All provinces or districts throughout Cambodia have erected statues of their respective districts or provinces to represent or symbolize their territory. The statues representing each of those districts or provinces are also built with meaning and stories related to the history and names of those provinces or districts. In fact, in Kampong Thom province, there is a statue of an elephant stepping on a tiger, a representative of the province, Kampong Chhnang province has a statue of a pot, and in Battambang province, there is a grandfather named Kambang. Some provincial statues are also claimed to be many years old.
The marble statue is a statue that represents Pursat province. Regarding the marble statue, there are many opinions as to why the provincial leaders and officials chose the marble statue as a symbol for Pursat province. Those comments also suggested that provincial officials should choose the Pursat orange, Po tree, cardamom tree, the statue of Oknha Khleang Moeung, etc. as a symbol for the province. This is because it is understood that the statues are rich in natural resources in the province and are related to the history of the province. However, this is not the case with the marble statue, which was chosen as a symbol for Pursat province. What are the factors that led to the selection of the icon as the icon of Pursat province? The following are the real reasons and origins that led to the selection of four marble statues to represent Pursat province:
The marble statue was erected at a roundabout in the center of National Road 5, more than five kilometers from the town of Pursat. The marble sculpture was expertly carved in marble and decorated with flowers and was opened on March 30, 2023 under the presidency of Pursat Provincial Governor Khoy Sokha. The marble statue was completed and officially inaugurated on April 9, 2014, taking one year to complete, with the inauguration ceremony presided over by Minister of Mines and Energy Suy Semna. That generation, too.
The well-covered figurines of the Pursat roundabout are adorned with exquisite floral motifs, supported by trophies, which cover the base of the podium and the pedestal is made of marble, a rare but abundant resource. That Pursat province. The other part of the roundabout is a stone pillar with a series of golden rice husks on either side, a circle of buffalo horns wrapped in blue and red ribbons, the lower part with the white inscription “Pursat Province” supported by the series. Green cardamom leaves and yellow flowers in the center. The circumference is 20 meters in diameter, the pedestal has three tiers, 11.20 meters in diameter, 3.15 meters in height, the pedestal is 8.85 meters high and the diameter is 6 meters, and can hold about 135 cubic meters of water.
According to the report, the decision to open the construction site for the marble statue came after two years of in-depth discussions on the potential of the province’s natural resources, including oranges, Pursat and cardamom trees. Which is a rare mineral resource and a statue of Oknha Khleang Moeung. After going through the discussion, the provincial administration finally decided to choose a marble sculpture under the following reasons and meanings:
1. Phdal is a symbol of water storage, Phdal is a material that Cambodians often use to store water, representing Pursat province, which is rich in water sources. As for the marble that the experts used to carve into the shell, it is a kind of marble that is a rare resource, but it is rich and even abundant in the Oral mountain range in Pursat province. The people there often use marble to carve various sculptures such as Apsara statues, perfect women, idols and other souvenirs that the people there take the stone sculpture as their local business. They are a village, a product of Pursat province.
2. The sculptures on the stone slabs and the corners of the circle show the potential of the marble sculptures that the people in the province have been trained in sculpture since the Sangkum Reastr Niyum era at the Pursat School of Design, located next to the national road. No. 5 west of the head of the stone bridge across the Pursat River and has grown to this day. On the other hand, the fancy design on the strong pedestal that supports the trophy and the pedestal confirms that the people of Pursat have been patient, diligent and talented in the sculpture business for a long time. At present, in Pursat town, there are many sculpture shops, both wholesale and retail, and even exported to other provinces, and also a factor that makes tourists like to buy marble sculptures. Also a souvenir.
3. Water: Water is a huge source of water in the Cardamom and Oral Mountains, the highest in Cambodia, as well as many mountains. The energy source there can be built as many dams, which promotes the development of the country in all areas and the distribution of energy throughout the country. Due to the potential for hydropower generation, Pursat province is also considered as a large battery. Water and natural resources in both mountains are rich in natural tourism in Pursat province. The inexhaustible water source in the Tonle Sap Lake, where there are natural resources, biodiversity and many other species of birds and fish contribute to the livelihood of the people in the country and also serve the tourism sector. The water there is a source of water flowing from the Cardamom and Oral Mountains, which facilitates the irrigation sector, which can be used as a reservoir and reservoir in many places in Pursat province to irrigate agricultural land and lowlands to meet demand. Of the people.
Another important reason is that the establishment of this roundabout is to prevent speeding, avoid traffic jams, reduce traffic accidents and also to improve the beauty of the city and attract tourists also.
