The Cambodian Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda

Royal Palace of Cambodia

Not too many people know that Cambodia, unlike neighboring Laos and Vietnam (all three of which constituted the French protectorate of Indochina), is a constitutional monarchy. Although Cambodia was ruled for nearly half a century by the Khmer Rouge and its successors, the monarchy was restored in 1993 when the old king was brought out of exile to once again rule the country. Today, the son of King Sihanouk sits the throne, carrying on his late father's legacy of reconciliation.

Throne Hall

We ran out of time to visit the Royal Palace the last time we visited Phnom Penh. I was determined to visit the city's most famous attraction this time! On a hot and sunny Cambodian afternoon, I made my way past the rows of tuk-tuks, hawkers, and pushy tour guides to the gates of the Royal Palace and purchased a ticket for $10.

close to the Throne Hall

The palace was built during the 1860s when the capital was moved from Oudong to Phnom Penh. The palace, paid for by the French protectorate government, is built in an architectural blend of traditional Khmer and colonial European elements. In this sense, it reminds me a lot of the Royal Palace in Luang Prabang.

visiting the palace - it was incredibly hot that day!

While some areas of the palace are open to the public, it is still the official royal residence of the King of Cambodia. The King's private areas are, of course, off-limits! I did get to see the Throne Hall, however! The Throne Hall is the first building at the palace compound that visitors come to when walking through the palace. The inside was beautiful, although photographs were not allowed.

Royal Palace buildings

The Royal Palace is a lot like the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Both palaces are attached to royal temples, and both share a lot of architectural and design features. Unlike the Grand Palace, which is always so crowded that it's difficult to move, the Royal Palace in Cambodia had plenty of space to walk around. I guess the big package tour companies haven't discovered Phnom Penh yet!

palace murals

Also like in Bangkok, the walls surrounding the palace were painted in beautifully colored murals depicting scenes from Cambodian myths and legends. Some of these murals have fallen into disrepair, but there is a lot of effort underway to restore them.

the Silver Pagoda

The Silver Pagoda is the main temple of Cambodia, and it's located on the grounds of the Royal Palace. Officially, the temple is called the Temple of the Emerald (Crystal) Buddha, but it's almost always called the Silver Pagoda. From looking at it, the name might not make much sense, but in the past, the temple was plated in silver.

various Buddha statues

The Silver Pagoda contains Cambodia's own version of the Emerald Buddha, which is now located at the palace in Bangkok. The Emerald Buddha is one of the most important Buddhist artifacts in Southeast Asia, and nearly every country in the region lays claim to it!

the Cambodian Royal Palace

Photos were not permitted inside the beautiful and elegant temple, however there were several more temples and shrines on the grounds which visitors were allowed to enter and explore.

a small shrine

Cambodia is Theravada Buddhist, like Thailand, but is more heavily influenced by its Hindu past. The Khmer Empire was a Hindu empire, and the temples of Angkor Wat were originally dedicated to the Indian gods. While Cambodia is Buddhist nowadays, I still see a lot of veneration towards cows. This shrine, for example, was found around the Silver Pagoda within the Royal Palace area.

Silver Pagoda Temple

The National Museum of Cambodia

the National Museum

The National Museum of Cambodia is situated alongside the Mekong River in Phnom Penh, just across a plaza from the Royal Palace. The collection it houses is impressive, but the building that houses it is just as beautiful.

a Khmer-style statue

A ticket to visit the museum costs $10, and in my opinion it's well worth the relatively high (by Cambodian standards) price. Cambodia has a rich ancient history dating back thousands of years to one of the largest empires in Asian history.

the entrance to the National Museum in Phnom Penh

The museum is located inside a building dating back to the founding of the National Museum in 1920. The building is designed to be reminiscent of Khmer-style Buddhist temple architecture, and displays a unique blend between traditional and colonial-era style.

inside the National Museum

Sadly, the kingdom's National Museum was abandoned during the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. It's taken a long time to restore the museum to its former glory, but today, the museum is once again open and home to an impressive collection of Khmer and pre-Khmer artifacts.

the museum courtyard

The only problem is, the museum is not air-conditioned! The building dates back to the 1920s, and is built along an open-plan layout with a cool courtyard in the center. At least there's usually a nice breeze blowing through!

the National Museum was inspired by Cambodian temple architecture

I did get a little warm while browsing the historical collections, so I went to sit in the courtyard for a bit. They had a little cafe with snacks and cool drinks for sale, and lots of people were enjoying taking photographs in the beautiful courtyard garden.

a collection of Buddhist statues inside the museum

Today, the museum is managed in part by the Cambodian Royal University of Fine Arts, located just next door. The university was founded in 1917, and is the oldest university in the country.

the front of the National Museum of Cambodia

Wat Phnom

Phnom Penh's namesake, Wat Phnom, is one of the oldest and most important Buddhist temples in Cambodia.

a woman praying at a shrine in Phnom Penh

The temple at Wat Phnom dates back to the early 14th century, even before the Khmer Empire, located far away in the west of the country, fell. Today, Wat Phnom is still the tallest temple in all of Cambodia.

