Cambodia: Cambodia's Art/Culture

The culture of Cambodia has had a rich and varied history dating back a lot of centuries and has been heavily influenced by India. In turn, Cambodia greatly influenced Thailand, Laos and vice versa. Throughout Cambodia's long history, a major source of inspiration was from religion.

Throughout nearly millennium, Cambodians developed a unique Khmer belief from the syncreticism of indigenous animistic beliefs and the Indian religions of Buddhism and Hinduism. Indian culture and civilization, including its language and arts reached mainland Southeast Asia around the 1st century A.D. Its is generally believed that seafaring merchants brought Indian customs and culture to ports along the gulf of Thailand and the Pacific while trading with China. The prime national to benefit from this was Funan. At various times, Cambodia culture as well absorbed elements from Thai, Lao, Chinese, and Javanese cultures.

The majority of Cambodians (nearly 90%) are of Khmer heritage, and an even better proportion speak Khmer the official language of Cambodia. Other languages spoken include French, Chinese, Vietnamese and English (which has become increasingly common).

Architecture and housing

The Angkorian architects and sculptors created temples that mapped the cosmic world in stone. Khmer decorations drew inspiration from religion, and mythical creatures from Hinduism and Buddhism were carved on walls. Temples were built in accordance to the policy of ancient Khmer architecture that dictated that a basic temple layout include a central shrine, a courtyard, an enclosing wall, and a moat. Khmer motifs use a lot of creatures from Buddhist and Hindu mythology, like the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, use motifs such as the garuda, a mythical bird in the Hinduism. The architecture of Cambodia developed in stages under the Khmer empire from 9th to the 15th century, preserved in a lot of buildings of the Angkor temple. The remains of secular architecture from this time are rare, as only religious buildings were made of stone. The architecture of the Angkor period used specific structural features and styles, which are of the major methods used to date the temples, along with inscriptions.

In modern rural Cambodia, the nuclear family typically lives in a rectangular home that may vary in size from by meters to by ten meters. It is constructed of a wooden frame with gabled thatch roof and walls of woven bamboo. Khmer houses typically are raised on stilts as much as three meters for protection from annual floods ladders or wooden staircases provide access to the home. The steep thatch roof overhanging the home walls protects the interior from rain. Typically a home contains three rooms separated by partitions of woven bamboo. The front room serves as a living room used to receive visitors, the next room is the parents' bedroom, and the third is for unmarried daughters. Sons sleep anywhere they can find space. Family members and neighbors work together to build the home, and a home-raising ceremony is held upon its completion. The houses of poorer persons may contain only a single large room. Food is prepared in a separate kitchen located near the home but usually behind it. Toilet facilities consist of simple pits in the ground, located away from the home, that are covered up at the same time as filled. Any livestock is kept below the home. Chinese and Vietnamese houses in Cambodian town and villages typically are built due on the ground and have earthen,adhesive, or tile floors, depending upon the economic status of the owner. Urban housing and commercial buildings may be of brick, masonry, or wood.

Religion

Cambodia is predominantly Buddhist with 95% of the people being Theravada Buddhist, and the majority of the remaining people follow Islam, atheism, or animism.

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