SEA & Cambodia

A quite ambivalent account of the 1924 visit to Phnom Penh and Angkor by a Siamese dignitary: shared cultural heritage in a time of rising nationalism.

In Thai

A gem of French "exotic" literature: Saigon decadence with the 1890s Cambodian uprising in the background.

In French

A rare photographic account on Saigon, Cambodia, Laos and Singapore dating back from 1904, by a civil engineer and talented amateur photographer.

A major essay on Southeast Asian trade roads and the growing involvement of agrarian States in worlwide commerce, 7th-14th centuries.

In English

The author of this informed translation penned it in 1967 from the available Chinese version of Zhou Daguan's 真臘風土記 [A Record of Cambodia, its Land and its…

In Thai

An exhaustive study of Indian and Southeast Asia epigraphy by Prof. D.C. Sirkar.

In English

An important account on Cambodia in the early years of the French Protectorate.

In French

A 1880s study on iron prouction in the land of the Kuys, an ethnic minority from which came the blacksmiths of Angkor.

In French

A short yet vivid description of Laos in the 1920s, with references to Angkor-related legends.

In French

Subtitle: "Moeurs, Coutumes, Superstitions, Légendes: Excursion dans les provinces de Roléia-Paier et Compong-Leng".

In French

With rumors of Indochina war as a backdrop, a highly personal and highly enjoyable travelogue through Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in 1950-1.

In English

A crosscultural, multidisciplinary, study on water, its economic and social impact, and its symbolism.

In English

The Beat Generation forward-thinker spent five days in Angkor during his 1963 journey from India to Japan. Here is his voice.

In English

A marxist analysis of French colonialism in Cambodia by a Chinese historian of Cambodian origin.

In Chinese

Photographer Raymond Cauchetier was in his thirties when he fulfilled a childhood dream: to see Angkor Wat.

A fascinating exploration of lesser known, unofficial documents and testimonies on pre-colonial Cambodia and the French push for colonization.

In English

The Khmer translation and edition of Mak Phoeun's major study on 17th century Cambodia, initially published in French.

In Khmer

The Khmer cultural and artistic heritage in the Siamese sphere of influence at the turn of the 20th century.

In French

Angkor seen by pioneer photographer John Thomson in 1866.

An engrossing novel set in an Indochinese plantation in the 1910s, with an unforgettable visit to Angkor and the Bayon.

In French

A study on 1925 Prince Damrong's Nirat Nakhon Wat,

In English

A specialist of Khmer antiquities in Thailand assesses the history of the modern state of Thailand.

In Khmer

The English translation of a reference book on Southeast Asia ancient history

In English

The first in-depth exploration of the area up Siem Reap River to Phnom Kulen since Etienne Aymonier's travels.

In French

The English, more complete version of the historic travelogue by naturalist and explorer Henri Mouhot.

In English

Back to the Siamese statesman's visit to Preah Vihear, claimed by Thai nationalists until the international recognition of Cambodia's rights in 1962

Back to Cambodia four years after "Angkor the Magnificent", an inspired and sometime visionary travelogue through Asia in the throes of colonialism.

In English

Pluridisciplinary, encyclopaedic, ambitious and often highly enjoyable synthesis and sum of Angkorean research to the date.

In English

A documented argument of the 'Fall of Angkor'.

In English

Or Ten Years' Travels, Adventures and Residence Abroad

In English

The first attempt to assess the economic development and potential of French Indochina, with Cochinchina as focus of attention.

An early map of Cambodia drawn in Singapore with information from Constantine de Monteiro, King Ang Duong's representative.

In English

A valuable, firsthand account on Ang Duong's Cambodia in 1851.

In English

An informed portrait of Siem Reap since the times of the "rediscovery" of Angkor.

In English

The earliest attempt to a summary of the major religious and cultural celebrations in Modern Cambodia after Adhémard Leclere's notations.

In French

The reference travelogue of Ma Huan, interperter and translator with Zheng He's flotilla: how China saw the world in the early Ming dynasty era.

In English

On the eve of King Sihanouk's centennial anniversary, a conversation with Julio Jeldres, close collaborator and witness to history.

In English

One of the first accounts of Angkor and the surrounding Kingdom of Cambodia by a Western traveler.

