Things to See & Do

The real name of the 700m Japanese Friendship Bridge, which spans the Tonle Sap river, is the Chruoy Changvar bridge. It was blown up during fighting in 1975. Long a symbol of the devastation visited upon Cambodia, it was repaired in 1993 with US$23.2 million of Japanese funding. Those who have seen the film The Killing Fields will be interested to note that it was here on the afternoon of 17 April 1975 - the day Phnom Penh fell- that New York limes correspondent Sydney Schonberg and four companions were held prisoner by Khmer Rouge fighters and threatened with death.

West of the Chruoy Changvar bridge on Ph 70 is the School of Fine Arts. This is an active school devoted to training students in the arts of music and dance, and is not a tourist attraction. It is possible, however, to call in early in the morning and watch children rehearsing classical Khmer dance on a dais to the rear of the school. Request permission from the teachers to watch the lessons or to take photographs. There is also a circus school here where children learn acrobatics and trapeze, but the thinness of the crash mats makes it painful to observe.

The French embassy on the northern end of Monivong Blvd was for many years used as an orphanage and its apparently ·Larcenous residents were blamed by local people for every theft in the neighborhood. Today the embassy is back in place and a high wall surrounds the massive complex. The French have returned to Cambodia in a big way, promoting French language and culture in their former colony.

When Phnom Penh fell in 1975, about 800 foreigners and 600 Cambodians took refuge in the embassy. Within 48 hours, the Khmer Rouge informed the French vice-consul that the new government did not recognize diplomatic privileges and that if all the Cambodians in the compound were not handed over, the lives of the foreigners inside would also be forfeited. Cambodian women married to foreigners could stay, he was told Cambodian men married to foreign women could not. The foreigners stood and wept as their servants, colleagues, friends, lovers and I bands were escorted out of the embassy gates. At the end of the month, the foreigners were taken out of the country by truck. Many of the Cambodians were never seen again

There is a cluster of private language schools teaching English (and some French) one block west of the National Museum on Ph 184 between Norodom Blvd and the back of the Royal Palace compound. Between 5 and 7 pm, the area is filled with students who see learning English as the key to making it in post-war Cambodia. This is a good place to meet local young people.

Known collectively as the National Sports Complex, the Olympic Stadium is near the intersection of Preah Sihanouk Blvd and Monireth Blvd. It includes a sports arena (which doubles as the site of government-sponsored political rallies) and facilities for swimming, boxing, gymnastics, volleyball and other sports.

Just south of the Sofitel Carnbod Hotel, the Cambo Fun Park is the only amusement park in Phnom Penh since the old Boeng Kak Amusement Park was demolished. It opens at around 5 pm and by 7 pm it is usually packed with school children queuing impatiently to risk their lives on what appear to be some very rickety ridesthe management boasts that the whole thing was built in just 20 days. The area between here and the Independence Monument gets pretty lively in the evening, with a whole host of tickle (fruit smoothies) sellers and snack stalls. Many young Khmers hang about the fountains checking each other out.

The Independence Monument at the intersection of Norodom and Preah Sihanouk Blvds was built in 1958. It is now also a memorial to Cambodia's war dead and is sometimes known as the Victory Monument. Wreaths are laid here on national holidays. Nearby, beside Sandwich Soothers Blvd, is the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship (or Liberation) Monument, built to a Vietnamese design in 1979. In order to replace the countless Buddhas and ritual objects smashed by the Khmer Rouge, a whole little neighborhood of private workshops producing cement Buddhas, naga (mythical serpents) and small stupors has grown up on the grounds of Wat Prayuvong. While the graceless cement figures painted in gaudy colors are hardly works of art, they are part of an effort by the Cambodian people to restore Buddhism to a place of honor in their reconstituted society. The Prayuvong Buddha factories, as they are known, are on the eastern side of Norodom Blvd about 300m south of the Independence Monument (between Ph 308 and Ph 310).

The former US embassy is on the northeastern corner of the intersection of Norodom and Mao Tse Toung Blvds. Much of the US air war in Cambodia (1969-73) was run from here. The building now houses the Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture.

On the morning of 12 April 1975,360 heavily armed US Marines brought in by helicopter secured a landing zone several hundred meters from the embassy. Within hours, 276 people - Americans, Cambodians and others - were evacuated by helicopter relay to US ships in the Gulf of Thailand. Among the last to leave was US Ambassador John Gunther Dean, carrying the embassy's US flag under his arm.

