Central Lakes College (CLC) anthropology instructor Fred Sutherland, who recently returned from Southeast Asia, will present photos and impressions of his trip during the upcoming Cultural Thursday presentation scheduled at noon on March 5.
The Cultural Thursday program is titled "Cambodia and Vietnam: Where past and present collide" and will be held in the Chalberg Theatre at CLC.
Come explore the largest religious complex in the world, see a landscape where ancient and modern cultures collide and learn how a region commemorates a tragic past.
Sutherland started his visit in Siem Reap, Cambodia, near the temple complex at Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world, then spent some days in the capital, Phnom Penh, where he saw the royal palaces and booming developments in the city. Next, he traveled down the Mekong River to the small ferry town of Chau Doc, Vietnam. Lastly, he spent the end of the tour in and around Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City. Sutherland viewed several ancient, historic and recent temples, shrines and cathedrals. He also visited museums of art and history, including sites of conflict and tragedy, such as political prisons and tunnels from the Vietnam War. He was visited modern-day street markets and food stalls in both countries. Sutherland visited many different places where traditional crafts like silk weaving, stone carving, pottery and more were being practiced. He spent some time in the countryside of rice paddies and floating villages along the river shore "to see what life was like for those outside the major cities."
Sutherland said his trip was "a chance to learn about cultures from a region with a fascinating and at times tragic history.
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"I was profoundly affected by the dramatic differences I witnessed between those doing well and those who were struggling, both groups living side by side. The changing landscape of developments funded by foreign governments and companies is disrupting how the rural poor have been making their livings. The rapid development is also causing levels of pollution to increase faster than services can manage it."