Wat Phnom

The history of Wat Phnom dates back hundreds of years, and is steeped in myth and legend. According to the stories, an old woman named Penh discovered a bronze Buddha sculpture inside a tree atop the hill. The people recognized it as a sacred site, and built a stone shrine to honor it.

The name of the city comes from the Khmer word for “hill”, Phnom, and the woman’s name, Penh.

the steps to the temple

The temple has been added to and re-built many times since its founding. Today, it is the tallest religious structure in the entire city, and the tall white chedi towers over the surrounding area from atop its hill.

I bought a ticket and began climbing the stairs to the temple.

inside Wat Phnom

It was very crowded that day, and I soon realized why. I just so happened to visit Wat Phnom on the first day of the Lunar (Chinese) New Year. It was the first day of the Year of the Pig. Hundreds of people from all across the city were visiting to pray and make merit at the temple, most of them wearing red for good luck.

donations and artifacts

Despite the crowds, I squeezed my way inside the main temple building.

Once inside, the incredible works of art painted on every wall and the ceiling took my breath away. Wat Phnom was once one of the most important royal temples in Cambodia, and it is painted to be fittingly celestial.

stunning ceiling of Wat Phnom

The remains of several members of the royal family are interred at Wat Phnom, and though the kingdom has fallen and been restored, the temple has stood through it all.

the main Buddhist shrine at Wat Phnom

The temple was packed. Dozens of people were crammed into the central prayer hall, lighting candles and incense, and making prayers and offerings to Buddha for fortune in the coming year. The temple was beautiful, but a little too crowded for me. I didn't end up staying too long.

local people praying

I have to say, I'm really impressed with Phnom Penh! It's a city that I never gave so much thought to, always preferring to visit Siem Reap. I might have to rethink that. It's a good-sized and fairly modern city, and is really quite convenient and comfortable to visit. It just might make a good visa run destination in the future! And, as it turns out, there's actually quite a lot to do!

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Phnom Penh

I've written quite a bit about the Khmer Rouge in the past. I've traveled to Cambodia a lot, and it's difficult, if not impossible, not to be affected by memories of the country's tragic past. Today, it's a beautiful country that is working hard to reconcile the past and reclaim its culture and heritage. Cambodia still has a long way to go, but the future is looking bright.

When visiting Siem Reap, everything is about Angkor Wat. Phnom Penh is different, though. In the capital, you are confronted much more directly with the vestiges of the country's political past.

the walls of Tuol Sleng

On my second day in the city, I paid a visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

the prison is built in an old school

Tuol Sleng, code-named S-21 (Security Prison 21), was the most brutal and deadly prison camp of the Khmer Rouge. The prison was in operation for only four years. During this time, an estimated 20,000 prisoners were interrogated, tortured, and killed. There were only seven survivors.

security regulations

Tuol Sleng means "Strychnine Hill". It's an ugly and depressing name, but it fits. It wasn't always called this, though. Once, Tuol Sleng was the Chao Ponhea Yat High School, named after one of the king's ancestors. When the Khmer Rouge seized power, the upper and middle class royalists, academics, and educated professionals were either exiled or killed. The school was closed down and converted into a m political prison.

one of the prison buildings

The Khmer Rouge, under dictator Pol Pot, ruled Cambodia under one of the most oppressive and genocidal regimes in history. It’s unclear exactly how many people were killed by the Khmer Rouge, but high-end estimates put the death toll around 30% of Cambodia’s population.

