Tourism Indochina: The Great Khmer Empire Movie - The US $70 Million Movie in The Kingdom Cambodia

Tourism Indochina: The Great Khmer Empire Movie - The US $70 Million Movie in The Kingdom Cambodia

The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia. The empire, which grew out of the former kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalized parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, and Malaysia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of the capital city during the empire's zenith. Angkor bears testimony to the Khmer empire's immense power and wealth, as well as the variety of belief systems that it patronised over time. The empire's official religions included Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism, until Theravada Buddhism prevailed, even among the lower classes, after its introduction from Sri Lanka in the 13th century. Modern researches by satellites have revealed Angkor to be the largest pre-industrial urban center in the world. The history of Angkor as the central area of settlement of the historical kingdom of Kambujadesa is also the history of the Khmer from the 9th to the 13th centuries. From Kambuja itself - and so also from the Angkor region - no written records have survived other than stone inscriptions. Therefore the current knowledge of the historical Khmer civilization is derived primarily from:

- archaeological excavation, reconstruction and investigation
- stone inscriptions (most important are foundation steles of temples), which report on the political and religious deeds of the kings
- reliefs in a series of temple walls with depictions of military marches, life in the palace, market scenes and also the everyday lives of the population
- reports and chronicles of Chinese diplomats, traders and travellers.

The beginning of the era of the Khmer Empire is conventionally dated to 802 AD. In this year, king Jayavarman II had himself declared chakravartin ("king of the world", or "king of kings") on Phnom Kulen.

Tourism Indochina: The Great Khmer Empire Movie - The US $70 Million Movie in The Kingdom Cambodia:

A famous Chinese action movie star Jet Li (Chinese name: Li Lianjie), and American movie actress Angelina Jolie are expected to be included in a new movie to be produced in Cambodia. In a press conference held on Wednesday in Phnom Penh, Thomas Magyar, a project manager for the planned movie, and Tony Schiena, a project coordinator and a Hollywood star said the film they had planned to produce will be named as “Great Khmer Empire.” They said the film might cost approximately 70 million US dollars and it will need about three years to make it, saying the large time span will be caused by the consultations with Cambodian government and historians on accuracy of the history as well as the script writing. Both Tony Schiena and Thomas Magyar said, to date, they are looking at several famous movies stars such as Jet Li, Chinese action star, Angelina Jolie, an American movie actress, John Cena, world’s famous wrester and South Korean movie actress Song Hye Kyo among others. The movie will focus on history of Cambodia, especially, during the glorious period in 11th and 12th century under the King Jayavarman the VII, who until today, considered as the great King of Cambodia and who finished up the building of Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia.

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Tourism Indochina: Chinese Delegation Arrives in Cambodia

Tourism Indochina: Chinese Delegation Arrives in Cambodia

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2007-02-04): A good-will delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) arrived in Phnom Penh on Wednesday on the final leg of a regional tour to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. The delegation, led by Chen Jianguo, secretary of the CPC Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee, paid the visit here as guest of the Cambodian People's Party and Funcinpec Party. Source: Xinhua

The Communist Party of China (CPC), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Although nominally it exists alongside the United Front, a coalition of governing political parties, in practice, the CPC is the only party of the PRC, maintaining a unitary government and centralizing the state, military, and media. The legal power of the Communist Party is guaranteed by the national constitution. The current party leader is Hu Jintao, who holds the title of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China.
The party was founded in July, 1921 in Shanghai. After a lengthy civil war, the party defeated its primary rival, the Kuomintang (KMT), and expanded into all of mainland China by 1949. The Kuomintang retreated to the island of Taiwan, which it still retains to this day. The party has fluctuated between periods of reform and political conservatism throughout its history. Both before and after the founding of the PRC, the CPC's history is defined by various power struggles and ideological battles, including destructive socio-political movements such as the Cultural Revolution. At first a conventional member of the international Communist movement, the CPC broke with its counterpart in the Soviet Union over ideology in the 1960s. The Communist Party's ideology was redefined under Deng Xiaoping to incorporate principles of market economics, and the corresponding reforms enabled rapid and sustained economic growth.

