MYSTERY OF THE FAMOUS STONE FACE

These many stone faces beg the question: what was he smiling about??

It's a warm morning here in the ancient jungle temple complex near Angkor Wat, and I've arrived at another iconic temple.   Looking up as I approach this old temple, I see one's man serious stone face, repeated over and over again as statues across the complex. One question dominates my thoughts.

Who is this guy?

This stone temple is known as Bayon and its dominated by one man's huge face everywhere I look. 

Rising above each smiling face are immense stone headresses. These reach far above, making each face not just a statue, but a tower. There are more towers than I can count, all made of his slightly smiling stone semblance. Singular towers have four faces on them, giving his face views in all directions. This gives the impression that he is all seeing, all knowing, and watching all corners of the Khmer kingdom.

Each tower has 4 faces, covering all directions. Is he watching over his former kingdom?

So who is he? Researchers over the years have disagreed as to who this smiling man really was. Many say that this was King Jayavarman VII, who ruled the Angkor kingdom more than 900 years ago. Others claim that this is really the god known as Avalokiteshvara. Still others claim that this face is actually a combination of both of them.

Although Angkor Wat’s central towers are the most well known symbol of the Angkor temple complex, the second most well known symbol has to be this enigmatic face. His heads are everywhere on this temple. Lining walls, looking out from lower towers, peering high above from the upper ones.

Rather than a smooth surface, each tower, and each face, is made up of fitted stone blocks. Each block is black, grey or white, and dotted with the discolorations of time. With these connecting gaps, it gives each face the appearance of a giant mosaic, or jigsaw puzzle.

Smoke is rising from the nearby jungle

This multi-story stone temple raises so many other questions. What was this place used for? Why was it built? And just what is this king or god smiling about?

Beyond the towers, are the tall trees of the jungle. Smoke rises from the jungle floor. It is probably just a brush fire, but the rising smoke between the stone faced towers gives the temple an eerie, fog-like look.

Bayon temple, grand as it may be, is only one of hundreds of temples in the area, of varying styles and sizes built over the centuries. I once knew an American Vietnam veteran who spent extended time in Cambodia, and he decided to visit every single ancient Khmer temple in the Siem Reap region. It took him six weeks to see them all!

Another amazing experience about the Angkor temples, is seeing the variety of conditions that they are in. Some, such as Bayon and Angkor Wat, have been reasonably well preserved or restored. Some are partly preserved. Others lie completely collapsed and ruined, piles of stone bricks, leaving you to guess at their original appearance. Still others have been completely overgrown with jungle growth. Many of these ancient temples, are a combination of all of the above.

These musicians are landmine survivors! Landmines are still buried in jungles not far from the temples.

Heading out to another temple, I walk along one of the many jungle paths. On the way, I hear the sound of an acoustic band. Walking up, I find a seated musical sextet, all Khmer men playing various traditional string instruments and drums. Propped up next to them are signs, in Khmer, Chinese, Korean, and finally in English. It says, “VICTIMS OF LANDMINES”. I hadn’t noticed before, but some of the musicians are missing a leg. Now I understand why they are seated.

The Angkor temple complex, was not spared the plague of landmines that spread throughout Cambodia during the long era of wars. Plenty of landmines were laid here too. There was a time back early in the war, when the Vietnamese Army were joined with the Khmer Rouge, fighting together against government forces in these jungles. At one point in the conflict, they agreed to stop shooting, and allow preservationists to cross the battle lines, so they could continue working on preserving the temples. That didn’t last. Later, the Vietnamese would fight here against their former Khmer Rouge allies. With all of this conflict around the temples, more and more landmines were being laid by all sides. Also, more and more temples were damaged, and more and more statues were looted, or defaced.

Many area temples are quiet and rarely visited by tourists, such as this secluded temple.

Later when tourists first started to return to Cambodia in the 1990’s, one of the first priorities for the Ministry of Tourism was to have all the landmines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) removed from around the temples. They desperately needed to make this area safe for tourists again. One of the deminers was killed doing this dangerous work. Many more Khmer civilians died or were maimed by these evil weapons, after they returned to the region.

There are still mines buried within the Angkor complex, but they have been cleared from all of the most popular temples. If you manage to venture out to the more remote temples, where there are few tourists and thicker jungle, sooner or later you will come across a little red warning sign. Keep your eyes open for these, for these signs are there to tell you that mines are still buried there. Take one step too far from a well beaten path, and it could be your last. If you survive a landmine blast, you'll be lucky if you lose only a foot.

