Sites discovered in Cambodia’s Pursat province raises tourism hopes

via South China Morning Post, 31 March 2020: The discovery of a carved Buddha on the hills of Cambodia’s Pursat province raise hope for tourism potential.

Historic Buddhist carvings can be found at sites across Cambodia, but the newly found Pursat Buddha is the first of its size to be rediscovered, as far as officials from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts can recall. Larger Buddha figures in Cambodia have been worshipped for centuries, rather than lost to human memory.

The origin of the new finding remains, for now, something of a mystery, as the culture ministry and several archaeologists disagree with Eng Kunthea’s historical analysis.

“The culture ministry is not exactly sure about the age of the Buddha, but according to my examination of the objects around there and the condition of the carving, I think it was made to honour a military event or an important person in the Oudong era,” says Heng Kamsan, director of the ministry’s archaeology department.

Source: Lost treasures emerge in Cambodia’s hunt for historic sites as locals dream of tourist dollars | South China Morning Post