WAT PHNOM
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Wat overlooking the city, featuring a stupa, pavilion and pagoda built by the Chinese and Vietnamese.
According to legend, it was in 1372 that Lady Penh, a wealthy local resident, saw a tree floating on the river, in which bronze and marble statues of Buddha were found. Lady Penh had an artificial hill and a temple built to house the statues. Founded a few years later, the city took the name of Phnom Penh, literally "The Hill of Penh", in honor of the initiator of the construction of the temple. Wat Phnom dominates the city from a height of 27 m. There is a stupa, a pavilion and a pagoda. The stupa, which can be seen from the four corners of the city, contains the ashes of King Pona Yat, the builder of the city. The pagoda, built by the Chinese and Vietnamese, is dedicated to Thien Han Tanh Man, the protective goddess of fishermen. The pavilion contains a statue of Dame Penh. Renovated in 1998 with the financial support ($180,000 all the same!) of the International Association of French-speaking Mayors, the complex is a success: the access roads have been repaved in laterite, the stupa has been repainted and a statue of King Sisowath has even been placed next to the plaque celebrating the treaty of attachment of the province of Battambang to Cambodia (1907). The main building dates from the previous renovation in 1926. The place is surrounded by a shady park, a place for tourists but also for locals. This park is also open at night. It is inhabited by an important colony of macaques, be careful with your personal belongings.
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