The Angkor Panorama Museum in Siem Reap, Cambodia, which was opened to the public back in December 2015, transports visitors back in time with its ‘Panoramic Hall.’ Funded by North Korea, it may well be one of the biggest overseas projects the country has ever taken on.

The ‘Panoramic Hall’ features a mural that is 120 metres long and 13 metres high, offering a 360 degree experience of the Angkorian period, which began in 802 through to 1431.

An experience that some claim makes you feels as if you’re standing on a mountaintop overlooking Angkor, this extravagant oil painting brings this ancient era to life.

As you would expect, iconic Cambodian landmarks such as Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, and Tonle Sap Lake are featured in the 360-degree centerpiece. The painted illustration meets the 3-dimension with an artificial jungle constructed by fake trees, rocks, huts, and sculptures.

Stepping back in time, the artwork entitled “Angkor, Age of Prosperity” depicts the history of Angkor with three main themes: war, construction and prosperity.

From the circular viewing deck, the experience begins with theme of war in part one: “Defence Strategy”, illustrating the gory battle scenes during the Cham War. This was a war where the Khmers were victorious in their battle led by General Jayaraman VII – who was a great king among the Cambodian people – against the Cham troops.

The next part of the masterpiece is called “Construction Strategy”, going back in time to the Bayon Temple’s inception. After the war, the Angkor site was liberated and the construction of the Bayon Temple began.

The third and final part of the mural is titled “Prosperity”, which is a scene depicting the daily life of the Khmers. After the construction of Bayon Temple, it shows a joyous portrayal of life in the Khmer nation.

Interestingly, this masterful portrayal of Cambodian history was not painted by Cambodians themselves, but artists from North Korea. The project required 63 artists from North Korea’s Mansudae Art Studio to complete the panorama in just under two years.

Yit Chandaroat, acting director for the museum, explained it took 12 months for the outline to be drawn on the wall. The sketch was then inspected by Khmer expects to ensure authenticity and accuracy of the details. Once approved, the painting took roughly four months to complete.

On explaining why Cambodia chose the Mansudae to create this masterpiece, Yit Chandroat said, “Mansudae has great talent and a good reputation in artwork, painting and construction.”

In fact, the Mansaudae is North Korea’s biggest art studio – with 4,000 employees, and one fourth of those being North Korea’s most talented artists – in Pyongyang. The Mansaudae have been at the forefront in creating all of North Korea’s statues, sculptures and propagandist artworks currently on display in the country.

The initial opening of the attraction was delayed for some time, while discussions were being had between North Korea and Cambodia in regards to fees for the entry to the museum.

An unnamed official stated that North Korea demanded an entry fee for the museum be added to the current ticket price for visiting the Angkor Temples, but apparently, Cambodia was not inclined to implement an entry price.  The news of this demand has caused anger, especially because if the entry fee for the museum was to be included tourists would have no choice but to pay into an attraction spearheaded by the North Korean regime. In fact, the Grand Panorama will be controlled by North Korea for the first ten years, before they hand over operations to Cambodia.

While it seems as though North Korea may just be trying to cash in on Cambodia’s abundance of tourism and historical heritage to boost their own economy, apparently the countries historical ties have a part to play.

The ties between the two countries go back two generations to the “special relationship” between Kim Jong-Un’s grandfather Kim Il-Sung in North Korea and King Norodom Sinahouk, who was Cambodian royalty. The two leaders carried out similarly brutal regimes during their reign, and supported each other’s nations in times of war.

While entry to the museum will not be added to the temple ticket cost for now, there is a charge for admission to the Grand Panorama.

Aside from the panoramic mural, the museum features an 11-metre-tall Smiling Buddha, a life size reproduction of those seen at the ancient temple of Angkor Thom. It also houses a 204-seat theatre, which showcases a 20-minutes animated movie that explores the history and construction of the Angkor temples. Another feature is their models of all the main Angkor Temples in Siem Reap, along with maps and information on each of the ancient temples.