Siem Reap: The Ministry of the Royal Palace had built 12 statues of Angkorian army chiefs in the garden of the Royal Palace in Siem Reap.

Secretary of State for the Ministry of the Royal Palace, Ms Kong Panha, told reporters on December 17 that the installation was part of a large-scale infrastructure renovation project of the Royal Palace Garden in Siem Reap that began in early 2020 and completed in October 2022.

According to the Secretary of State, the statutes were studied through historical documents, including the style, inscriptions and sculptures from various temples before being erected, where the team identified and collected more than 30 generals who served the government during the reign of Angkor.

She also said that 12 is a number that Cambodians often use to represent the 12 kingdoms of Cambodian history. Their appearance, clothing, weapons, equipment, and hairstyles are designed according to the chronological patterns of the commanders.

The 12 statues are made of copper with a height of 2.1 meters and weigh from 200 to 300 kg, depending on the shape of the weapon and equipment of each statue and the faces of these statues are shaped and designed to reflect the characteristics of the ancient Khmer according to the carving on the wall of ancient temples, as well as the period in which they lived.

Although this is the achievement of modern Khmer children, these works are followed by historical documents, so they are not far from our history.

Although these sculptures are the work of modern-day Cambodians, they were created and preserved under historical documents and won't drift away from the truth of our history.