← All events

October 15 marks the anniversary of the death of King Norodom Sihanouk, who died in Beijing on this date in 2012 at the age of 89. The day honors Cambodia's most consequential modern figure - the man who negotiated independence from France in 1953, steered the country through Cold War entanglements, survived the Khmer Rouge period in exile, and returned to help broker the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements that ended the civil war. Cambodians call him Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk Varman, Father of the Nation. His ashes rest in a golden stupa at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. In Siem Reap, the day is marked with quiet respect: government offices close, many locals visit the nearest wat to offer prayers. Angkor remains open. The temples of Angkor were the symbol Sihanouk spent decades advocating for at UNESCO - a reminder that the sites you are visiting survived in part because of his determined diplomacy.

Location

Siem Reap