Cambodia - A country rich in handicraft culture

Cambodia - A country rich in handicraft culture

With beautiful desert beaches, preserved jungle ecology, permanent coffee scent in urban areas with a complex history and 1000-year-old temples from the most impressive empire in the calendar In world history, Cambodia deserves to be called the Kingdom of Wonders.

Cambodian handicrafts like silk clothes, stone-wood carvings and rattan furniture are popular among tourists who are willing to pay at gift shops and airports. However, the scale of this field is not similar to what people in the industry expect. They argue that it is constrained by production problems and a lack of organized systems to bring products from local villages to international markets. Therefore, in 2007, Cambodia officially joined the movement "One village one product" (OVOP), promoting the development potential of this industry.

Cambodian art has always been alive through centuries of history. This traditional art dating to the Khmer 802, in 1414 AD, is evidenced by the emergence of many ancient temple temples, the most famous being Angkor Wat.

After the fall of the Khmer civilization, Cambodia developed rapidly but did not lose its ancient art but still retained much of its ancient architecture. Many features of the daily life of the Khmer have been preserved to this day, especially in rural areas, where houses, markets and views are almost identical to those carved in sandstone eight centuries ago.

The impact of Khmer culture is also evident through the revival of some traditional arts such as Apsara dance and dance music. In pre-colonial Cambodia, arts and crafts were often produced by rural craftsmen and skilled artists, derived from the glorious tradition of Angkor.

Today, government initiatives have helped to encourage the rebirth of other Khmer-era crafts, such as weaving and weaving, while focusing on developing carvings and paintings. Carvings, painting and weaving remain the main segments of the art industry in Cambodia and are constantly growing.

Textile has been an important commercial item in Cambodia for centuries. Today, the profession is still popular and provides jobs for many rural women. This traditional art form uses many layers of yarn to create fabric. The skilled weavers here produce silk fabrics, carpets, kramas towels, rugs and hats with interesting weaving styles and unique colors.


Sources: https://www.siemreap.net/visit/about-cambodia/

https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/handicraft-handicap/

https://www.asiahighlights.com/cambodia/arts-and-crafts.htm