Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh

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According to legend, a 14th-century woman named Penh found sacred Buddhist objects in the nearby river and placed them here on the small hill. A temple was built to house the relics and the city was named for it - Phnom Penh means "Penh's Hill."

Located on a man-made hill twenty seven meters high in the middle of Phnom Penh, Wat Phnom is a revered place of worship for all Khmers and is the namesake of the capital. The original pagoda was built in 1373 to house four Buddha statues said to have been deposited by the waters of the Mekong. Wat Phnom has a unique atmosphere and is surrounded by various fortune tellers, mystics, faith healers and elephant ride around the site are available.

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From our tour guide, this is the earliest temple built on a small hill. The Cambodian capital city was named Phnom Penh, has relationship to Grandma Phnom. The temple is not big but most local people especially the business man has deep trust and believe to it. The Grandma Phnom small temple is located behind the main wat building. According to our TG, those newly wed couple must come to pray here for long lasting relationship. The compound is also a people park for their leisure activities. A giant clock donated by Chinese is on the field to tell the time. For those who could not climb the small hill to the temple. The elephant ride is available to serve you.

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When you are in Phnom Penh, you will pass by the monument many times, when you go to the palace, the silver pagoda, the river side, the casino. If you are not hurry, do stop by at different times to capture some smiling faces and Cambodian activities. Go closser to the monument, they are all 100 Naga, on every tiers, they are 20 Naga facing to all angles safeguarding Cambodian people and its visitors. As a tourist, I found difficult to cross to the centre as the traffic are always busy at this round about.

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Set on top of a 27m high tree covered knoll. According to legend, the first pagoda on this site was erected in 1373 to house four statues of Buddha deposited here by the waters of the Mekong river and discovered by a woman named Penh.

The main entrance to Wat Phnom is via the grand eastern staircase, which is guarded by lions and naga (mythical serpent) balustrades.

Today, many people come here to pray for good luck and success in school exams or business affairs. When a petitioner's wish is granted, he or she returns to make the offering promised - such as a garland of jasmine flowers or a bunch of bananas, of which the spirits are said to be especially fond - when the request was made.

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The history of Wat Phnom is that in 1372 Lady Penh discovered four Buddha statues. She decided to create the hill (Phnom) that is today the site of Wat Phnom and atop the hill she created a small temple (Wat) to house the statues.

The story continues that eventually the area became known as Phnom Penh in recognition of Lady Penh and the hill.

The current temple contains the remains of King Ponhea Vat (1405-1467) and it was this King that relocated the capital of Cambodia from Angkor to Phnom Penh in 1422.

Wat Phnom is a very popular place with lots of local people visiting.

You can take an elephant ride on Sambo ($10) and there are many stalls selling food and drinks. (This was also my first experience with seeing quite disfigured people begging along the stairs to the Wat).

There are also loads of fat well fed monkeys there.

Entry Fee: $1

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Wat Phnom is a revered place of worship for all Khmers and is the namesake of the capital. The original pagoda was built in 1373 to house four Buddha statues said to have been deposited by the waters of the Mekong. The temple is the focal point for many Buddhist ceremonies especially Pchum Ben and his highly revered by Phompenh residents. Wat Phnom has a unique atmosphere and is surrounded by various fortune tellers, mystics, faith healers and elephant rides around the site are available.

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Wat Phnom was rebuilt in 1926 ,the original reportedly dates back to the 1400's. It is built on the only hill around and for those who can brave the heat they are rewarded with a good city view .
It was so hot when we visited we declined to climb,so we missed the view.

There are lots of locals trying to make some cash from many visitors. Surprisingly there was even someone offering elephant rides.

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This small hill, or phnom, at the northern end of Phnom Penh give's Cambodia's capital its name. Legend has it that a Khmer woman Penh was dawdling by the riverbank when she noticed four Buddha images floating by. She grabbed the lot of them and lugged them over to the hill, where a wat was built to house them.

It was built in 1373 and is one of the most important pagodas in the city. It is the tallest religious structure in the city at over 27 metres high and houses the ashes of King Ponhea Yat.

Admission: $1.