The CPC is the world's largest political party, claiming over 80 million members at the end of 2010 which constitutes about 6.0% of the total population of mainland China. The vast majority of military and civil officials are members of the Party. Since 1978, the Communist Party has attempted to institutionalize transitions of power and consolidate its internal structure. The modern party stresses unity and avoids public conflict while practicing a pragmatic and open (within the party structure) democratic centralism.

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Tourism Indochina: Tourism to Cambodia Jumped More Than 14 Percent

Tourism Indochina: Tourism to Cambodia Jumped More Than 14 Percent

Tourism to Cambodia jumped more than 14 percent in the year to May, with Siem Reap posting the largest influx of foreign visitors, government figures show, although the Angkor temple town experienced a first-quarter dip in the number of arrivals from the same period in 2007.

Kong Sopheareak, director of the statistics department at the Ministry of Tourism, told the Post that Cambodia was on track to attract 2.3 million visitors this year, adding that political stability and infrastructure improvements had increased the number of tourist destinations in the country.

This diversification could be behind the seven percent drop in arrivals to Cambodia’s most popular tourist draw, the Angkor temple town of Siem Reap, tourism officials said Elsewhere in Cambodia saw a significant surge in visitors, such as coastal resorts and the northeastern provinces of Mondulkiri and Ratanakkiri, according to Sopheareak, who added that tourism was hoped to earn Cambodia some $1.64 billion this year. He dismissed concerns that the July 27 general election would impact the tourism sector, which is one of the few viable industries in the impoverished country.

Ho Vandy, president of Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, told the Post on June 10 that he too was optimistic that the polls would have little effect on arrival figures. Cambodia’s year-long political stalemate following general elections in 2003 had resulted in a 12 percent drop in visitors, he said.

Tourism is a fragile sector and if there is instability or unrest no tourists will want to come, so we hope all political parties will resolve any election issues peacefully,” he said.South Koreans continue to make up the largest group of foreign visitors, followed by Vietnamese and then Japanese, according to tourism ministry figures. Written by Nguon Sovan and Peter Olszewski.

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Tourism Indochina: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Continue To Support Cambodia

Tourism Indochina: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Continue To Support Cambodia

Angelina Jolie (born June 4, 1975) is an American actor and director. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has been cited as the world's "most beautiful" woman, a title for which she has received substantial media attention. Jolie made her screen debut as a child alongside her father Jon Voight in Lookin' to Get Out (1982), but her film career began in earnest a decade later with the low-budget production Cyborg 2 (1993). Her first leading role in a major film was in the cyber-thriller Hackers (1995). She starred in the critically acclaimed biographical television films George Wallace (1997) and Gia (1998), and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the drama Girl, Interrupted (1999). Jolie achieved wide fame after her portrayal of video game heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), and established herself among the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood with the sequel The Cradle of Life (2003). She reinforced her reputation as a leading action star with Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) and Wanted (2008)—her biggest non-animated commercial successes to date—and received further critical acclaim for her performances in the dramas A Mighty Heart (2007) and Changeling (2008), which earned her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Jolie made her directorial debut with the wartime drama In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011).
Divorced from actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie now lives with actor Brad Pitt, in an association notable for fervent media attention. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, and three biological children, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne.