I don't know it yet, but I will soon learn that one of my Cambodian friends had her life nearly ended by one of these hidden horrors.

BEAUTIFUL, HISTORIC HOI AN

The historic 'Japanese Bridge' in the Old Town of Hoi An

Hoi An is a seaside town unlike any other. Founded in the 16th century, this is the best preserved old port in all of Southeast Asia; a historical site for the ages. This has Vietnam's best preserved old buildings, which precede the French colonial times.

Traditional lanterns in an Old Town shop

During the war years, Hoi An was spared the destruction that raged throughout the rest of South Vietnam. By luck, or by design, neither side launched major attacks on this rare ancient town. That left Hoi An's rich heritage intact. It makes one wonder how the rest of Vietnam may have looked, if this beautiful country had not been so damaged by so many wars over the centuries

Hoi An was once a major trading port

As Hoi An lies is a coastal town which lies on the Thu Bon River, it does suffer one annual indignity: flooding. Unlike other old river towns, Hoi An lacks levees, so each spring the streets are flooded. However, it is flooding that the town's residents have learned to live with. The only movement seen in the town's streets is by boat.  

An artist does restoration work on a local Buddhist temple

Rather than the usual destruction of flooding I've seen before, the strong foundations and building materials in this old town are such that the old buildings are able to withstand the annual floods (for the most part.)

Colorfully painted boats in Hoi An's harbor

Once a major trading port, over the centuries the town had communities of Chinese, Cham and Japanese. Even the Dutch and Spanish were here. Today, it is distinctly Vietnamese.

Waitresses chat at the door of a Hoi An restaurant. The town is excellent for seafood.

Inside one of the oldest homes in town is a very heavy, old wooden pillar, with a series of marks on it. These are dated high water marks, showing the actual height that the flood reached that year. When the annual floodwaters subside, the town's residents clean up, and the tourists, return to Hoi An as usual. 

A night time view of Hoi An's waterfront

This burg has long been known as a 'must see' place for foreign visitors. With excellent restaurants craft markets, and comfortable scenic hotels, its reputation for tourism is well deserved. With romantic views, the Old Town is popular with honeymooners.

Hoi An has some of the best preserved architecture in all of Vietnam

This ancient little port was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999, so the unique and historic old town should be spared from unscrupulous redevelopers in the future. With that kind of protection, this beautiful old town should remain relatively unchanged for future generations of tourists, who wish to come and experience the charm, the tranquility, of old Vietnam.

'The Old Man and the Sea' in Vietnam

GRIM MEMORIES & NEW BEGINNINGS

US made Huey helicopter (right) & F-5 jet (left). Captured after the US left, the jet was repainted, 'USAF'.

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is home to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, where I had discovered the dictator Diem's old tunnels. This should not be confused with the Ho Chi Minh Museum dedicated to Ho Chi Minh, nor with the Ho Chi Minh Campaign Museum. Ho Chi Minh-Ho Chi Minh-Ho Chi Minh!

Does this sound confusing? All of this Ho jargon certainly confuses the tourists visiting Saigon, which may explain the low attendance at all three of these museums. Still, by wandering through these historical sites, I learned that many of these old buildings were once occupied by presidents, prime ministers, colonial governors, and the Americans. After sorting through the propaganda, I unexpectedly found many more fascinating places which were key not only to the Vietnam war years, but to understanding Vietnam today.

An old Huey helicopter sits in front of the old US Information Service building, now a museum

Following the war’s end, the communist government opened one of the world’s most controversial museums. Named, “The Museum of American and Chinese War Crimes”, it became the most visited museum in the country. Later in 1995, when diplomatic relations with the USA improved, the name was officially changed to a less pointed title. As I entered the museum complex, a Vietnamese staffer explained why. “Now we have relationship, more friendship with Americans,” she explained. “We don’t think so much about the past. Change name to ‘War Remnants Museum’.” She’s right in saying that the Vietnamese don’t think much about the past, at least not here. As I look around, I notice that almost all the museum’s visitors are foreign tourists.As I step beyond the walled entrance into the compound, I recognize the 1960’s American architecture of the main building. During the war, this structure used to house the US Information Service. How ironic.

Japanese peace activists play traditional music in Saigon.

Looking around the grounds, it appears as though I’ve walked into a US military yard sale of heavy weapons. There are planes, tanks, howitzers and a Huey helicopter, all booty captured from the ARVN by the North Vietnamese Army at the war’s end.

