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