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and five Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one. He has been described as one of the world's most attractive men, a label for which he has received substantial media attention. Pitt began his acting career with television guest appearances, including a role on the CBS prime-time soap opera Dallas in 1987. He later gained recognition as the cowboy hitchhiker who seduces Geena Davis's character in the 1991 road movie Thelma & Louise. Pitt's first leading roles in big-budget productions came with A River Runs Through It (1992) and Interview with the Vampire (1994). He was cast opposite Anthony Hopkins in the 1994 drama Legends of the Fall, which earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. In 1995 he gave critically acclaimed performances in the crime thriller Seven and the science fiction film 12 Monkeys, the latter securing him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination. Four years later, in 1999, Pitt starred in the cult hit Fight Club. He then starred in the major international hit as Rusty Ryan in Ocean's Eleven (2001) and its sequels, Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007). His greatest commercial successes have been Troy (2004) and Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005). Pitt received his second Academy Award nomination for his title role performance in the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Following a high-profile relationship with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Pitt was married to actress Jennifer Aniston for five years. Pitt lives with actress Angelina Jolie in a relationship that has generated wide publicity. He and Jolie have six children—Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. Since beginning his relationship with Jolie, he has become increasingly involved in social issues both in the United States and internationally. Pitt owns a production company named Plan B Entertainment, whose productions include the 2007 Academy Award winning Best Picture, The Departed.

Tourism Indochina: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Continue To Support Cambodia:
(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2006-12-29): The two have donated millions of dollars and teamed up with Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and his anti-poverty organization Millennium Promise on an economic-development program in northwestern Cambodia. Seventy MJP workers will work with Sach?s group on activities including rice planting, distribution of beds to fight malaria, school meal programs and providing medicine for clinics.
Jolie tells People, We have learned so much and I think we are on the right track. We hope people will travel to Cambodia. The people there have overcome so much. Pitt adds, It was incredibly moving to visit my son's country.

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Tourism Indochina: Jennifer Hawkins Visited Vietnam

Tourism Indochina: Jennifer Hawkins Visited Vietnam

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2006-12-01): Jennifer Hawkins on December 1 arrived in Vietnam at the invitation of the Australian national television station, Seven Network. The universe?s most beautiful girl spent Saturday all day filming at Hoan Kiem Lake. Jennifer Hawkins looked like a travelling western backpacker, quite unlike how she did when she walked on the catwalk. Vietnamese people, who were at Hoan Kiem Lake on Saturday, did not realise that they saw Miss Universe. Meanwhile, many foreigners asked to take pictures with the beauty. It is cold in Hanoi these days. The temperature is hovering at 16oC. However, Jennifer appeared on Hanoi?s streets in T-shirts and shorts. She dropped into a fashion shop on Hang Dao street in the centre of Hanoi to buy an overcoats for children, and she was very pleased with what she bought. She did not hesitate to stay in the crowd to buy a stamp for a souvenir. Always smiling, waving hello, Miss Universe proved to be very friendly. This is the first time Jennifer has been to Vietnam, but she said she liked Vietnamese cuisine very much. There is only one thing she does not like in Vietnam: the bad traffic. The beautiful girl dares not cross the road if nobody helps her. Acting as the collaborator of the television shows on Seven Network, specialising in tourism, Jennifer will go to many other sites in Vietnam and Thailand. Her work in Thailand has been finished. In the next few days the beauty will go to Hue, Da Nang, Mui Ne. (Source: VNE)

Jennifer Hawkins (born 22 December 1983) is an Australian beauty queen, model and television presenter best known as Miss Universe 2004 and the face of Australian department store Myer. Hawkins was born in Holmesville, New South Wales, and currently resides in Sydney. She attended West Wallsend High School in West Wallsend, New South Wales. She is one of four children, and her parents are of Australian heritage. Hawkins was a former cheerleader for the Newcastle Knights rugby league team, and the Hunter Pirates basketball team and also worked as a model. It was as a model that she was cast as Miss Australia for the Miss Universe competition. Hawkins also worked as a choreographer for a dance team that toured Australia specialising in Hip-Hop and Ballet.

Hoan Kiem Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, meaning "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword", also known as Hồ Gươm - Sword Lake) is a lake in the historical center of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. The lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as a focal point for its public life. According to the legend, emperor Lê Lợi handed a magic sword called Heaven's Will which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty back to the Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) in the lake and hence gave it its present name (the lake was formerly known as Luc Thuy meaning "Green Water"). The Turtle Tower (Thap Rùa) standing on a small island near the centre of lake is linked to the legend. Large soft-shell turtles, either of the species Rafetus swinhoei or a separate species named Rafetus leloii in honor of the emperor, have been sighted in the lake. The species is critically endangered and the number of individuals in the lake is unclear.

