History of the Cyclo

History of the Cyclo

Thursday, September 8, 2016 /

Everyday, Phnom Penh's busy streets buzz with motorcycles, cars, tuk-tuks and bicycles as thousands of local commuters carry out their daily business and droves of foreign visitors site hop between city landmarks. Meandering lazily amongst its speedy counterparts, the humble cyclo offers a completely unique and historically significant mode of transport for locals and tourists alike.

The three-wheeled pedal-driven carriage is a specific type of man-powered, small-scale means of transport, variants of which can be spotted throughout Asia in the forms of the pedicab, trishaw, rickshaw and more. Setting the cyclo apart from its siblings is its pedal-powered technology, as well as its unique origin and deeply rooted history within the heart of the Kingdom.

The cyclo dates back to 1937, when it was first invented in Phnom Penh by a French engineer named Maurice Coupeaud. Noticing the popularity of the rickshaw in China and the already dominant use of bicycles in his adopted city of Phnom Penh, he merged the two vehicles in his design of the all-new people-carrier: "the cyclopousse", as it was initially named.

The "cyclopousse" (later shortened to "cyclo") gained relatively instant popularity amongst the citizens of Phnom Penh. According to Im Sambath, the Executive Director of the Cyclo Conservation and Careers Association (CCCA) in Phnom Penh, the now iconic three-wheeler was instantly embraced as a form of personal transport as well as a means of cargo.

"Cyclo is the traditional means of Cambodian transportation. It was the solution to a lack of transport in the past, so it was very popular when it was invented," Sambath says. "Before the cyclo, people generally used bicycles to get places or to transport goods or products from one place to somewhere else. At that time, there was no busy traffic like now, as the streets were very quiet. So cyclos were the main form of transport for most people for a long time. That's why it's still very important to the culture."

While the cyclo was, and still is an important fixture in Cambodian daily life, its usage has not been limited to within the Kingdom. Soon after Coupeaud designed the first model in Phnom Penh, he spread the idea into Vietnam and beyond through the most effective means available at the time - he rode it there!

"When [Coupeaud] invented it, he drove it from Phnom Penh to Saigon, Vietnam. It took him 27 hours and 24 minutes." Sambath says. "That was the first time the cyclo entered into Vietnam and it has stayed there until today."

Cyclos not only possess significant cultural and historical importance within the Kingdom, they are also incredibly functional. Because they are powered by pedaling,

they are one of the most environmentally friendly means of transport available within Cambodia. They are also well suited to the city's busy streets, and traffic tends to give way to cyclos at every turn. Phnom Penh's narrow streets also make the cyclo a favourable means of transport, particularly over larger vehicles such as cars. 

Beyond this, cyclos have become a popular means by which tourists can view the city sights due to their leisurely pace and open-air, comfortable seating. 

"The cyclo is slower, so tourists can see more, and it is much more open so there is a better view of the street. It's also very relaxing to sit back on the cyclo, especially on the riverside where there is fresh air and a nice breeze," Sambath says. 

Those who wish to experience a slice of Cambodian heritage while taking in the metropolis of Phnom Penh will find cyclo drivers omnipresent throughout the city. 

"We now have approximately 450 cyclos in Phnom Penh. There are around 150 cyclo drivers who operate them," Sambath says. "Mostly they can be found in Russian Market, Central Market and Boeung Keng Kong market. You can also just ask any one of these drivers if you can take a ride. " 

For those wishing to arrange a fixed tour of the city via cyclo, the options are many and varied, and booking could not be made easier. 

"You can book through travel agents a day in advance, who will contact us and we will arrange it," Sambath explains. "They tell us the time and the place and we will organise it. The cost varies depending on the distance or period of time. If you book our cyclo tour of Phnom Penh it is one hour for 3USD. Half days are ?USD and full days are 12 USD. It will take passengers wherever they would like - it's up to the passenger to say where they want to go." 

Next time you're in Cambodia's capital, set aside some time to soak in the city through this time-honoured, relaxing style of transport. 

