Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is a collection of opulent buildings located on the riverfront. The ornate gold structures and grounds are a stark contrast to the surrounding poverty. The palace was built by the French in 1866 and is the home of the royal family, who happened to be home today (although he didn’t come out for a chat—boo).
The surrounding gardens are beautiful with sculpted topiaries, flowering trees and various statues of Hindu gods throughout. Cambodian belief is based in Theravada Buddism, which is infused with Hinduism. It is impossible to walk two steps without being surrounded by Hindu gods. The landscape is filled with temples and statues or images of them. Incense burns at the base of these icons and many people bring gifts of food and flowers. The hopelessness of worshipping these false deities is dense and overshadows the beauty of the surroundings. It’s hard for me to see the beauty of carvings and statues that represent the desperate attempt of man to appease a spirit and somehow gain acceptance.
Within the Royal Palace grounds is the Silver Pagoda, so named for its floor of 5000 silver tiles. Unfortunately, the tiles were almost entirely covered with carpeting and the visible tiles were in a pathetic state of disrepair. The crowded pagoda was filled with images of Budda, including one of solid gold weighing over 200 pounds and encrusted with over 2000 diamonds.
You can tell from this writing that visiting temples depresses me. I’m trying to keep it in the perspective of learning the culture of these beautiful people. But all I see is the hopelessness of a people who don’t know the reality of the grace of Jesus.