In English

A reference summary of the history of art in Thailand, by a Thai educationist and archaeologist.

In English

Siam, Annam, and (indirectly) Cambodia in this recollection of Tsarevich Nikolai II's travel to Asia.

In Russian

A poignant and lucid love story set in war-torn Cambodia, by a former war TV correspondent who covered Southeast Asia's most tragic years.

In English

When India's attention shifted from West to East, releasing a bounty of spiritual, literary, scientific and artistic innovations that inspired local cultures.

In English

A staunch proponent of French colonialist expansion taking in the state of affairs in Indochina during the troubled mid-1880s.

In French

A rare film document on the art form of lakhon ken.

In Khmer

A useful online platform on Khmer archaeological sites in modern Thailand.

In English & Thai

George Coedès on the first comprehensive archaeological exploration in the area supposed to be the heart of the ancient Kingdom of Funan.

In French

George D. Bonnyman, captain of the Pantaloon brig, shared his geographical observations from the commercial exploratory trip to Cambodia led by L.V. Helms…

In English

A short description of Cambodia and Cochinchina at the early stage of the French Protectorate, "The Admirals' Era".

In French

The first and only collection of Spanish and Portuguese written sources on Angkor, predating the Angkorian "rediscovery" by more than 300 years.

In English, Portuguese & Spanish

A dynamic approach of Early South Asia and the exchanges across the Bay of Bengal.

In English

A "historical materialism"-based study on medieval Laos.

In French

A summary of the history of Khmer Empire and neighboring cultures through architecture.

In English

The 1954 historic diplomatic tour by a a photogenic leader, Pandit Nehru.

A useful contribution for a better understanding of what was hastily called "Indianization" of Southeast Asia. Architectural point of view.

In English

One of the first published travel accounts from French explorers at the end of the 19th century, with hunting anecdotes and -- fortunately -- much more...

In French

A literary monument to Angkor, "Kingdom Come or Kingdom Yore".

In English

As a Netflix movie will soon re-create this moment, we revisit a visit surrounded with political tragedy, romance and desperation, and the looming Vietnam War.

In English

977 manuscripts in Chamic language, vinculated to the Cham communities in modern Vietnam.

In English & Chamic languages

Angkor and Phnom Penh taken back from the Khmer Rouge in 1979: a rare and highly documented feature movie from Vietnam.

In Vietnamese

Outstanding 1920s pictures by a professional photographer, the first major artistic survey of Angkor after John Thomson's and Emile Gsell's contributions.

A magnificent photography work reflecting a journey through "Buddha's Empire".

In English

Was he "the first" or "one of the first" to rediscover Angkor and to capture it on film? No matter what, John Thomson's testimony remains priceless.

In English

The written account that decades later inspired a best-selling book and a Hollywood musical is nevertheless a valuable document for historians.

In English

The case against George Coedès, not as an epigraphist but as an 'historian with the wrong framework'.

In English

Some wondrous black-and-white photographs of dancers in Cambodia, Laos, Annam and Tonkin (Vietnam), shot in the 1920s.

An enlightening reflexion on Southeast Asian dances, and in particular on Cambodian court dance.

In French

An India-centered approach of Cambodia, Champa and the "Indian colonization" of Southeast Asia".

In English

How a Thai classic horror movie turns to a Cambodian shaman as last recourse against a female ghost as enduring as true love.

In Thai

Daily life in the temples, prayers, blessings: as a spiritual and cultural center, Angkor was never really 'abandoned'.

Part of a 2-year business trip from Burma to Siam, Cambodia and Singapore, the first published description of Angkor by an American citizen.

In English

Who took the last photographs of Angkor before the Khmer Rouge takeover?

A contextualized portait of the "dashing and enigmatic Frenchman" who founded the Sedang Kingdom among the Highland tribes of Vietnam in 1888

In English

Adventurer and gifted explorer William Dampier's view on early Southeast Asia

In English

The first volume of a remarkable account of the Siamese and Laotian societies, geographical surveys and mining explorations.

In English

Probably the earliest botanical survey of the region by a Western observer, including some 1,600 species

In Portuguese & Latin

A rich online research tools devoted to the history of Vietnam and ex-Indochina.