The very first exhibit is a glass case, holding the book, “In Retrospect, The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam.” The author was former US Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. The display lists one of his quotes: “Yet we were wrong, terribly wrong. We owe it to future generations to explain why.” After all that went wrong with the war here, McNamara had a lot of explaining to do.

Walking around, I notice most photos here were taken by western journalists. It seems that the communists had plenty of money for weapons, but not much money for quality cameras. In museums across Vietnam they have relied on the foreign press for the war’s best photos. Vietnam was the first war in history where the international press corps had virtually free access to almost everywhere. Having a free press running around Vietnam was something the US military would later regret. Many of the journalists would regret it too. 33 of them died during the war in Vietnam.

In front of the main building, sits an old captured F-5 fighter jet, with new white paint along the side reading, “U.S.A.F.”. It’s a weak attempt at propaganda, since no American held airbases were ever taken by the communists during the war. Although F-5’s were built in America, this jet was captured from the South Vietnamese military after the Americans left, and later repainted.

2 Mercedes with the Prime Minister's motorcade entered the museum compound

The museum has its share of both propaganda, and truth. They focus on American, French, and ARVN war crimes. With numerous official investigations and photographic evidence, it is already accepted fact that most of these atrocities occurred. But there is no balance. Not surprisingly, none of the atrocities perpetrated by the communists are mentioned here at all. In keeping with communist propaganda traditions, the Vietnamese government has not owned up to the war crimes their side committed. As the old saying goes, the winners write the history, at least within their own borders.

The quietest part of the complex, is the war atrocities section. If you’ve ever walked through the Holocaust Museum, these exhibits have the same type of atmosphere. There are photos of American soldiers torturing Viet Cong suspects, and photos from the My Lai massacre. These photos aren’t fakes, they were taken by westerners long before the era of digital photography.

Nearby, are mock-ups of tiger cage like prison cells that the ARVN used to hold Viet Cong prisoners. There is no mention of the bamboo tiger cages that the VC used to hold American prisoners in equally barbaric conditions.

A new Ford SUV with the Prime Minister's security team sits parked by an old US built M-48 tank

A crowd gathers nearby, and I go see what is grabbing their attention. It’s a display on Agent Orange. Here we see the effects on humans from all that defoliant sprayed over Cu Chi, and so many other rural areas. There are numerous graphic photos of Vietnamese children with birth defects. The most moving display is a see through enclosure holding two preserved, badly deformed fetuses whose mothers had been exposed to the toxic chemical.

These displays are so disturbing, that some cannot bear to view them. I met two Indonesian women outside who refused to enter this section. “It’s too sad,” they said. I don’t blame them. As the old saying goes, war is hell, and for many the images here are far too upsetting. The graphic photos and grim displays here, are the closest the average civilian of today will ever come to seeing the horrors of war.

Fortunately, the place isn’t all propaganda and gloom. From a side room, I hear the sound of enchanting Asian music. Entering a large room, I’ve come upon a concert by a group of senior Japanese peace activists. They are playing traditional string instruments, with a lone singer accompanying them. They are surrounded by children’s paintings, and a sign on the wall behind them reads, “Wishing for a peaceful and friendly world.” These seniors were anti-war activists from the Vietnam era.

The concert is not just for the visitors, but also for three communist war veterans that are present for the occasion. One woman is a former Viet Cong, who was captured and imprisoned for years during the war. As the concert ends, she greets the visitors. Looking at me, I’m surprised when she smiles broadly, and reaches out to shake my hand. If she still feels any animosity towards Americans, she’s certainly not showing it.

As I prepare to leave, I see some new vehicles have entered the compound. Looking rather out of place, right in front of an American M-48 tank, is a beautiful new black mercedes limousine. Since it has covered flag posts at the front corners, I reason it must be a diplomatic vehicle. To the side of the tank, looking like a tank in its own right, is a full size black Ford sport utility vehicle. With tinted windows and police lights on the roof, it was obviously a security escort. The motorcade also included a Chevrolet mini-van. They were brought in here temporarily since parking is scarce on Saigon's city streets.

Curious, I inquire if there is a foreign ambassador nearby. “It’s for the Prime Minister,” a helpful staffer tells me. There’s a sure sign of change. Vietnam trusts not only vehicles from Germany to protect their Prime Minister, but also vehicles from America.

Like the woman told me earlier, Vietnamese today don’t think so much about the past, and desire more friendship with Americans. The foreigners have more interest in this museum than the Vietnamese do. Relations have changed between Vietnam and America, and thankfully they have changed for the better.