heritage, which he called essential to social and economic development.

"Over the years, many of our friends and donor countries have been helping us in the preservation of our temples in Cambodia," the kind said, at an inaugural ceremony of a Siem Reap-based Preah Norodom Sihanouk Angkor Museum. "I would like to call on all the countrymen, Cambodian government and authorities to help preserve our cultural and historical heritage and the statues in this museum."

The museum was built with the assistance of Sophia University in Japan and was funded by Neon company.

The museum, named after the former king, Sihamoni's father, is worth $1 million and will house 271 statues near the Angkor temples. The building is equipped with high-tech security measures to prevent thievery.