In French & Vietnamese

Probably the most exhaustive study on Chinese descriptions and perceptions of Cambodia in pre-Angkorean and Angkorean times.

In English

A proposed new periodization for pre-Angkorean sculptures.

In English

How linguistics can help refine our perspective on Champa and other ancient Kingdoms of Southeast Asia.

In English

When legends meet etymology: the quest for the meaning of Angkor temples names.

In English

Back to the intellectual and aesthetical origins of Hindu architecture and its Southeast Asian derivatives, particularly in the Khmer tradition.

In English

New perspectives on the Dvaravati take on Buddhism and its linguistic and cultural vinculation to Khmer ethnic group.

In English & Chinese

The visionary park-museum launched in 1963 by Lek Viriyaphant in Bangkok, "from dawn to the Siam civilization".

In English, Chinese, Thai & Korean

The one and only Thai treatise on dance, a stunning collection of texts and illustrations dating back from 1790 onwards.

In Thai

A summary of Oc Eo archaeological finds and their importance from a Vietnam touristic angle.

In English

Just 20 years after the release of Wong Kar-wai’s magical movie, revisiting its final scene set in Angkor Wat

A magnificent art collection, presented when 'provenance' only meant speculations about dates and styles, not how rightfully (or not) artworks were bought.

In English

50 kms from the city of Hoi An, My Sơn is the largest and most important of Champa’s religious architectural sites, with some seventy structures.

From divination to 'dragon bloodline' to Ancient Viet Archaeology, a profuse, unpredictable and stimulating spring of thoughts, insights and musings.

In English, Chinese & Vietnamese

From the "Two Sacred Ladies" to the virtuous daughter of a disgraced king,, a collection of Vietnamese folktales mixing history, legends and folklore.

In English

An engrossing novel set in an Indochinese plantation in the 1910s, with an unforgettable visit to Angkor and the Bayon.

In French

Worship of Agni (God of Fire) and fire-shrines from Khorat and Buriram to Cambodia along 'the Angkor-Phimai route".

In English

One of the first accounts of Angkor and the surrounding Kingdom of Cambodia by a Western traveler.

In French & Spanish

The colossal Buddhas of central Thailand temples and their significance in the evolution of regional Buddhism during the 7th and 8th centuries.

In English

How global trade, spices and maritime routes impacted the links between India and ancient Southeast Asia.

In English

How the emergence of an 'Indic cultural sphere' can be traced across the Indian Ocean.

In English

SEAArch: keep being posted about latest archaelogy findings and cultural events across Southeast Asia.

A joyful explosion of Thai, Khmer, Chinese, Hindu and Buddhist artistic influences in a sanctuary dedicated to devotion and creative woodcraft.

In English

While the Angkorian civilization never developed a real monetary system, the kingdoms of Funan and Chenla did use various types of money in their transactions.

In English

Preface to a collection of documented essays on Tantrism, particularly in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

In English

Second volume of a remarkable account of the Siamese, Cambodian and Laotian societies, geographical surveys and mining explorations.

In English

A documented profile of the later-acclaimed explorer, who had died in Laos and whose fame had not been yet established.

In French

Inscriptions reflect a unified and diverse Kingdom of Champa in the 15th century, before its collapse.

In English

An exploration of pre-Angkorean urban cities, witth a focus on Ishanapura (Sambor Prei Kuk) and Mahendraparvata (Phnom Kulen).

In English

A pleasant read from a typical French 'grand reporter' of the 1930s who befriended famous journalist Albert Londres.

In French

Mystery surrounds the auction sale of the first 'Director of the Protectorate of Cambodia''s archive and collection in 2017.

How the Greeks made their own discovery of the monsoon trade winds.

From protohistory to traditional craftmanship, from Burma to Sulawesi, a rich collection of studies in Southeast Asia arts.

In French

A summary of archaeological finds shining a new light on the history of maritime trade and early Southeeast Asia.

In English

The coming to age of a young French woman at a transition period for modern Cambodia.

A picturesque and pertinent travelogue of the 1871 mission set to rescue Cambodian princesses from Bangkok.