Cham Kar Man Palace, on the west side of Norodom Blvd between Ph 436 and Ph 462, was once the residence of Prince Sihanouk. The palace, whose name means 'silkworm fields', is now used by visiting heads of state.

Very few individual travelers bother with Mekong Island, which lies north of Phnom Penh and is reached via an organized boat trip that leaves from the Sofitel Cambodian a Hotel. The trip includes entertainment on the island including elephant rides, classical dancing and handicraft production. Boats leave at"9.30 am and return at 3 pm. The trip costs US$32, including lunch. Bookings can be made at the Sofitel Cambodiana Hotel or at Mekong Island Tours ( 427225), 13, Ph 240.

It's possible to visit the island without taking the tour boat, but bribes will be required if you want to get in to see the tourist operations. If you want to visit the island this way (it involves an nexpensive ferry ride), ask one of the English-speaking moto drivers about how to do it.

The Seeing Hands Massage is intended to raise funds to empower disabled Cambodians in the capital. It is administered by well-trained blind masseurs and costs US$3 per hour. It is well worth it, particularly if you have arrived in Phnom Penh by pick-up truck from Siem Reap. There are two centers in the capital, one at the National Centre for Disabled Persons (NCDP) at 3 Norodom Blvd, and the other on the northwest comer of Ph 19 and Ph 178.

National Museum
The National Museum of Cambodia is housed in a graceful terracotta structure of traditional design (built 1917-20) just north of the Royal Palace. It is open from 8 to 11.30 am and 2 to 5.30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday; entry is $2. Photography is prohibited inside. The School of Fine Arts (Ecole des Beaux-Arts) has its headquarters in a structure behind the main building.

French- and English-speaking guides are available, and there is also a useful exhibition booklet, Khmer Art in Stone, available at the front desk. The museum comprises four courtyards, which face a garden. The most significant displays of sculpture are in the courtyards to the left and straight ahead of the entrance.

Some highlights include the eight-armed statue of Vishnu from the 6th or 7th century, the statue of Shiva (circa 866-877) and the sublime statue of Jayavarman VII seated (circa 1181-1218), his head bowed slightly in a meditative pose. Elsewhere around the museum are displays of pottery and bronzes dating from the pre-Angkor periods of Funan and Chenla (4th to 9th centuries), the In dravannan period (9th and 10th centuries), the classical Angkor period (10th to 14th centuries), as well as more recent works.

See the Sculpture section in the Facts about Cambodia chapter for more information about some of the exhibits in the National Museum.

Tuol Sleng Museum
In 1975 Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It soon became the largest such centre of detention and torture in the country. More than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek to be executed; detainees who died during torture were buried in mass graves in the prison grounds. S-21 has been turned into the Tuol Sleng Museum, which serves as a testament to the crimes of the Khmer Rouge. The museum's entrance is on the western side of Ph 113, just north of Ph 350, and it is officially open from 7 to 11.30 am and from 2 to 5.30 pm daily except Mondays, although you can usually visit any time of day; entry is US$2. Like the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge was meticulous in keeping records of its barbarism. Each prisoner who passed through S- 21 was photographed, sometimes before and after being tortured. The museum displays include room after room of these photographs of men, women and children covering the walls from floor to ceiling; virtually all the people pictured were later killed. You can tell in what year a picture was taken by the style of number-board that appears on the prisoner's chest. Several foreigners from Australia, France and the USA were held here before being murdered. Their documents are on display. It is worth paying US$2 to have a guide show you around, as they can tell you the story behind some of the people in the photographs.

As the Khmer Rouge 'revolution' reached ever greater heights of insanity, it began devouring its own children. Generations of torturers and executioners who worked here killed their predecessors and were in turn killed by those who took their places. During the first part of 1977 when the party purges of eastern-zone cadres were getting underway, S-21 claimed an average of 100 victims a day.

When the Vietnamese army liberated Phnom Penh in early 1979, it found only seven prisoners alive at S-21. Fourteen others had been tortured to death as Vietnamese forces were closing in on the city. Photographs of their gruesome deaths are on display in the rooms where their decomposing corpses were found. Their graves are nearby in the courtyard.

