Wat Phnom is a sacred Buddhist pagoda prominently sat atop a small hill in the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh where it has been a central site in the city as religious sanctuary for prayers and offerings since 1373. The current version of the temple was originally rebuilt in 1926 before undergoing a full facelift in 1998 and at a height of 27 metres Wat Phnom is the tallest temple and religious site in the city due to its hill top stature referenced in its name which translates literally as “Pagoda Mountain”. The temple is very important during certain Khmer Public holidays, especially during Khmer New Year when traditional games are played in front of the temple every year and it is also quite prominent for Pchum Benh / Festival of the Dead which is an animist type of ancestor worship or respect offerings. Despite Phnom Penh’s ever expanding concrete metropolis of flyovers and office blocks it is the powerful presence of Wat Phnom that still dominates the area between the Tonle Sap and the north of the city center, the other sites of note in the area include a massive fortress style US Embassy, a French Colonial Post Office and the equally colonial Raffles Hotel located on Michael Howe Street.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 08:27:12 +0000
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