![Photos] An idyllic slice of 1957 Cambodian life - Southeast Asia Globe](https://mk0southeastasih56vx.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Cambodian-life-feature.jpg)
Vietnam isn't the only country in the region to change dramatically over the last several decades.
While
we're huge fans of photos that transport us back to bygone eras of
recent Vietnamese history, it's no less interesting to get a glimpse of
our neighbors back in the day as well.
The below shots were taken in Cambodia in 1957 by LIFE Magazine
photographer John Dominis. They portray Phnom Penh, the capital, as
well as the famous ancient temples of Angkor Wat outside Siem Reap and
some views of the Cambodian countryside.
In fact, some parts of
these scenes haven't actually changed very much in the intervening
years: the gilded Royal Palace still takes up prime real estate near
Phnom Penh's riverfront, while the spectacular ruins and giant trees of
Angkor still stand.
At the same time, it's hard not to look at
these pictures and wonder what became of the people in them: their
smiles and movements were captured 18 years before the genocidal Khmer
Rouge swept into power, plunging Cambodia into terror and poverty,
setting the country back decades.
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