Altogether, a visit to Tuol Sleng is a profoundly depressing experience. The sheer ordinariness of the place makes it even more horrific: the suburban setting, the plain school buildings, the grassy playing area where today children kick around balls, rusted beds, instruments of torture and wall after wall of harrowing black and white portraits conjure up images of humanity at its worst. Tuol Sleng is not for the squeamish.

Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
Between 1975 and 1978 about 17,000 men, women, children and infants (including nine westerners) detained and tortured at S-21 prison were transported to the extermination camp of Choeung Ek. They were often bludgeoned to death to avoid wasting precious bullets.

The remains of 8985 people, many of whom were bound and blindfolded, were exhumed in 1980 from mass graves in this onetime longan orchard; 43 of the 129 communal graves here have been left untouched. Fragments of human bone and bits of cloth are scattered around the disinterred pits. Over
8000 skulls, arranged by sex and age, are visible behind the clear glass panels of the Memorial Stupa, which was erected in 1988.

Bats in the Belfry
The elegant curves of the National Museum make for a picturesque sight framed against the pink and mauve of a sunset. It's also about this time of day that great flocks of bats stream out from the museum's roof. Most of the bats belong to a recently identified species: the Cambodian free tail.

Some bat experts claim that the National Museum has the largest bat population of anyartificial structure in the world. The problem is that bat droppings are corrosive, and as the fell through the ceiling, the exhibits were gradually being destroyed, Meanwhile, museum patrons had to do their sightseeing in a miasma of bat guana.

Fortunately Australia has come to the rescue. In an agreement that saw the 'Treasures the National Museum of Cambodia' exhibited at the Australian National Gallery, the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau (AIDAB) has undertaken to help maintain the contents of the museum and do something about the bats. It was considered ecologically unsound to remove them altogether, so a second artificial ceiling has been constructed to stop the droppings falling though. Let’s just hope it holds up under the weight

The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek are 15km from central Phnom Penh. To get there, take Monireth Blvd south-westward out of the city from the Psar Dang Kor (Dang Kor Market) bus depot. The site is 8.5km from the bridge near Ph 271. Take the left fork when the road splits and pretty soon you will find yourself in rural surroundings. Look out for an archway on the right and it's another kilometer or so down this track. A memorial ceremony is held annually at Choeung Ek on 9 May. Entry costs US$2.

Wats lit Mosques
Wat Phnom Set on top of a 27m-high tree-covered knoll, Wat Phnom is the only hill in town. 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 nag a 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 (such as a garland of jasmine flowers or bananas, of which the spirits are said to be especially fond) promised when the request was made.

The vihara (temple sanctuary) was rebuilt in 1434, 1806, 1894 and, most recently, in 1926. West of the vihara is an enormous stupa containing the ashes of King Ponhea Vat (reigned 1405-67). In a small pavilion on the south side of the passage between the vihara and the stupa is a statue of a smiling and rather plump Madame Penh.

A bit to the north of the vihara and below it is an eclectic shrine dedicated to the genie Preah Chau, who is especially revered by the Vietnamese. On either side of the entrance to the chamber in which a statue of Preah Chau sits are guardian spirits bearing iron bats. On the tile table in front of the two guardian spirits are drawings of Confucius, as well as two Chinese-style figures of the sages Thang Cheng (on the right) and Thang Thay (on the left). To the left of the central altar is an eight-armed statue of Yishnu.

Down the hill from the shrine is a royal stupa sprouting full-size trees from its roof. For now, the roots are holding the bricks together in their net-like grip, but when the trees die the tower will slowly crumble. If you can't make it out to Angkor, this stupa gives a pretty good idea of what the jungle can do (and is doing) to Cambodia's monuments.

Curiously, Wat Phnom is the only attraction in Phnom Penh that is in danger of turning into a circus. Beggars, street urchins, women selling drinks and children selling birds in cages (you pay to set the bird free locals claim the birds are trained to return to their cage afterwards) pester everyone who turns up to slog the 27m to the summit. Fortunately it's all high-spirited stuff, and it's difficult to be annoyed by the vendors, who, after all, are only trying to eke out a living. You can also have a short elephant ride around the base of the hill, perfect for those elephant trekking photos without the accompanying sore butt.

It is hardly the most stunning location you are likely to visit in Cambodia, but as a symbol of the city it is worthwhile visiting. It costs US$1.