In English & French

Volume I of the "Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East Series" dealt with the Kingdom of Champa, more "indianized" than Angkor.

In English

A useful tool for bibliographical research, including "Looking for" labeling.

In English, French, Thai & Dutch

"Once in a glorious time in the time, there was a king who was law-abiding and generous"....

In English & Khmer

An educational platform and an essential online trove for musicologists and musicians around the world.

In English & French

Early China’s interactions with the maritime world and the eventual emergence of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) as a leading naval power in the 15th century.

In English

The centrality of water in Southeast Asian cosmologies.

In English

A central element of Cambodian culture, traditions and art, the wooden house is a link connecting Ancient Angkor and modern Cambodia.

In English

New finds in paleo-botanical studies trace the origin of majestic species in Southeast Asian rainforest back to the African continent.

In English

A multidisciplinary publication on Southeast Asia past and present.

The spread of Saivist and Buddhist influences into Pyu communities of ancient Burma.

In English

Where did Angkor get horses from?

In English

With a map of "Indochina", an expanded version of Pere Bouillevaux's 1858 book.

In French

The astonishingly vivid and detailed Geography of India and Indochina by French free-thinker Élisée Reclus.

In French

A reference study on early Cambodia, Angkor civilization and its links to Indian culture.

In English

An online treasure for researchers, artists and Angkor lovers.

In French

Cambodia before the civll war as seen by anthropologist and historian Michael Vickery.

The earliest contribution on Angkor published in an European scientific journal by a Southeastasian scholar.

In French

Evidence from an archaeological excavation at the Prasat Hin Phimai in the 2000s.

In English

One of the oldest publications dedicated to Southeast Asian studies.

Fishing and seafaring in the history of India and her contacts with the rest of the world.

In English

Anthropological resources on Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on Thailand

Online and print cultural magazine in Vietnamese language.

An open access resource on cultural and archaelogical research across Southeast Asia.

A trove of historical notations on Russian-Siamese relations in the 19th-20th centuries

Audio collection of studies of Pear, Chong, Samre, Brao and Tampuan languages developed by Marie Alexandrine Martin in the 1960s and 1970s

First issues of the reputed 'Orientalist' journal launched in 1890 now accessible online

Photo depository on early Asian architecture nurtured by numerous contributors around the world

An interdisciplinary review founded in 1976 byt two renowned Indian scholars

The website reflecting work and publications around the collection created by William Willets in 1969 at the University Art Museum, Singapore

A great online resource for inscriptions in the languages of south, central and south-east Asia

The prestigious publication in Thai and Southeast Asian studies now online.

A stimulating travel blog looking for ancient kingdoms behind the facade of modernity.

Maps from Dutch, English and French cartographers dating back from the 17th century.

A precious online resource on Theravada reference texts, translations from Pali, Pali self-study tools.

The major Khmer archeological sites on Thailand territory listed and briefly commented.

"Although the connection of artistic features of Champa with the characteristics of South Indian art that were first noticed by art historians such as Jean…

In English & Vietnamese

A lively description of mainland Southeast Asia in the 1820s.

In English

More about the BBIS (Bay of Bengal Interaction Sphere).

In English

Did Western scholars overestimate the scope of "Indian influence" on Southeast Asia?

In English

The circulation of musical instruments around Asia, in particular those in bronze, and what it tells us about regional trade in ancient times.

In English

Political, strategical, commercial and agricultural motives led to the successive emergence of Khmer capital cities after Angkor lost its central role.

In English

One of the most comprehensive and groundbreaking works on commercial, maritime, cultural and religious links between India and the Southeast Asian entity.

In English

The prehistory of cultural and commercial exchanges across the South China Sea and mainland Southeast Asia.

In English

The precious metal and its impact on early Southeast Asian civilizations.

In English

The "Island of Khmer" in the accounts of Arab travelers through the centuries.

In French & Arabic

Where did the term 'Khmer' come from? An innovative and stimulating study.

In French

A background reading selection about the rich and complex interrelation between India and Cambodia from ancient times to nowadays respective culinary cultures.

In English

These informative notes stand among the earliest descriptions of Angkor and pre-colonial Cambodia by Western travelers.

In English

From the earliest times, there were substantial movement of people between the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and Southeast asia.