The Sampot

The Sampot

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Cambodia is a country that takes great pride in its textiles and garments. For the people of the Kingdom, traditional clothes are not just worn for aesthetic reasons, they are also symbols of identity and of social status. While the krama (the checkered scarf) and the aor (a traditional shirt) hold special significance for the Khmer people, the sampot is most commonly referred to as Cambodia's national garment, particularly among women.


The sampot is a long, rectangular cloth worn around the waist, which can be draped or folded in a variety of ways, and is generally made out of silk. It is similar to other skirt-like garments found across the continent, and strongly resembles the Indian dhoti.




































The roots of this esteemed garment can be traced back to ancient times, and are visible in the walls of the temples of Angkor, where the bas-reliefs depict angels and goddesses donning sampot-like skirts. The actual origins are thought to be even more remote: they first came into use during the Funan era (first century AD 550), when a Cambodian king, hoping to please a Chinese envoy visiting his realm, commissioned all his subjects to wear the garment.

Any discussion of the sampot must address the different silk weaving techniques used throughout Cambodia, as they are paramount to Khmer culture and key to understanding the significance of the sampot within Cambodian society. Records show that looms have been used to weave textiles in the area since ancient times. Complex methods and intricate patterns have been developed over the centuries, and the craft has evolved to become a rich tradition and a complete artistic medium. 

There are two major Cambodian silk weaving techniques: the ikat design and the uneven twill. The ikat design technique is a laborious method used for patterned textiles. Patterns are made by tying natural or synthetic fibers on the weft threads and then dyeing them. The uneven twill, on the other hand, is a much quicker method that yields single or two-colour fabrics. 

Over the centuries, Cambodians have created many variations of the sampot using these techniques. The sarong is the most common,

worn by both men and women. It measures approximately one and a half metres and both ends are sewn together. It is tied to secure it on the waist. 

The sampot chang kben is the preferred choice for special occasions, such as weddings and funerals. Until the beginning of the last century, it was widely worn by women of the highest social class. Unlike the typical sampot, the chang kben is more like pants than a skirt. It is a rectangular piece of cloth three metres long and one metre wide. It is worn by wrapping it around the waist, stretching it away from the body and twisting it into a knot. The knot is then pulled behind the legs and held by a metal belt. 

During your stay in the Kingdom, don't forget to scour the local markets and tailors for the perfect sampot to add to your wardrobe. With such great variety in patterns and styles of cloth, you are bound to find one that not only matches your taste, but represents a truly significant aspect of Khmer culture and history. 

Gemstones

Gemstones

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Precious gemstones are renowned worldwide for their beauty and lustre, and they are widely regarded as highly desired accessories. Often associated with ideas and emotions like love, elegance and romance, gemstones are the perfect gift for your loved ones.

Cambodia produces top-quality gemstones: exquisite rubies, sapphires, amethysts and others can be found in dealerships around the country. "The gemstones found in Cambodia are of excellent quality, and the Kingdom is the country in Southeast Asia with the largest variety of stones," says Jean Philippe Lepage, an accredited gemologist and CEO of the Gemological Institute of Cambodia (GEMIC Laboratory Co., Ltd.) in Siem Reap.

Cambodian gems are part of a rich cultural tradition that traces back to ancient times. The carvings in Angkor Wat depict goddesses donning elaborate pieces of jewellery, some of them unmistakably made with gemstones. Khmer rings set with gems from the Angkor period can be found in museums and collections around the world.

Sapphires aren't the only blue gemstone to come from Cambodia —zircons are popular too. Zircons are mined in Ratanakiri, a province in Northeastern Cambodia. According to David Hindley, owner of jewellery D. Hindley in Phnom Penh, miners dig holes up to 15 metres deep and then pull the raw stones from the clay. They are naturally an orange or brown colour, but when the gems are heated they turn blue, the best ones developing a stunning deep peacock blue. Some even turn white.

Hindley believes that one of the big appeals of zircons is their sparkle. They share with diamonds the ability to split white light into different colours, so a white zircon can give flashes of red, yellow and violet, almost like a diamond. Zircons are also affordable —a hefty 5 carat stone that would make a magnificent ring can cost just $300 in Cambodia.

Other popular Cambodian gemstones include purple and lilac amethysts from Kampong Thom or Ratanakiri, deep red garnets from Pailin, clear or pale blue topaz and smoky quartz from Takeo, and grass-green peridots from Mondulkiri.

