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 The Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Cambodia |
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Built in 1866 by King
Norodom the Royal palace is now home to His Majesty Preah Bat
Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia,and Her
Majesty Preah Reach Akka-Mohesey Norodom Monineath
Sihanouk, the Queen of Cambodia. The Palace grounds are
opened to the public except when the King is in residence. Within the palace compound are
the coronation hall; the entrance, which houses an open-air
theater for the Royal Dance Troupe, and a balcony |
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Royal Palace |
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River Bank |
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for Royal
appearances; an open-air pavilion often used for
entertaining and viewing of the King's movies; and the
King's private residence, which houses a collection of
Cambodian artwork from artists around the world, and his
office, where he actively pursues Royal duties. The
architecturally incongruous Napoleon III pavilion
shipped and reassembled in Cambodia was a gift of the
French Empress Eugenie in the early 20th century.
Outside the southeast wall of the palace is the house of
the white elephant traditionally used
for special regal occasions including Royal births,
deaths or weddings. |
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The Silver Pagoda |
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Located within the
Royal Palace compound, the Silver Pagoda is so named because
of its floor, which is made up of 5,000 silver tiles. On
display inside are hundreds of Royal gifts received by the
Royal family over the years. Among the treasures are a
solid gold Buddha encrusted with, 9584 diamonds and weighing
90 kilos and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal
Buddha. The compound also houses Wat Phnom Mondap, containing
Buddha's footprint. The walls surrounding the compound - the
oldest part |
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Silver Pagoda |
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of the palace - are covered with frescos depicting
episodes from the Khmer version of the Ramayana, the
Reamker. |
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The National Museum |
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Located
just north of the royal Palace, the Nationals Museum has
recently been restored and represents the finest of Phnom
Penh's architecture. On display inside are more than 5,000
works of art, ranging from the 7th to the
13th century. Treasures include sculptures,
19th century dance costumes, Royal barges and
palanquins. Visitor can rest by the peaceful, palm-shaded
central courtyard and lotus ponds and contemplate one of
Asia's riches cultures. |
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National Museum |
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The Independence
Monument |
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The monument was
inaugurated in 1958 to celebrate the independence of Cambodia
from foreign rule.
It now also
serves as a monument to Cambodia’s war dead. Trespassing onto
the monument is illegal. The best view is from across the
street.
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Independence Monument |
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CHOEUNG EK Genocidal
Center |
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Choeung Ek |
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The killing fields'
of Choeung Ek is the site of the deaths of thousands of
victims of the Khmer Rouge.It is now a group of
mass graves and a memorial stupa.
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TOUL SLENG Museum of Genocidal
Crime |
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Prior to 1975 Toul
Sleng was a high school but under the Khmer Rouge (KR) it was
used as a torture facility. The building now serves as a
museum and a memorial. Photos of some of the victims as well
as paintings by a survivor hang on the walls. The complex has
been preserved as the KR left it. |
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Toul Sleng |
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WAT PHNOM |
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Wat Phnom |
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A small hill crowned
by an active water marks the legendary founding place of Phnom
Penh. The hill is the site of constant activity, with a steady
stream of the faithful trekking to the top and a constellation
of vendors, visitors and motor taxies at the bottom. Elephant
ride is available. The current temple was last rebuilt in 1926
and received a facelift in 1998. Legend has it that after
particularly heavy flood a wealthy woman named Daun Penh
found a tree on the banks
of the Mekong with four statues
of Buddha hidden inside. |
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She built a temple in
1434 to house the sacred relics. Today, Wat Phnom remains the
highest artificial hill in Phnom Penh and the center of
many forms of leisure activity. |
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Accommodations