The Khmer Rouge's assault on the arts was a terrible blow to Cambodia culture. Indeed, for a number of years the common consensus among Khmers was that their culture had been irrevocably lost. The Khmer Rouge not only did away with living bearers of Khmer culture, it at destroyed cultural artefacts, statues, musical instruments, books and anything else that served as a reminder of a past it was trying to efface The temples of Angkor were spared as a symbol of Khmer glory at empire, but little else survived. Despite this, Cambodia is witnessing resurgence of traditional arts and a growing interest in experimentation in modern arts and cross-cultural fusion. A trip to the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh is evidence of the extent to which Khmer culture has bounced back.