Buying your gemstones in the Kingdom just makes sense. According to Lepage, there are some excellent gem cutters in Cambodia who can create truly magnificent pieces of jewellery using the precious gemstone of your choice. Price is another reason for you to acquire your gemstones while in Cambodia, and Lepage adds that prices in the Kingdom are extremely competitive within the region.

Whether you are looking for an elegant accessory, or hoping to find a perfect gift for that special one, a gemstone can be just what you need. Fortunately, the Cambodian soil nurtures world-class gemstones that you can buy at exceptional prices. So, in your visit to the Kingdom of Wonder, why not purchase something special? Your are bound to impress your friends back home.

Ayai funny as it is provocative

Ayai funny as it is provocative

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Ayai is an old and intricate form of Khmer traditional art that combines poetry, singing, and music all rolled into one. It is an art for everyone. Generally comedic in nature, it is equally enjoyed by farmers and businessmen as it is performed with the same zest on the lavished stages of the Cambodian Television Network or pagodas of the provinces.

In one of its most popular versions, a man and a woman stand on a stage and exchange a string of clever (at times naughty) sentences, pausing to give way to the mesmerizing, high-pitched sound of an ensemble of traditional Khmer instruments. Those witty sentences are masterfully constructed impromptu to fit a traditional form of poetry, the gom nab peak pram pi, or the seven-syllable metre.

In the gom nab peak pram pi, each paragraph consists of four sentences, which, in turn, are made up of seven syllables or phonetic units. The last syllable of the first sentence rhyme with the fourth syllable of the second. The last syllable of the second sentence rhymes with the last one of the third, which in exchange, also rhyme with the fourth phonetic unit of the last sentence. This highly complex form of poetry is mastered by Ayai performers, who so effortless go on stage and improvise the difficult verses in performances that are, incredibly, fully ad-libbed.

According to Ayai experts, to become a performer of this intricate art form one needs talent and hard-work in equal measures. An innate knack for words and poetry is paramount, but so is the discipline to train on a daily basis with a partner to keep one's brain agile and quick. Ayai performers need to keep abreast of the latest economic, social and political developments in the country and the world, as they need to be able to entertain audiences with timely, provocative and informative verses.

There are two types of performances: the Ayai Roeung, or story, performed solo, and the Ayai Chlaoy Chlorng, which takes the form of a jocose conversation between two people, normally a man and a woman. Verses in both versions of the art form are full of double entendres, sometimes with sexual connotations. Both types of Ayai feature enthralling musical breaks between the verses. 

A performance starts with a Nekmasaka or initial prayer, in which the performer pays respect to God and to the Ayai masters (kruu bashiay) that have preceded them. The next step in the Ayai Chlauy Chlorng - the version that takes the form of a dialogue - involves the performer thanking the audience and beckoning his partner to come to stage, usually by referring to her by a funny moniker such as "widow" or "sister". This phase of the performance is known as Born Pe Klay. What follows is a conversation between both performers: an ingenious exchange on a light-hearted topic. Sometimes, the dialogue picks up the pace and turns into a heated battle of words, known in Khmer as as tok sei, with short sentences being thrown at the other performer with rapid-fire delivery. To break the pace or change the environment, a short intermission sometimes occurs that is known as ruan sai yuu, in which the orchestra music takes over and the performers go quiet for a moment and focus on dancing. This third stage is known as Kern Chaww. 

After Kern Chaww the female performer usually raises a more formal or serious topic, such as an old Khmer proverb, and the man responds, thus initiating another conversation. This new dialogue, with a more serious overtone, is part of the next stage, known as Della. Each one of these four phases - the Nekmasaka, the Born Pe Klay, the Kern Chaww and the Della - is set to a different music, and while the transition is easily recognizable to experts of the art form, the less savvy will have a hard time telling one stage from the next. Once the Della is finished, the show comes to an end with a new melody, generally upbeat in nature, that is sometimes referred to as a "goodbye song". 

