Soreasmey Ke Bin, "With Artisans Angkor and Immersive Angkor, we are writing a new chapter for Siem Reap"
- Editorial team
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
It was on Monday, February 23, that the groundbreaking ceremony took place for the Living Village Angkor, an ambitious project that will host the Immersive Angkor initiative, supported by Confluences, within its space.
Soreasmey Ke Bin, CEO of the Confluences group (photo above), has nothing but praise for this launch of a major new milestone for Artisans Angkor. For the businessman, it reflects the institution's growth, saluting its role in preserving traditional Khmer craftsmanship and its courage in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.
Immersive Angkor, the flagship project born in the heart of the pandemic, is now positioning itself as a strategic partnership to revive cultural tourism in the region.
A Khmer Sanctuary of Resilience
"This event belongs first and foremost to all the artisans," declares Mr. Ke Bin. "Before 2020, this site buzzed with exceptional energy, welcoming hundreds of daily visitors from around the world and radiating confidence in Siem Reap's future."
"We all aspire to reclaim that vitality," he adds, paying tribute to Artisans Angkor, founded in 1992 to train rural youth and export high-end sculptures, lacquerware, and silk products.
The pandemic dried up tourist flows, emptying Angkor's pathways—2.2 million annual visitors pre-Covid. Yet, "at the height of uncertainty, Cambodian leaders took responsibility with exemplary courage," stresses the CEO, highlighting a bold, purely local decision to sustain operations.
Immersive Angkor: A Vision Forged in Adversity
Launched in February 2020, just as Cambodia closed its borders, Immersive Angkor aims to elevate Siem Reap to the rank of Southeast Asia's leading cultural destination.
This 3D immersive museum, the first dedicated to Khmer heritage, will feature 360-degree projections on 8-meter walls, reconstructing the temples' grandeur through precise scans and multimedia narratives.
Spanning 2,000 m² in the Living Arts Village, it will accommodate up to 1,500 visitors per day, extending stays and enriching the Angkor experience.
After six years of refinement amid turbulence, the project sealed a memorandum in March 2025 with the APSARA National Authority, guardian of the heritage. Collaborations with Iconem, a French 3D modeling expert, and international investors ensure its scientific rigor and economic viability. Presented to Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet in 2024, it aligns with the national strategy for tourism diversification.
Confluences: Architect of Global Alliances
A Franco-Cambodian at heart and rooted in the Kingdom for a quarter-century, Mr. Ke Bin, through Confluences, builds bridges between Cambodia and the world: investors, knowledge transfers, sustainable partnerships.
"Immersive Angkor embodies this spirit, with strong Cambodian leadership backed by global expertise," insists Mr. Ke Bin.
In his view, local tourism, at 80% of its pre-pandemic peak, won't rebound through a mere return to old flows: "It demands innovation, extended stays, and a sustainable model focused on quality."
A Collective Relaunch for Siem Reap-Angkor
The Living Arts Village symbolizes this renaissance: living tradition shared with the world. The Artisans Angkor-Immersive Angkor duo fuses local roots with global ambition.
Mr. Ke Bin thanks Artisans Angkor for its trust, the royal government under Hun Manet, and APSARA for their support. "Together, we are writing the next chapter for Siem Reap-Angkor."
In this post-pandemic era, as Cambodia marks 20 years since the UNESCO Convention on Intangible Heritage, this high-tech project could catalyze renewed cultural tourism, preserving Khmer essence while attracting new horizons. Here's hoping this immersion reignites the energy of old and propels Siem Reap to enduring brilliance.
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