Seng Chanthou, 19, first-year student majoring in finance at Phnom Penh International University

“I have visited the museum two to three times already, but most youth my age do not want to go because they think it is boring.  I think that understanding Cambodian history, such as how the temples were built, and what the Cambodian kings looked like, is a great advantage to me.  I have also visited religious temples, and when I was young I visited the Royal Palace where I was able to see many beautifully decorated rooms in which our kings once lived.”

El Nich, 19, first-year student majoring in electric engineering at Build Bright University

“I prefer visiting cultural sites over natural sites because I can get more of an understanding about Cambodian history. I always like to see old sculptures and learn about their meaning. When I go to my history classes, I have a better understanding about Khmer history. ??I believe my peers would also like to visit those places, but I also think they like cultural sites as well. Our ancestors built beautiful masterpieces and I think it is very important for schools to encourage their students to visit these historical assests.”

Hong Sopheak, 14, year-nine student at Junior High School

“Out of cultural sites and natural sites, I prefer to visit natural sites because whenever I visit those places, I can chill out and let go of whatever is on my mind. I always feel refreshed after I visit a natural park, especially after a full-on week of intense study. It’s an opportunity to learn about people’s way of life throughout the different periods. I can go to the museum and the royal palace to learn about Cambodian history, which is not stored anywhere else. Most of my peers think the same way, we all prefer natural tourist sights.”

Heng Sereysear, 19, first-year student majoring in IT at Royal University of Phnom Penh

“I am so proud to see the achievments of our ancestors. Whenever I visit cultural sites, I am overwhelmed at what our elders built and what they achieved for us as their descendants. It makes me proud to be Khmer. For me, I like visiting both natural and cultural sites. Most of my friends prefer natural sites more than cultral sites because they can have more fun. In Sihanoukville, for example, they can go swimming with friends, but if they were at a cultural site, they can usually only walk around.”

Luk Socheata, 23, third-year student majoring in banking at Royal University of Law and Economics

“Honestly speaking, I have never visited the Royal Palace and I truly want to go. One day I’ll hopefully get there. Most of the youth my age are not interested in going because they think it is boring. But I think it is very important to go to these places because I can actually see the history in front of me, rather than learning about it from my course notes. Once I visited a cultural village in Siem Reap province and I found it so amazing to see people performing about the Angkor Wat building, because I was able to learn who had actually built it.”