Part of ensuring that nothing like the Khmer Rouge ever happens again is spreading awareness and educating the world about what happened in Cambodia during the 1970s. Although it can be hard to hear, it’s important to learn about it when visiting Cambodia.

classroom converted into a prison bloc

As a teacher, it was really upsetting and heartbreaking to see a school, which should be a safe place where students can learn and grow, turned into a prison camp. Walking around the old buildings, I was struck with a really eerie and uncomfortable feeling. Many of the buildings were laid out exactly like the school where I teach in Thailand. My school dates back to the same time period, and this type of school has a pretty standard layout for the region.

the chalkboard is still there

The classrooms had been converted into makeshift prison blocs with dozens of cells, barely two feet across, crammed together. They didn't even bother to take down the chalkboards.

the upper levels

Most of the prison rooms have been preserved just how they were. Other rooms have been converted into museum exhibits with photographs and artifacts. There is also an airconditioned meditation room where visitors can sit to process what they've learned, and a small movie room which shows documentaries about life under the Khmer Rouge. It's an amazing museum, and so well organized.

The last room, where I didn't feel right taking photos, contained a golden Buddhist stupa. All of the walls surrounding the stupa were lined with the skulls of victims. It wasn't creepy, just somber and very reverent.

prison cells

When the prison was liberated by the invading Vietnamese army in 1979, only seven of the prisoners were alive. Today, some of the survivors spend their time volunteering at the museum, sharing their stories with the world.

the seven survivors

It’s not a fun place to visit, and it’s not a happy place to visit. But it is an important place to visit. I think that it’s important to take a step back to remember the horrible tragedies that took place here just decades ago.

memorial to those killed by the Khmer Rouge

Phnom Penh

From time to time I have to exit Thailand in order to renew my visa. This is called a "visa run", and it's just a fact of life for expats living in Thailand. I don't really mind it. At the very least, it gives me a change of scenery for a few days.

flying into Cambodia 

I arrived in Phnom Penh, the 1.5 million person capital of Cambodia, just as the sun was rising over the small southeast Asian kingdom. I've been to Cambodia several times before, but I often visit Siem Reap. I've only been to Phnom Penh once before, and then just for a day or so. This would be my first time to really explore the city.

driving into the city 

Phnom Penh, though not as big or modern as nearby cities like Bangkok, Saigon, or Kuala Lumpur, is actually a lot more developed than I had imagined it to be. It seems to be a fast-growing city as well - skyscrapers are going up all over the city along with expensive-looking condos, shopping malls, and more. It's easy for foreigners to invest and even start businesses in Cambodia, so it's starting to become something of an expat hub.

Independence Monument 

On the way into the city, I drove past the Independence Monument. This giant structure was built in 1953 to celebrate Cambodia's independence from France. Like neighboring Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia was once a part of the colony of French Indochina. It doesn't maintain as many colonial trappings as does its neighbors, but there's still a very distinct love of coffee and baguettes.

fountains and monuments in downtown Phnom Penh 

The monument was constructed in the style of a tower at the ancient Angkor Wat complex. It so was built shortly after the kingdom gained independence, when the future looked bright. Sadly, peace and happiness were not to be for the longest time in Cambodia. The kingdom went through turmoil under the Khmer Rouge regime - upper-end estimates guess that around 30% of the population was killed by the Khmer Rouge - and has only recently been able to begin recovery.

Norodom Sihanouk Memorial 

After an invasion by the Vietnamese and intervention by the United Nations, Cambodia succeeded in restoring its deposed monarchy in 1993. King Nordorom Sihanouk had been living in exile, and was welcomed back to the country as a very old man with the huge task ahead of him of unifying the nation and helping it on its way to recovery. He was to be the last king of the First Kingdom of Cambodia and the first king of the Second Kingdom of Cambodia. Today, the late king was succeeded by his son, who currently sits the throne.

the late King Norodom Sihanouk

I was given a warm welcome and a delicious breakfast at my guesthouse, and spent the first day in the city exploring the neighborhood.

a Cambodian breakfast

I was staying just outside of the city center near the "Russian Market". The market is officially called Tuol Tompoung Market, but was given its nickname because of the cheap influx of Soviet knockoffs that used to be sold there. In the past, Cambodia and the USSR had a fairly close relationship, evidenced by such relics as the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital. Unlike its neighbors and Indochinese cousins Vietnam and Laos, however, Cambodia is no longer Communist.

monks at the Russian Market in Phnom Penh 

The market sells tons of produce, souvenirs, and cheap knockoffs. I wandered through for a bit, but there wasn't much there to interest me. It was neat to see it, but I wasn't really in the mood for shopping.

the busy streets of Phnom Penh 

I ended up spending a week in Phnom Penh, which was enough time to see pretty much everything in the city. It was nice to give Phnom Penh a second visit, and to really see what the city's like. Visiting Phnom Penh really changed my perception of Cambodia. It's a world away from the sleepy town of Siem Reap or the crazy wilderness of Koh Rong. It's actually a pretty big city with modern buildings, cool cafes, and lots of expats.