May 25, 2011
ABC Radio Australia
Phnom Penh’s iconic Central Market or Psar Thmei will be officially re-inaugurated after seven years of renovations.
The market is a “must-see” for tourists to Cambodia’s capital, but it is also an important economic hub for the people of Phnom Penh.
Presenter: Robert Carmichael
Click here to listen to the audio program (Windows Media)
CARMICHAEL: Phnom Penh’s Central Market was built in 1937 when Cambodia was still under French colonial rule. The vast central dome, painted yellow, has been an icon of the capital city ever since. This French-designed steel and concrete structure is best pictured from above: think of a domed central hall with four giant arms protruding at right angles from it. Cambodians call it Psar Thmei, or the New Market. Decades of neglect meant it looked anything but. So 10 years ago the municipality and the French development agency AFD began talking about renovating the Central Market. The six-million-dollar project started in earnest three years ago and has just finished. The main building has undergone a facelift, and the contractors installed a new drainage system and improved sanitation.
Eric Beugnot is AFD’s country director. He says the renovation marks the first time the Central Market had been worked on since it was built nearly 75 years ago. He says AFD had two motivations for getting involved in renovating the Central Market. One was to preserve an iconic building of the colonial period. But the other was even more important:
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