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Banteay
Meanchey
I
Battambang
I
Kampot
I
Kandal
I
Kep
City
I
Koh
Kong
I
Kratie |
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Kampong
Cham
I Kampong
Chhang I
Kampong
Speu
I
Kampong
Thom
I
Mondulkiri |
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Oddor
Meanchey
I
Pailin
City
I
Preah
Vihear
I
Pursat
I
Prey
Veng
I
Phnom
Penh |
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Ratanakiri
I
Sihanoukville
I
Stung
Treng
I
Svay
Rieng
I
Siem
Reap
I
Takeo |
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 Takeo
province
is
often
referred
to
as
“the
cradle
of
Cambodian
civilisation”
Takeo
province
has
several
important
pre-Angkorian
sites
built
between
the
5th
and
the
8th
century.
The
provincial
capital,
Takeo
town
is
an
easygoing
place
that
possesses
a
fair
amount
of
natural
and
manmade
beauty.
The
natural
beauty
is
in
the
Scenic
River
and
lake
area
that
faces
a
pleasant
town
parkway.
The
low-lying
area
seems
to
include
much
of
the
surrounding
province
area,
which
is
probably
why
a
kingdom
that
once
had
its
heart
here
was
referred
to
as
Water
Chenla.
There
seems
to
be
water
everywhere
in
the
surrounding
countryside
during
the
rainy
season.
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The
man-made
beauty
mostly
comes
from
a
series
of
canals
and
waterways
that
were
cut
through
the
surrounding
countryside,
many
a
very
long
time
ago,
connecting
towns,
villages,
rivers
and
Vietnam.
Nearby
Angkor
Borei
town
(connected
by
water
to
Takeo
town)
may
have
been
the
heart
of
the
Funan
Empire,
which
is
called
the
“Cradle
of
Khmer
Civilization”
by
Cambodians.
Much
older
than
Angkor,
the
Funan
empire
had
its
heyday
between
the
1st
and
6th
centuries
and
stretched
across
a
vast
area,
from
South
Vietnam
through
Thailand,
down
through
Malaysia
and
into
Indonesia.
Bold,
silver
and
silks
were
traded
in
abundance
in
the
kingdom,
or,
as
some
say,
the
series
of
fiefdoms.
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Although
Cambodians
claim
Funan
was
created
by
Khmers,
neighbouring
Vietnam
argues
that
they
were
the
people
of
origin.
Archaeologists
from
the
University
of
Hawaii
of
the
USA
have
made
research
trips
to
Angkor
Borei
in
an
attempt
to
piece
together
the
history
and
story,
and
story,
as
well
as
relics,
of
the
Funan
period.
In
an
odd
recent
twist,
Reuters
News
Service
reported
in
early
November
1999
that
locals
saw
the
research
team
digging
up
ancient
relics
and
figured
the
stuff
must
be
valuable,
so
they
started
digging
and
looting
objects
from
the
area.
Fortunately,
the
Cambodian
government
seems
to
be
moving
in
on
the
problem
quickly
to
try
to
save
what
they
can
of
this
important
piece
of
Khmer
heritage.
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That
was
not
the
first
time
the
locals
have
created
problems
in
the
piecing
together
of
ancient
history.
Much
of
what
did
remain
in
the
form
of
ancient
ruins
in
Angkor
Borei
was
destroyed
not
too
long
ago
in
the
modern
past.
The
officials
that
runs
the
museum
that’s
dedicated
to
the
history
of
the
Funan
empire
told
me
that
much
of
what
was
still
standing
from
this
period
(from
parts
of
ancient
walls
to
partial
structures)
was
thought
to
be
useless
by
locals
and
was
bulldozed
and
razed
to
make
way
for
more
“useful”
modern
day
structures!
Talk
about
having
a
bad
track
record.
Fortunately
artifacts
and
history
have
been
put
together
in
the
museum.
Takeo
Province
is
full
of
other
interesting
sights
as
well
and
because
of
the
short
distance
and
good
road
from
Phnom
Penh,
all
are
great
day
trips.
Some
sights
can
be
combined
in a
day
trip.
If
you
have
a
bit
more
time,
spend
an
evening
in
Takeo
town
and
take
in
all
the
sights.
There
is a
pleasant
little
place
to
stay
overlooking
the
river
and
lake
area.
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