Wat Ounalom Wat Ounalom, the headquarters of the Cambodian Buddhist patriarchate, is across the road from Phnom Penh Tourism. It was founded in 1443 and comprises 44 structures. As you might expect, it received a battering during the Pol Pot era, but today the wat is coming back to life. The head of the country's Buddhist hierarchy lives here along with an increasing number of monks.

On the 2nd floor of the main building, to the left of the dais, is a statue of Sundeck Huot Tat, Fourth Patriarch of Cambodian Buddhism, who was killed by Pol Pot. The statue, made in 1971 when the patriarch was 80, was thrown in the Mekong but retrieved after 1979.

Nearby, a bookcase holds a few remnants of the once-extensive library of the Buddhist Institute, which was based here until 1975 and is being re-established. To the right of the dais is a statue of a former patriarch of the Thummayuth sect, to which the royal family belongs. On the 3rd floor of the building is a marble Buddha of Burmese origin broken into pieces by the Khmer Rouge and later reassembled. On the right front corner of the dais on the 3rd floor are the cement remains of a Buddha from which the Khmer Rouge stripped the silver covering. In front of the dais to either side are two glass cases containing flags - each 20m long - used during Buddhist celebrations. The walls are decorated with scenes from the life of the Buddha: they were painted when the building was constructed in 1952.

Behind the main building is a stupa containing an eyebrow hair of the Buddha. There is an inscription in Pali (an ancient Indian language) over the entrance.

Wat Lang Ka Wat Lang Ka on Preah Sihanouk Blvd by the Victory Monument is another wat that is enjoying a new lease on life. It is a colorful place with plenty of new paint and young monks in saffron robes strolling around. It was the second of Phnom Penh's wats repaired by the post-1979 government (the first was Wat Ounalom). Around the main building are reconstructed stapes. Both the ground level and 2nd floor chambers of the vihara have been newly painted with scenes from the life of Buddha.

Wat Koh Wat Koh on Monivong Blvd between Ph 174 and Ph 178 is one of Phnom Penh's oldest pagodas. It was established centuries ago (around the time when Wat Phnom was founded), but only became popular with the masses after the lake surrounding its very small vihara was filled in during the 19505.

Wat Moha Montre! Wat Moha Montrei, which is one block east of the Psar Olympic (Olympic Market), is on the southern side of Preah Sihanouk Blvd between Ph 163 and Ph 173 (across from the Olympic Stadium). It was named in honor of one of King Monivong's ministers, Chakrue Ponn, who initiated the founding of the pagoda (moha mongrel means 'the great minister'). The cement vihara, topped with a 35m-high tower, was completed in 1970. Between 1975 and 1979, the building was used to store rice and corn.


Note the assorted Cambodian touches incorporated in the wall murals of the vihara, which tell the story of Buddha. The angels accompanying Buddha to heaven are dressed as classical Khmer dancers and the assembled officials wear white military uniforms of the Sihanouk period. Along the wall to the left of the dais is a painted and carved wooden lion from which religious lessons are preached four times a month. The golden wooden throne nearby is used for the same purpose. All the statues of Buddha here were made after 1979.

International Mosque This completely rebuilt mosque is beside the Boeng Kak. It was built with USS350,000 in donations from Saudi Arabia. Prayers are held five times daily.

Nur ul-lhsan Mosque The Nur ul-Ihsan Mosque in Khet Chraing Chamres, founded in 1813, is 7km north of central Phnom Penh on National Hwy 5. According to local people, it was used by the Khmer Rouge as a pigsty and recons crated in 1979. It now serves a small community of Cham and ethnic Malay Muslims. Next to the mosque is a madras a (religious school). Visitors must remove their shoes before entering the mosque.

Not many of the moto drivers know Nur ul-Ihsan Mosque, so you may need to ask around a bit to get out there. Buses leave from Psar 0 Russei (0 Russei Market) towards Khet Prek Phnou, passing the
mosque en route.

An--Nur an-Na'im Mosque The original An-Nur an-Na'im Mosque was built in 1901 and razed by the Khmer Rouge. A new, more modest brick structure - topped with a white dome holding a star and crescent aloft - has been constructed by the local Muslim community. The mosque is in Chraing Chamres II, about 1 km north of Nur ul-Ihsan Mosque.

