Cambodia–Vietnam Friendship Monument, Monument at Botum Park in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument is a concrete structure in Botum Park, Phnom Penh. It displays two soldiers and a woman holding a baby, topped by a golden decorative element at its summit.
The monument was built in 1979 by the communist regime that took power after the Cambodian-Vietnamese War, which overthrew the Khmer Rouge. It commemorates the former alliance between Vietnam and Cambodia. In 2015 Cambodia's National Council of the Solidarity Front and Vietnam's Ministry of Defence agreed to survey and restore the friendship monuments in Cambodia, with Vietnam funding the work.
The monument displays figures in a socialist realist style, showing Vietnamese and Cambodian soldiers alongside a civilian woman with a child. The way these figures stand together reflects a political message that visitors can observe in how the composition is arranged.
The monument sits near the Royal Palace and remains accessible throughout the year without entrance fees. Its location makes it easy to visit and attracts many photographers.
The structure was damaged in 1998 during a protest with hammers and fire. Restoration took about two months before it stood whole again.
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