Near the northern shore of the lake lies Jade Island on which the Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son Temple) stands. The temple was erected in the 18th century. It honors the 13-century military leader Tran Hung Dao who distinguished himself in the fight against the Yuan Dynasty, Van Xuong, a scholar, and Nguyen Van Sieu, a Confucian master and famous writer in charge of repairs made to the temple in 1864. Jade Island is connected to the shore by the wooden red-painted The Huc Bridge (The Huc, meaning Morning Sunlight Bridge).


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Tourism Indochina: Former US president Bill Clinton Made a Surprise Visit to Cambodia

Tourism Indochina: Former US president Bill Clinton Made a Surprise Visit to Cambodia

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III; August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation. Clinton has been described as a New Democrat. Many of his policies have been attributed to a centrist Third Way philosophy of governance, while on other issues his stance was center-left. Born and raised in Arkansas, Clinton became both a student leader and a skilled musician. He is an alumnus of Georgetown University where he was Phi Beta Kappa and earned a Rhodes Scholarship to attend the University of Oxford. He is married to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has served as the United States Secretary of State since 2009 and was the Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009. Both Clintons received law degrees from Yale Law School, where they met and began dating. As Governor of Arkansas, Clinton overhauled the state's education system, and served as Chair of the National Governors Association. Clinton was elected president in 1992, defeating incumbent president George H.W. Bush. As president, Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history. He signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement. He implemented Don't ask, don't tell, a controversial intermediate step to full gay military integration. After a failed health care reform attempt, Republicans won control of Congress in 1994, for the first time in forty years. Two years later, the re-elected Clinton became the first member of the Democratic Party since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full term as president. He successfully passed welfare reform and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, providing health coverage for millions of children. Later, he was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice in a scandal involving a White House intern, but was acquitted by the U.S. Senate and served his complete term of office. The Congressional Budget Office reported a budget surplus between the years 1998 and 2000, the last three years of Clinton's presidency. Clinton left office with the highest end-of-office approval rating of any U.S. president since World War II. Since then, he has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. Based on his philanthropic worldview, Clinton created the William J. Clinton Foundation to promote and address international causes such as prevention of AIDS and global warming. In 2004, he released his autobiography My Life, and was involved in his wife's and then Barack Obama's campaigns for president in 2008. In 2009, he was named United Nations Special Envoy to Haiti, and after the 2010 earthquake he teamed with George W. Bush to form the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Since leaving office, Clinton has been rated highly in public opinion polls of U.S. presidents.

Tourism Indochina: Former US president Bill Clinton Made a Surprise Visit to Cambodia:
(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2006-12-06): SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AFP) - Former US president Bill Clinton made a surprise visit to Cambodias famed Angkor Wat temples, where he impressed tourists by scaling the highest temple in the complex. Clinton, in Cambodia to tour AIDS-related projects and local organizations supported by his foundation, did not speak to reporters but shook hands with tourists. "I am so glad that the former US president came to visit the temples," said Cambodian visitor Pol Khim Pisith, who briefly saw Clinton before security officials pushed him away. "Bill Clintons visit will make our Angkor Wat more and more famous and attract more tourists," he said. Dressed in khaki trousers and a gray shirt, Clinton -- who is 60 and underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 -- climbed on the highest temple, surprising tourists who helped him up. "Clinton visiting the temples is a good surprise," Belgian tourist Andre Deceuninck told AFP as he tried to take a picture of the 42nd US president. "I didnt know he was coming to see the temples. I thought it was a joke."

But the heavy security -- from both US Secret Service and Cambodian officials -- frustrated many visitors. "I really wanted to see him but security officials did not allow me to go closer to him," said 78-year-old Buddhist monk Sim Son. The popular former president has already visited India, Thailand, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea as part of his Asian tour as special UN envoy for tsunami recovery and as head of his own Clinton Foundation. Clinton was scheduled to visit a hospital for children in Siem Reap later in the day before travelling to Vietnam.

