The Center for Khmer Studies

Our group of historians visited a Buddhist pagoda and research center in downtown Siem Reap. It was lovely--an oasis in the middle of a bustling city.

In the library was a wall painting of the setting around the Buddha when he meditated under the Bo tree and received enlightenment.

Notice the bullet holes in the wall. Those occurred most likely during the 1970s. During that time the Khmer Rouge evacuated the city and eliminated the population of Buddhist monks.