COVER N. 347 - CAMBODIA

Postmark: Siem Reap Cambodia 30.10.2023

Posted on the 30th October; received on the 28th November 2023

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Siem Reap, the base camp for Angkor Wat.... one day I'll have to get there too, meanwhile I was more than happy to get this nice cover with beautiful bicolour postmarks, from a country which I still had not in my collection. Super! Thank you so much, Edwin!

Cambodia’s history in later times is rather complex and not a very uplifting one....genocide is never something to be proud of, and the echoes of the killing fields will have left scars that will take long to heal, I'm sure. Still, all this is past and the former French colony, occupied by the Japanese during the second World War, which become independent in 1952 only to get deeply entangled in the side-effects of the Vietnam war, is now, and since the 90s of last century, a  multiparty parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

Political stability brought along eonomic growth and between 1998 and 2019 Cambodian economy grew at an average annual rate of 7.7 percent. Like elsewhere Covid took its toll, but prospects are good, and GDP is expected to grow by 5.3 this year and 6.6 in 2024.

Tourism, of course is one of the key elements of this growth (the other being the garment industry, often subject to human rights concerns....) and Angkor Wat is, I'm sure, Cambodia's top tourist attraction.

Originally an Hindu complex of temples built between 1122 and 1150, towards the turn of the century it evolved into a Buddhist one, after the conversion of king  Jayavarman VII to this creed, following his marriage with a Buddhist wife.

The importance  that the complex, spread throughout an area of 162.6 hectares which makes it the largest religious structure in the world, has for the  Cambodian soul  is readily apparent in the fact that it is one of the elements which constitute the country's national flag, its white colour representing the country’s religion and faith while the  red and blue stripes represent the nation's courage and determination and purity and justice, respectively.

Stamps left to right

500 riel stamp issued 11NOV2016 as part of a 5 stamp set (500; 2000; 2500;3000;3500 riel) issued in minisheet form dedicated to statues of the Khmer culture. Khmer being the dominant (over 90%) ethnic group of the country.

Cambodia's rich relugious and cultural heritage is not concntrated solely in Angkor Wat, and many more temples can be found elsewhere in the country.

One such temple is that of Sambor Prei Kuk, dating back to the 7th century, which, like Angkor Wat, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On 08JUL2018, Cambodia Post issued a three stamp set (2000; 3000; 4000 riel) dedicate to this temple ilustrated with photos of its main structures.

The 2000 reil stamp with the picture of three lions is part of this sereis. Of note in the inclusion of the World Heritage logo on the top right corner.

also in 2018, on 13AUG2028) Cambodia Post issued a set of five stamps (5200, 1200; 2100; 3000; 4000 riel) illustrated with photos of faces of sculptures present in the decoration of the temples at Angkor Wat. The 3000 reil stamp is part of this series.

The very uncommon postmark in that it is bicolour, blue and red, was issued at the city of Siem reap, a mere 5 km from Angkor Wat.