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Tourism Indochina: Vietnam to Cambodia by the New Travel Route

Tourism Indochina: Vietnam to Cambodia by the New Travel Route

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2007-08-23): A sea service will bring tourists from Ha Tien Town to the famous beach city of Kep twice a week while four buses run between Rach Gia City and Kampot Town with four weekly departures. Businesses from the two provinces have reached agreements on five tourism infrastructure projects totaling over VND 60 billion (USD 3.7 million), in the hope of starting construction in year 2008. (Source: VNA)


Ha Tien is a seaside town in Kien Giang Province in Southern Vietnam. It is at the western end of the Mekong Delta close to the Cambodian border. Although a tourist spot it hasn't yet seen many western visitors due to its remoteness. As a result the English literacy of even the hotel staff is next to nothing. However, the opening of the border to Cambodia for international travelers recently is likely to change that in the near future. The border near Ha Tien (7km to the north) was opened for tourists in 2007. NEW!! NO VISA NEEDED; As of late 2010,it is possible for tourists of most nationalities to enter Vietnam via this border crossing without the need for a visa.It applies only for stays of up to 15 days,and you can only visit the so called "Special Economic Zone",which is essentially the town of Ha Tien,and the area between the town and the border,including Mui Nai beach.You must not travel further into Vietnam (There is some dispute over whether you can travel to Phu Quoc island having entered with this visa free entry). From Kampot you can get a motobike taxi for $9-10 or from Kep for $7 to the border on the Cambodian side. The road can vary in condition from paved and bumpy to packed dirt and bumpy, be prepared for a slightly white knuckled ride depending on the daring nature of your driver. Also, be aware that there seem to be Vietnamese drivers now waiting well inside the Cambodian side waiting to pickup (poach) prospective travelers to take them across the border into town. Your driver may stop here to talk with them and seem to suggest you go with them. A ride to town should be $3-4 or less (it is only 7 km and the road is well paved on the Vietnamese side.) If you can't agree on a price there you can simply have your Cambodian driver take you to the border where you can cross over and have the drivers on the other side fight over you.

Rạch Giá is the capital city of Kien Giang province, Vietnam. It is located around on the coast of Gulf of Thailand, 250 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. East of city borders Tân Hiệp and Châu Thành town, Gulf of Thailand surrounds west city, south of city borders to Châu Thành and An Biên town, north of city borders to Hòn Đất and Tân Hiệp. Rạch Giá city is the first city which Vietnam government applies "lan bien" project (build a new city out to the ocean to expand territory). "Lan bien" project expand the city to become one of the biggest new cities in the southwest of Vietnam. This project adds 2 more new wards in Rạch Giá. Beside that, several future construction projects such as industrial center Rach Vuot and urban city Vinh Hiep which will be started after finishing Lac Hong bridge project will expand Rạch Giá to the east.

Kampot is the capital of Kampot Province in southern Cambodia. The city is a quiet riverside town just a few kilometers from the Gulf of Thailand. Kampot was best known for its famous black pepper, which is still widely available in Cambodia. The fresh climate and soil type of Kampot as well as the experience from several generations of pepper farmers make this pepper unique and much sought-after by gourmets worldwide. It is also famous for its Kampot fish sauce. Kampot is the base for trips up the Dâmrei and Bokor Mountains. Stunning panoramic views over Cambodia and Vietnam can be enjoyed from the mountain tops. Waterfalls, boating and rafting on the river can be enjoyed in town, and popular attractions are the Kompong Trach caves with their ancient ruins and the durian and pepper farms. The little island of Koh Tonsay can be visited from Kampot by boat. Visitors can enjoy long stretches of golden sand and tasty local crab curry. Kampot is an up and coming tourist destination and the city has recently undergone many changes. There are a number of charming hotels, guesthouses and resorts in the towns of Kampot and Kep, while home stays can be found in the rest of the province. The province is connected to the rest of the country and Vietnam by well-maintained road.

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