បុរីជូឡុង . TIOULONG
Kirirom is located in the southern part of the Kingdom of Cambodia, about 120 kilometers from the capital, Phnom Penh. During the French colonial period, tourism had largely been reserved for the colonial elite and the Cambodian royal family. After independence in 1953, mass tourism and urbanization began to develop. Kirirom was developed with resorts not only for state officials and guests but also for ordinary Cambodians. In the 1960s, Kirirom built holiday chalets for civil servants, central bank staff and employees of state-owned enterprises. During this period, it was called Tioulongville after the military figure Nhiek Tioulong, also known as “General Tractor” for his road-building and civil engineering achievements.
Kirirom survived the Khmer Rouge period without damage. Over time, Tioulongville slipped into a long sleep. Nature returned and reclaimed the beautiful houses. Some of them were absorbed into the tropical vegetation in a way reminiscent of the temples of Angkor. Entering these old villas feels like undertaking a huge and unique archeological journey to ancient times, not so different to the Angkor ruins! The architecture shows us a past era of modernity, revealing the lost Golden Age of Cambodia before the country’s fall.
Before starting this project, I often trekked through the deep pine forests of Kirirom and noticed many abandoned old villas scattered throughout the forest. In 2015, I decided to go document these villas. Unlike the from old villas in Kep, where most of which are inhabited or have caretakers, these remain empty. I asked locals, “Why people don’t live in the old villas?” and almost all replied that they are afraid of spirits.
Listening to the old song “Samros Borey Tioulong” by Houy Meas brought me a sense of relaxation and romance as I walked in the deep pine forests. I also watched an old film produced by the King Father Norodom Sihanouk, “La Joie de Vivre”, filmed at Tioulongville, in Kirirom, which shows how the elegance of these luxury villas in the past.
Looking at all these old villas, I admired how people in the 1960s spent time in nature.
Kirirom – Kampong Speu, 2015 – 2016