Angkor - Ta Prom

Ta Prom: where Man and Nature engage in a battle for supremacy.


Angkor Wat and many of the other popular tourist sites are the result of decades of conservation effort - trees and undergrowth have been cleared, walls and roofs cleaned of moss, and structures have been restored or completely rebuilt.


Here, trees grow everywhere: on the walkways and in the courtyards, on walls and even on the roof of the temple. Their enormous roots search out every crevice, grow long and deep, cracking and breaking up slabs of stone in courtyards and causing walls and structures to collapse. A slow but definitely steady process of destruction.


There is a lesson to learn from Ta Prom: the impermanent nature of existence - both the works of Man or the fruits of Nature. Man set out to conquer Nature when the Khmers undertook the task of building their great city here at Angkor. After their decline and subsequent abandonment of the area, Nature sought to reclaim what was once hers. Now, conservation work is being carried out and it seems as if Man has won once again. But for how long more? One thing's for certain: not forever.