Wat Sarawan

Said to be one of the five original pagodas in Phnom Penh, in common with the other ones there are few original buildings in the compound. The nearby Wat Ounalom was supposedly inaugurated in 1443, but there appear to be few if any buildings that are more than a century old, and most are far more modern. Wat Sarawan is remarkable in that it contains what are arguably the most ancient Buddhist scrolls in the country. Written on parchment, these religious texts tend to decay in the tropical climate and a great many were destroyed or lost during the tumultuous years of the past few decades.
One striking structure that remains on the site is a red brick tower that appears to be particularly ancient. The Serge Corrieras photograph of children playing in front of it in 1991 shows it looking on the verge of collapse. What is even more surprising is that in 2012 this building which was obviously refurbished in the subsequent years looks even older now. The colonial-style slatted windows are falling apart. As far as I know it is only about one hundred years old but one would be easily fooled into thinking it is much more ancient.

January 7th 1979

Psah Thmei in December 1978 by Elizabeth Becker

PAVN/KUFNS troops entering Phnom Penh

PAVN/KUFNS troops entering Phnom Penh

Troops in front of the Royal Palace

A deserted street near O'Russei Market with abandoned Vespas

A deserted Charles de Gaulle Boulevard

Near Psah Thmei

Abandoned cars near Tuol Kok Antennae

Children found near Tuol Sleng

Children found near Tuol Sleng

Citizens returning to the city

Citizens waiting to enter the city. At first the new government tried to control entry.

After numerous incursions and massacres by Pol Pot's troops inside the Vietnamese border in 1977 and 1978 the Vietnam People's Army (PAVN) , along with the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (KUFNS) launched their invasion of Democratic Kampuchea on December 25th 1978. They encountered little resistance, and managed to liberate Phnom Penh on 7th January 1979. 

 

Axara on Sihanouk Boulevard

This building on Sihanouk Boulevard is pictured first in around 1996 and then more recently.It's been converted into an upmarket Boutique and they've done a very fine job on the refurbishment. The top picture is by Serge Corrieras.

Wat Phnom Plaque

 

This plaque on the southern slope of the hill commemorates the return of the western provinces of Battambang, Siem Reap and Sisophon to Cambodia after the 1907 Franco-Siamese treaty. The three women on the right side represent the three provinces, while in the middle sits King Sisowath. The first picture is from 1931, and shows a woman by the plaque on a barren-looking hill. Nowadays the gardens receive quite a bit more attention and foliage abounds.

US Embassy 1965

On the 26th April 1965 the US Embassy street was stormed by a mob of 20,000 Cambodian students. They hurled rocks, ink bottles and other missiles at the building and ripped down the American flag. Authorities said the demonstration was touched off by U.S. cross-border air attacks that had killed Cambodian citizens and by a slanderous article about Prince Sihanouk and his wife Monique in the April 5th issue of Newsweek magazine. The photos show the embassy, and the crowds outside in 1965. Cambodia broke off diplomatic relations with the US on the 3rd May.
The bottom pictures show the building as it is in 2012, and the USOM (United States Operations Mission) building opposite which can be seen behind the crowd in the 1965 picture. The buildings are located on 126 Street and the one which has had a recent makeover was previously posted about Here

Wat Sarawan Building

 

I posted the top two pictures previously, mistakenly believing they were taken at Wat Ounalom. There is a very similar building in the grounds of that pagoda, but this morning I found the right one in the grounds of nearby Wat Sarawan. The top picture by Serge Corrieras was taken in 1991. The second by Chris Watson is from 2007. The bottom two are how it appears today.

Pharmacy on Street 106

This building was in a decrepit state for some time and I wondered how they managed to add an extra floor to it when it was renovated. However it's obvious from the pictures that it was completely rebuilt rather than refurbished. The style of the original structure was replicated well, keeping it in tune with many of the older buildings in the neighborhood. That's a lot more than I could say for the hideous glass-fronted insurance building next door.