Ancient temple ruins dot Cambodia's countryside More than 1
million people come annually to see the remains of the Khmer
temples that dot the sprawling Angkor region, 145 miles (230 km)
northwest of the country's capital, Phnom Penh. For Cambodians,
the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation; an
outline of Angkor Wat adorns the national flag. A nearby temple,
Wat Thmei, also includes a reminder of a dark chapter in recent
Cambodian history. A memorial stupa houses bones and skulls from
the victims of the "killing fields," who were executed by the
brutal Khmer Rouge regime [headed by Duch, a Christian convert
who was recently convicted of crimes against humanity] that
ruled in the late 1970s. Today, Angkor is a vital contributor to
the poor nation's economy, with almost all visitors to the
country traveling to the ruins. After a hot day visiting the
temples, tourists head to the bars and Western-style air-
conditioned restaurants in the nearby town of Siem Reap. Source