Markets
All Phnom Penh's markets have food stalls where you can buy cheap and tasty food. These make perfect places for a lively breakfast or lunch. Psar Thmei The dark-yellow Art Deco Psar Thmei (New Market) is also referred to as the Central Market, a reference to its location and size. The central domed hall resembles a Babylonian ziggurat, and has four wings filled with shops selling gold and silver jeweler, antique coins, fake name-brand watches and other such items. Around the main building are stalls offering krama (checked scarves), stationery, household items, cloth Tor sarongs, flowers and secondhand clothes, usually from Europe and the US. For photographers, the fresh food section affords a lot of opportunities. There are a host of good value food stalls on the structure's western side, which faces Monivong Blvd.

Psar Thmei is undoubtedly the best of Phnom Penh's markets for browsing. It is the cleanest and has the widest range of products for sale. Opening hours are from early morning until early evening.

Psar Tuol Tom Pong More commonly referred to by foreigners as the Russian Market, this is located at the comer of Ph 440 and Ph 163, south of Mao Tse Toung Blvd. It's the best place in town for souvenir shopping, having a large range of real and fake antiquities. Items for sale include miniature Buddhas, silk, silver jeweler, gems, videos, ganja (both ready-rolled and roll-your-own!) and a host of other goodies. It's well worth popping in for a browse.

Psar 0 Russei Not to be confused with the aforementioned PsarTuol Tom Pong, the Psar o Russei sells luxury foodstuffs, costume jeweler, imported toiletries and second-hand clothes from hundreds of stalls. The market is normally on Ph 182 between Ph III and Ph 141; this is a real labyrinth of a place. A new indoor market is under construction on the site, and at the time of writing, the market is temporarily located a couple of blocks west, where Ph 182 hits Charles de Gaulle Blvd.

Psar Olympic A great deal of wholesaling is done at the Psar Olympic, which is near the Olympic Stadium and Wat Moha Montero. Items for sale include bicycle parts, clothes, electronics and assorted edibles. This is the most modem market set in a covered location.

Psar Dang Kor Psar Dang Kor is just north of the intersection of Mao Tse Toung Blvd and Monireth Blvd, where the modem Municipal Theatre building stands. Taxis for the south coast leave from this market.

Psar Char The Psar Char (Old Market) on Ph 110 lives up to its name. It's a scruffy place that deals in household goods, clothes and jeweler. Small restaurants, food vendors and jeweler stalls are scattered throughout the area.

Swimming There is a large swimming pool at the Olympic Stadium, Olympic sized in fact, and it is only US$2 entry to escape the heat of the city. There is also a diving pool at the complex with some high boards. Women should note that one-piece swimsuits are required, and should this be a aproblem, there are some flamboyant, frilly numbers available. There is also a pool at the International Youth Club, but this is ex- pensive as the club boasts other facilities such as tennis courts and gym.

Shooting Many travelers decide Cambodia is the place to do the Rambo thing and fire offer few rounds on anAK-47 or aim a rocket launcher at a cardboard cut-out of a tank. It costs about US$12 for anAK-47 clip, US$30 for 100 bullets on an M-60 mounted machine gun and US$40 for a go on a B-40 rocket propelled grenade launcher. For US$IOO the soldiers say they will chuck in a cow: were you sick enough to want to do it, they would inevitably adjust the sights anyway so you would miss.

The artillery range is out beyond Pochentong airport, so don't forget to aim low. Motos can be arranged outside guest houses for about US$4. It is best to go in a group as you can get some excellent photographs and negotiate a discount on arms.

Go-Carting There are a couple of go-cart tracks in the Phnom Penh area. Tompuon is located about 10km or so across the Monivong Bridge and charges USS3 for 10 minutes. The track is pretty small and the carts have seen better days. Much more professional is Kambol F I, located abut 10km beyond Pochentong airport just off the road to Sihanoukville. It costs USS7 for 10 minutes, including helmets and racing suits. It organizes races on Sundays, so if you fancy yourself as a new Niki Lauda, turn up then.

Mini Golf There is a nine hole mini golf course at L'Imprevu Restaurant, about 8km down National Hwy I to Vietnam. It costs just USS2 a round, and some of the holes are quite difficult, with myriad obstacles blocking the route- to your goal. This is a pretty cheap way to get in a round of golf when compared with the price of USS80 a round at the Cambodia Country Club.

 

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