A modern Ayai orchestra is made up of experienced musicians playing, generally, six different instruments: the tro sau (a two-string vertical fiddle), the khem (a stringed instrument similar to a dulcimer, played with two small mallets), the takhe (a crocodile-shaped fretted floor zither with three strings), the skor dai (a small drum made out of snakeskin), the chhing (finger cymbals), and the khloy (a type of bamboo flute). Shows such as the ones usually staged in the provinces, use only four instruments, generally disposing of the chhing and the khloy. 

If you are interested to catch this charismatic and complex Khmer art form, turn on your TV to Apsara Television, CTN or Bayon Television, which all broadcast Ayai shows with some regularity. Should you visit the provinces, remember that monks love Ayai, and Ayai performances are not uncommon in celebrations held at pagodas. 

Naga and Garuda

Naga and Garuda

Wednesday, September 7, 2016 /

Naga

Naga and Garuda are mythological creatures, originally from Hinduism who came eventually to be part of Buddhist mythology as well. We find them together in several temples at Angkor, and outside Angkor Park too" says Cheam Phally, senior architect for the World Monuments Fund Program in Angkor. 

Garuda

And though rooted in Indian mythology, over time Cambodia has made these deities its own, giving them a new life, new powers, new stories and uniquely Khmer representations.

In the Hindu tales, the Naga was a chariot for Varuna, the god of rain, and often represented as a negative force, a persecutor of other creatures. Sometimes with five heads, sometimes with seven, they are now found everywhere in Cambodia, and while they may look similar, their character is transformed. 

In Khmer culture, the Naga represents fertility and the feminine, even the divine amniotic fluid that is the source of all life. She is a protector of waterways and against the ferocious monsoon rains. She marks the crossing from the earthly world to the heavenly, a sacred transition across the water. 

More than that, she has been adopted as the mother of all Khmer, a leading character in the Cambodia foundation myth, whose story is still intimately tied in with modern marriage customs. 

And where there are Naga, there will also be its nemesis, the Garuda, the giant bird who was Vishnu's mount in the Hindu epics. Stories of him go back almost 4000 years when he was celebrated for his strength, speed and martial prowess. He is also revered for his protection against snake bites, and prayers were offered to the Garuda to remove snakes from one's path. 

In those tales the Naga and Garuda are sworn enemies, caught up in an endless battle for supremacy. In Hindu images, the Garuda often wears amulets of the snake; tokens of their battle. In Buddhism, the dominance of the Garuda is thought to symbolise the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia, with Nagas representing the indigenous beliefs the people held before (and continue to today). 

Khmer art and architecture, with their symmetrical temples, depend greatly on the 

balancing of opposites, of night and day, good and evil, light and dark, the sun and moon. The Naga and Garuda look like perfect talismans in this eternal struggle. But it wouldn't be right to consider them opposites. 

The two enemies are cut from the same fabric. In fact, in the Hindu epics, they have the same father, and their resultant rivalry is the basis for all the ensuing conflict. In some images, the two are connected by a rainbow, so that despite their rivalry they are part of a union. Like life and death, you cannot have one without the other. 

But they are not always presented in conflict. At many temples, the two are presented together, sometimes upholding the Buddha who once brokered a temporary peace between the two implacable enemies. Together they are in fact a symbol for how even the most impossible of disputes can be overcome. 

"We observe them joined together in one piece especially in the architectures erected during King Jayavarman VII's reign," explains Phally, referring especially to Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei and Preah Khan. And when this is the case, then the relationship between the two becomes defined not by conflict, but by peace. 

"In his temples, Jayavarman VII [who was a fervent Buddhist] wanted to combine Hinduism and Buddhism together and bring peace to his Kingdom that way. Combining the two enemies together, under the guidance of Buddha, was thus extremely symbolic of this peaceful union," says Phally. 

According to Phally, the most beautiful examples of this can be found at Preah Khan, where the World Monuments Fund team is restoring all 72 with support from a novel initiative, Adopt A Garuda.

"Originally, 72 sculptures depicting the Garuda holding two multi-headed snakes aloft in his hands were carved in the outermost enclosure wall. The Garuda and Naga together are serving as the guardians and protectors of the temple," she says. "At Preah Khan, Jayavarman VII could bring unity and peace also by having some portions of the temple with a Hindu dedication while others were Buddhist."