A taste of Paris in Phnom Penh

Dawn of a new era: Motorists in front of The Elysee Commercial Center building in the Paris-style development along the Bassac river in the satellite city of Koh Pich in Phnom Penh. — AFP

In downtown Phnom Penh, a huge high-end development mimicking the buildings and boulevards of Paris embodies a move to cash in on the “new frontier” for luxury – in the capital of one of Asia’s poorest countries.

A replica of the Arc de Triomphe towers over a branch of the Mekong River, flanked by shops and apartments built in the style of the French capital’s signature Haussmann blocs.