Wat Phnom

Wat Phnom is one of the best Places to Visit in Phnom Penh. The pagoda was built in 1373, located in the center of Phnom Penh capital and is also the oldest pagoda in Phnom Penh. Every year, the pagoda attracts a large number of pilgrims from all over the country and is a must-see attraction for tourists when coming to Cambodia.

Located at an altitude of 27m above the surrounding temple, the pagoda is considered the highest point in the city and also the tallest religious building in the capital Phom Penh. The ancients said that the pagoda was built by a rich widow named Daun Penh. She invested herself in building the temple on an artificial hill. After the historic flood in 1372, Mrs. Penh recovered a wooden tree, it would not be worth mentioning if there were not 4 Buddha statues inside the tree. Then, Mrs. Penh built a hill and built a small temple to worship 4 Buddha statues. Later, the surrounding area was called the hill in Cambodian as Phnom and its creator's name was Mrs. Penh, hence the name Phnom Penh.

The sacredness of the four Buddha statues in Wat Phnom has made residents from all over the world move here to live around the temple and gradually form a community. Phnom Penh officially became the capital of the Khmer about 600 years ago after King Ponhea Yat abandoned Angkor in 1422.

The current pagoda was rebuilt at the end of 1926 and there have been many additional constructions over the centuries. The pagoda has two directions to visit, visitors to the temple will go one way by another and down by another. The road to the temple is not high, on the way up there is a statue of the god snake Naga and two spiritual lions - these are familiar animals in Cambodian beliefs and are found in most of the Angkor complex. The pagoda on the top of the hill worships Buddha gods just like other temples in Cambodia.

Google rating: 4.4/5.0

Address: : Wat Phnom Road, Phnom Penh, Campuchia

Website: https://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/phnompenh/wat-phnom.htm