In English

Power struggle and ethnic minorities in pre-colonial Southeast Asia, and in particular across the Mekong Delta.

In English

Pepper and Power: Chinese Port Colonies and Khmer, Siam and Vietnamese rivalries in the Mekong Delta area.

In English

Notations on Angkor and Cambodian resources by an enigmatic traveler-adventurer, J.G.G. d'Aubain.

In English

"The temple stands solitary and alone in the jungle, in too perfect order to be called a ruin, a relic of a race far ahead in all arts and sciences."

In English

The troubled years of mid-19th century, when Cambodia was struggling to survive as a nation.

In English

The land routes linking two neighbors, foes and trade partners, and the mutual influences in Khmer and Cham cultures.

In English

Political entities and terminology in early and pre-modern Southeast Asia

In English

A well-balanced study on cultural and artistic exchanges around ancient Southeast Asia, summarizing the author's original view on the Indianization process

In English

A lively and perceptive exploration of Cambodian syncretisme from ancient times

The drive for image imitation in jewelry items and the early Southeast Asian maritime routes

In English

An English translation of Bernard-Philippe Groslier's notes on Chinese ceramics in Southeast Asia

In English

How did Franciscan, Dominican and Jesuit missionaries interact with the rulers of Cambodia?

In English & Portuguese

Hon Chuong Tower, also known as Hon Ba or Ba Chang, is on the peak of Ba Mountain, over 720 meters above sea level. Location is Cat Tai Commune, Phu Cat…

In English

A fascinating study on Khmer and Yunnan minority interconnection through music and dance

In English & Chinese

Mon and Mon-Khmer tribes came from the North, not from the South: new insights on an old controversy among linguists and historians.

In English

A useful synthesis of what we know about Mainland Southeast Asia before the development of larger polities, cities-states and empires

In English

Unconventional approach of two 'success stories' in the process of state formation across Southeast Asia, inland Angkor and coastal Kedah (Malaysia)

In English

The mystery of the Plain of Jars, in modern Laos, and what it teaches us about ancient burial rites in Southeast Asia

In English

More about Suvarnabhumi (Sanskrit) or Suvaṇṇabhūmi (Pali), the 'Golden Land' that attracted Indian sailors to the east.

In English

How legendary animal figures, in particular makara and dragons, evolved in Cambodia under Javanese and Chinese influences, finding new, genuine forms.

In French

Cultural and geographical variations of the Theravada liturgy, chanting and rituals in Southeast Asia.

In English

Preliminary introduction to the Inscriptions, Graffiti, Marks and Sketched Designs in Prasat Top Lech, previously known as Monument 486.

In English

Revisiting the Pong Tuk site in West-Central Thailand, initially explored by G. Coedès (1927) and H. G. Quaritch Wales (1936).

In English

The Cambodian monastery as a sacred territory where animist forces combine with Theravada canon.

In English

Ground occupation and industrial activity as indicators for the timing of the decline and fall of Angkor as a regional center of power.

In English

This essay presents a selection of artefacts originating from the region of the Mediterranean Sea and mainly dating from the Roman Imperial period (here the…

In English

Usurper or legitimate continuator of the Indravarman dynasty in the 11th century? The case for Suryavarman I.

In English

New findings on regional kingdoms with links to Funan, Angkor and the development and collapse of the Khmer Empire.

In English & Thai

Burmese and Khmer influences on Siamese musical forms and instruments.

In English

An early exploration of Angkor and surrounding temples by German anthropologist Adolf Bastian.

In English

Relations between genders are one of the areas in which a distinctive Southeast Asian pattern exists.

In English

A 2010 essay on the tensions between Cambodia and Thailand regarding the iconic Preah Vihear Khmer temple.

In English

На островах Индонезии в V–VIII вв. сложились индиани-зированные ранние государства.

In Russian

Critical assessment of the English translation by Joyanto K. Sen of a classical study, and the translator's response.

In English

An Indian scholar's view on Indianization, trade and syncretism across early Southeast Asia.

In English

A useful summary of archeological research in Northeastern Thailand at the end of the 1950s

In English

The south- and east-bound Thai expansion considered by a renowned linguist.

