Discovering Angkor

While still a student at the Art Institute of the University of Paris in 1972， Chiang Hsun， now a renowned Taiwan-based aesthetician， painter and writer， was excited to discover an elegant art museum near the Eiffel Tower. Also known as Guimet Museum， the National Museum of Asian Arts is a treasure trove of unique artwork including a variety of Buddhist artifacts from India， Nepal， Afghanistan and other Asian countries. Even more excitingly， Chiang’s student ID card from the University of Paris allowed him free admission to the museum. “In those years， I frequented the museum to understand the history of Buddhist art，” Chiang recalled.

The centerpiece of the lobby of Guimet Museum is a giant stone bridge leading to the gate of Angkor Thom. The bridgehead features a seven-headed serpent， or “Naga” in Hinduism， as well as Deity Indra and Asura which are involved in a tug of war. According to Hinduism， Indra is the protagonist representing good whereas Asura is an evil spirit， and the battle between good and evil helps maintain the balance of the universe. “Here， I was overwhelmed by the intricacy， beauty and breathtaking awesomeness of Angkor sculptures. I hadn’t expected such a high degree of precision in the artwork of the ancient Angkor civilization，” Chiang said. It was in the museum that the artist’s attachment to Angkor sprouted.

“Back then， I longed for a chance to visit Angkor Thom， but in the 1970’s Cambodia was mired in the chaos of civil war， suffering under the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge regime，” Chiang recalled. “It was not until the 1990’s， when the civil war came to an end， that I got my first chance to set foot on Cambodian soil. I consider the chance a fruit of Karma， or a seed I had sown in Paris more than 20 years before.”

‘Prosperity Is a Process of Disappearance’

In early 1990’s， Chiang made his first visit to Angkor Thom. Upon seeing the serene Angkor Wat， the enigmatic stone sculptures and the weed-covered timeless ruins， he sighed： “The process in which architecture is destroyed and abandoned by nature as it is shown here is difficult to find in other places. It takes our breath away with its awe-inspiring power. Given infinite time， any prosperity is a process of disappearance.”

In 1431， Siam captured Angkor Thom before sacking the city. The Khmer king moved the capital to Phnom Penh and abandoned Angkor， leaving it deserted and before long， it became covered by dense forest. Though members of the Khmer Empire occasionally entered the nearby forests for hunting expeditions and encountered its majestic temples， Angkor Wat remained little known to the public.

The word “Angkor” is derived from Sanskrit “nagara”， and the name “Angkor Wat” only began to be used in the 16th Century， meaning “City Temple”. The ruins of Angkor were next discovered by a French explorer in 1860 after The Customs of Cambodia， a book written by Yuan Dynasty geographer Zhou Daguan in 1296， was translated into French.

The Angkor Wat of the 19th Century was not what we see today. Some of the temples had collapsed， some were enshrouded by trees and had lost their original appearance and others were nothing but ruins. During Cambodia’s French colonial period， efforts to protect and research Angkor Thom were conducted by the French colonists. After the Khmer Rouge seized power and plunged the country into civil war in the 1970’s， numerous historical sites including Angkor Wat were destroyed. The civil war lasted more than 20 years， leaving Cambodia one of the poorest countries in the world.

In 1992， UNESCO named the magnificent architectural complex of Angkor a World Heritage Site， calling for countries around the world to participate in its conservation and restoration. Angkor thus became not only a national treasure of Cambodia， but also a cultural legacy of all mankind. Since 1993， more than 10 countries including Japan， France， India， Indonesia， Switzerland， Italy and the United States have participated in the international campaign for rescuing and restoring the historical site， committed to renovating different temples according to their respective financial capability and value appraisal on the temples.

“China also joined the effort， pledging to restore three of the temples： Thommanon， Chau Say Tevoda， and Takeo，” Chiang said. “When I visited Takeo Temple， it was being renovated. The plaque carrying an introduction to the temple in Chinese at the entrance gave me a warm and friendly feeling. Each of these volunteer countries is working hard to restore the historical charm of Angkor in its own way.”

Over time， Mother Nature has weakened the once-prosperous ancient civilization， damaging it to the point that it nearly vanished into the lengthy river of history. The individual cannot do anything about it， and it’s encouraging to see so many countries join hands to rebuild the remains of the Angkor civilization. Cambodia is fascinating country on the globe， and the Angkor civilization is a spectacular and unique piece of human civilization. Participating countries’ generosity in spending energy and money on Angkor Thom reconstruction not only assists Cambodia and helps spread the Angkor culture， but also represents great charity， embodying a hope for human civilization to endure and prosper.

‘Smiling Is an Outlook on Life’

A head sculpture on display at Guimet Museum seems to have a special connection with Chiang Hsun. Featuring eyes looking down and neat hair combed back， the image exudes a scene of peace and tranquility， yet also features feelings of compassion for all those who suffer around the world.

“When I first saw it， I felt like it was greeting me，” Chiang recalled. “So， I approached it， gazing at it quietly for a long while. This artifact， I thought， had survived for thousands of years but still retained an air of charisma. Generally， if a person tries to attract another’s attention， he or she would look straight at that one with an eagerness to communicate. However， this pair of eyes is half-closed， seeming to have already gained insight into the deepest secrets of life. The corners of his mouth are turned slightly upward， creating a tiny smile that makes one feel comfort. Later， I developed a habit of spending my spare time in the museum， gazing at the statue for hours on end.”

The statue figure is based on King Jayavarman VII （1125–1218） of the Khmer Empire. Most of his predecessors believed Hinduism and their policy of expanding territory led the empire to an era of prosperity. King Jayavarman VII， however， was a devout follower of Mahayana Buddhism. He never started any wars， but instead built numerous Buddhist temples and more than 100 hospitals. He even had his own face carved on 49 Buddhist towers and five entry gates at Angkor Thom， which are now dubbed the “Smile of Angkor”. The 100-plus Buddha faces gracing the 49 towers each bring a peaceful smile with their lips pointed slightly upward， displaying a silent yet immense power that can wipe away sadness and soften the heart.

In one of his books， Chiang wrote： “I sat quietly amid the ruins in the glow of the setting sun， gazing at the smiling faces in various sizes from all directions. In the distance， a band consisting of eight or nine war victims played music beneath tree canopies. One of them used his left hand to beat the dulcimer， as his right arm had been amputated. The young fiddler was blind in both eyes， with the scars of past burn wounds spread across his face. A footless woman sang in high spirits. As I passed by， they appeared cheerful， greeting me with friendly smiles. Along the journey of spiritual cultivation， I had not achieved as much as they did. Their smiles popped into my mind whenever I felt a tinge of dizziness while walking up high flights of steps.”

How could such silent smiles endure in an era of war chaos， famine， and brutal slaughter？ In Chiang’s eyes， the “Smile of Angkor” represents an attitude toward life， a power that allows us to smile in the face of adversity. Only by doing so can we live a happy life.