Press Releases

Visit of His Royal Highness, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester to The Banteay Chhmar Conservation Training Project, Cambodia

June 30, 2010

 

THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE & FINE ARTS
IN COLLABORATION WITH
AND THE GLOBAL HERITAGE FUND

26th – 28th June 2010

The Global Heritage Fund team in Cambodia had the honor of hosting the private visit of HRH the Duke of Gloucester to the Banteay Chhmar Conservation Training Project in Banteay Meanchey Province Cambodia from the 26th to the 28th of June.

Present during the visit was H.E. Oung Ong, the Governor of Banteay Meanchey Province, HE Andrew Mace the British Ambassador, representatives of the Ministry of Culture led by HE Ok Sophon and members of the Banteay Chhmar Commune.

Following an introduction to the staff and work force of the Project, John Sanday, GHF Field Director for Asia and James Hooper Manager of GHF UK London ably assisted by Kousom Sarun GHF Assistant Director Administration escorted HRH the Duke and HE the Governor on a two hour tour of the project identifying all the on going activities at the site.  John Sanday emphasized the importance of training both professional staff and craftsmen in the principles and procedures of conserving and repairing a site of great historical and architectural significance as Banteay Chhmar, whilst demonstrating several of the specialized conservation activities under way at the site.  James Hooper outlined the other activities that GHF has developed relating to the preparation of a masterplan and the Community Based Tourism programme that GHF is supporting as a complement to the renovation of the temple complex.

HRH the Duke,  HE the British Ambassador and John Sanday arrived by helicopter from Siem Reap on the morning of the 27th June having flown over several of the adjacent historical sites and hydrological features and were welcomed by HE the Governor and the GHF team.

Checking the stone Database

We first visited the Project workshops to see examples of stone repairs and conservation techniques.  Looking primarily at the work being undertaken to repair and conserve the bas reliefs,  a demonstration of drilling and pinning a broken stone block, the repair of a damaged section of decorated stone using specially formulated mortars and the replacement of missing sections of stone with new. There was also a demonstration of how a simple stone rice mill had been adapted to produce powdered clay which is used as part of the mix with sand and lime for a dry mortar used to set the tones on the platform.  At the Project forge, the blacksmith demonstrated his skills in making the various chisels required for working the stone.

Following extensive discussions concerning the section of Bas Relief at present under conservation and repair, we visited the Hall of Dancers at the East end of the temple complex, which provides an interesting vista across is a sea of fallen stone blocks towards the central shrine.  GHF has started constructing a walkway into this section of the temple as here there are some of the priceless remains of significant sculptures unique to Banteay Chhmar.

The entourage then skirted the northern sector of the temple complex to show HRH the Face Tower 18 – one of the few face towers still standing and threatening collapse.  The GHF team was in the process of erecting a steel scaffolding around the tower as part of an emergency procedure to dismantle the threatening structure. We explained the procedures which were of great interest to HRH as an architect and because of his involvement with English Heritage and ICOMOS UK.

The entourage continued the tour around the inner circle of the temple complex to give HRH some idea of the scale of the project. We then did a drive around in the back of the truck to show HRH the Bas Reliefs – a very good way to see the reliefs without having to clamber over the collapsed stone blocks that once were the vaults over the bas relief walls.  We paid particular attention to the Avaloketeswara images which will be the next section of bas reliefs that the project will work on. 

On our way out of the temple complex we stopped on the damaged East Causeway where we discussed the extensive hydrological study that the GHF team has been undertaking, in collaboration with Sydney University, and described the threats caused by recent flooding to the causeway.  This is another of the emergency projects that we are having to tackle before the onset of the monsoon. 

James Hooper then took HRH to the Community Based Tourism offices and introduced him to the various activities that GHF has initiated with the CBT – the Solid Waste Management Project, the English language and guide training and the upgrading of the Homestays.

After sampling a special Khmer lunch at the GHF house,  the GHF team left by Helicopter and Truck to Siem Reap to attend the reception given by the British Ambassador, Andrew Mace for the British community resident in Siem Reap.

The following day we had the opportunity of showing HRH around some of Angkor, especially the projects that I and many of the GHF Khmer staff had worked on, in particular Preah Khan and Ta Som, the Bayon and Angkor Wat. 

It was a very successful visit and HRH will no doubt be an excellent promoter of the GHF Banteay Chhmar Conservation Training Project in Cambodia.

 

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