In English

Were the builders of Phimai following a "visual narrative program"?

In English

Khmer relics in Burma/Myanmar, and the history of Mon-Khmer culture in the country.

In English

Rich iconongraphy and historical background on Burmese Buddhist Art.

In English

Rejecting the notion of 'Angkorean tradition', the author emphasizes the Siamese influence on modern times Cambodian Court Dance.

In English

Trade and maritime rivalries during the 11th century.

In English

Where was located Chên Li Fu, a Gulf of Siam State under Khmer influence around the years 1200-1250?

In English & Chinese

A presentation of the Kingdom of Champa by Georges Maspero, distinguished sinologist and orientalist.

In French

From the Funan period to the peak of the Khmer Empire, the connections between Malay and Indochinese peninsulas.

In English & Chinese

Was the short-lasting King Udayadiyavarman, successor of Jayavarman V, coming from Bali and Java?

In French

The rivalry between Cambodia and Siam during the 17th century.

In English

An essay on ascetic arts and Indic influences in ancient Cambodia and Siam.

In English

Suvarnabhumi (Sanskrit) or Suvaṇṇabhūmi (Pali) may be rendered in English as ‘Golden Earth’, ‘Golden Land’, or ‘Land of Gold’. This fabled Indian name…

In English

Encyclopedic entry on Khmer religion, past and present.

In English

The interaction between Tantric Buddhism as developed in the Khorat region of Siam and its Khmer versions across what is no known as Cambodia.

In English

What happened in Khmer art and religious practice during the two last centuries of the Angkorean era?

In French

The Khoom Script, in its diverse versions, among Thai and Lao manuscripts.

In English

A contemporary summary of various explanations regarding the decline and fall of Angkor as a "megacity".

In English

How a constellation of tribes and linguistic systems derivating from Bronze and Iron Ages led to the Angkor civilization.

In English

From Phimai (Isan Province, Thailand) to Angkor, 225 km graced by Khmer Temples and ancient buildings.

In English & French

From bas-reliefs at the My Son Temple, Indian researchers Swati Chemburkar and Shivani Kapoor retrace the presence of an ascetic sect in pre-Angkorian and…

In English

When war refugees became the temple keepers...7 of the 37 Jean Boulbet's photographs kept at Bophana Center were exhibited in Jan.-Feb. 2021.

Entry #10 in Khmer Art Worldwide Collection

An Indian TV film devoted to Indian-Cambodian connection in visual arts

In English

A particular example of Brahmanist-Muslim syncretism in modern Southeast Asia, and what it tells us about the ancient Cham civilization

In French

An early account of Angkor and pre-colonial Cambodial included in this compendium on the Siamese Kingdom in the 1830s-1850s.

In French

An extraordinary friendship on the fringes of the Cold War

In English

A European woman's view on Southeast Asia at the turn of the 20th century

In French

Mainly based on Chinese sources and local inscriptions, the formidable study on the Kingdom of Champa and what it tells us about Angkor

In French & Chinese

A quest for Buddha's footprint artworks from India and Sri Lanka to China to Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia

In English

Terms and Doctrines of the Pali canon compiled by Bhikku Nyanatiloka

In English & Pali

Southeast Asian Art from the Francisco Capelo Collection, Lisboa

In English

An exploration of the spatial and numerological organization of Angkor Wat

In English

A richly illustrated journey through Indochina, and in particular Cambodia in the early years of the French Protectorate.

In French

The first popularization book on Indochina published in Russia. Authored by a bestselling female writer.

In Russian

One of the first Russian extensive accounts of Cambodia at the end of the 19th century, by erudite and diplomat G.A. de Vollan

In Russian

Origins and early development of the Kingdom of Bagan (Pagan).

In English

A major study on regional and global trade historic phases, their impact on development of polities and kingdoms around 1th-16th centuries Southeast asia.

In English

The fascinating interaction between Mon-Khmer and Austronesian languages or dialects through the ages.

In English

Archeological, architectural and historical sum on Indic influences in Southeast Asia.

In French

Collection of drawings and paintings from the students of the Gia Dinh Fine Arts School

In English & French

In modern Laos and Thailand, Khmer art of building and sculpting is still highly visible