A beautiful sunny day dawned over the "Pearl of Asia". I taught an early morning class, and was out and about with the dawn. I decided to pay a visit to Wat Phnom, the oldest Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh, and the city's namesake.
I visited Wat Phnom on my last trip to Phnom Penh in 2019. By coincidence, it was Chinese New Year, and the temple was packed with crowds of red-clad faithful praying for an auspicious year.
This time, it was quiet; nearly deserted.
I paid the required $1 ticket fee, and stepped into the holy ground of the kingdom's most important temple.
Wat Phnom dates back to even before the dawn of the great Khmer Empire, although the temple has been rebuilt so many times that one would have no idea of its age from first glance.
Sitting atop a hill near the center of the city, the original Wat Phnom was constructed in 1371 on the orders of a wealthy woman named Daun Penh, or Lady Penh.
One day, long ago, Lady Penh had walked down to the banks of the river to bathe. Seeing a floating koki tree, she called upon the nearby villagers to float it out of the water. There, in a mud-filled hole in the tree trunk, Lady Penh discovered three Buddha statues made from bronze, brass, and marble respectively, and one statue of the Hindu god Vishnu.
Lady Penh ordered the construction of a small wooden pagoda atop a nearby hill, and assigned monks to pray for the statues and to consecrate the holy ground. Today, this hill remains the site of the ancient Wat Phnom, and the city in which it resides, Phnom Penh, takes its name from both the temple and it's founder.
The main temple hall is small and dark; its walls covered in gorgeous murals depicting stories of the life of the Buddha.
The last time I was here, it was really too crowded to appreciate. This time, I had the whole temple to myself (save for some sleepy temple dogs who were lazing around in the sun).
I took my time appreciating the art, architecture, and history of this ancient temple. It's almost a miracle that Wat Phnom still stands. During the four years that Pol Pot's brutal Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia, 25,000 monks were killed and 1,968 temples and monasteries were destroyed. Religion was seen as a threat to the regime, and Pol Pot's forces tried their best to stamp it out entirely. Even the Phnom Penh Cathedral, once considered a gem of Indochinese architecture, was destroyed.
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| an archival photo of the cathedral in the 1960s |
Somehow, Wat Phnom survived, and today, Buddhism has regained its place as the official religion of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Just outside of the temple and next-door to the US embassy stands a statue to Lady Penh, the founder of the temple and, ultimately, of the city itself.
Leaving Wat Phnom, I made my way on foot - navigating the chaotic traffic as I did so - to Central Market.
Constructed in 1937, this magnificent art deco marketplace was once the largest market in all of Asia.
Central Market, officially Phsar Thum Thmei, or "New Grand Market", was designed by a French architect and constructed by the colonial government of the French Protectorate of Cambodia who were determined to convert Phnom Penh into a modern European-style city and a model of their colonial empire. Plans for the market, which dated back to the 1920s, were put on hold due to the Great Depression, but were resumed as soon as it was feasable.
The market consists of a large domed area and four arms spreading out in each direction. It feels a bit like Central Market in KL or Kimyong Market in Hat Yai. You can find everything here, from tourist trinkets and postcards to fake watches, sunglasses, clothes, home goods, and more.
Surprisingly, I didn't see much food, though I may have missed that section. It seems a little odd to see a market in Southeast Asia without plenty of fresh and delicious food available to buy.
After leaving the market, I walked back to my hotel. My walk took me through a very different kind of market, one aimed not at tourists but at locals.
This little street market was abuzz with activity, and was dedicated almost entirely to food: meat, fresh produce, spices, and more.
I was hungry, so I sat down at the little restaurant at my hotel for lunch. Since I'm in Cambodia, I figured I ought to eat one of the national dishes! Today, I opted for fish amok, a thick fish curry served with rice.
Fish amok is an ancient royal dish dating back to the days of the Khmer Empire, but today is one of the most popularly-eaten dishes in the whole country. I'm a big fan! The dish is stuffed with fresh veggies, herbs, and spices, and is really healthy too.
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