Wat Phnom hilltop temple
Photo by Marcin Konsek (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Wat Phnom

Hilltop temple in Phnom Penh

Wat Phnom, meaning “mountain temple”, is one of the oldest temples in Phnom Penh. Standing on top of a 27 meter high man made hill, the atmosphere is serene and peaceful. After dark the temple is beautifully lit up.

Legend of Wat Phnom

According to legend in 1372 a wealthy lady named Penh discovered four images of the Buddha inside a Koki tree trunk floating in the river. She asked local residents to erect a hill in front of her house which was called Phnom Don Penh. A sanctuary was built on top to house the images.

Founding of Phnom Penh

In 1434 King Ponhea Yat founded a city which he called Phnom Don Penh, named after the wealthy lady’s house. Later the city was renamed Phnom Penh, which means “Penh Hill”

Wat Phnom temple

Wat Phnom consists of a viharn, a large chedi and several shrines. The temple has been rebuilt and renovated several times, the last time in 1926.

To get to the temple, visitors have to climb the flight of stairs to the top.

Naga serpents, lions & armed guardians

The balustrades of the stairs leading to the temple are lined with Naga serpents. Higher up on the stairs are statues of armed guardians and lions.

Main building

The main building is the viharn, the assembly hall. The viharn was first constructed in 1434 and has been rebuilt and restored several times, the last time in 1926. In front of the viharn is a large pair of lion statues guarding the building.

Large Buddha image

Inside the viharn is the principal Buddha image. The large bronze image in the Subduing Mara mudra is seated on a high pedestal. In front of it are three more seated Buddha images.

Colorful murals

The viharn’s walls and ceilings are adorned with colorful murals. The paintings depict scenes from the Jataka tales, the stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha. Others show stories from the Reamker, the Cambodian version of the Indian epic Ramayana.

Bell shaped stupa

Behind the viharn stands a large bell shaped stupa. The stupa sits on a square platform consisting of several layers of diminishing size. At the corners of each layer is a lion or an armed guardian statue. The stupa enshrines the ashes of King Ponhea Yat, the founder of Phnom Penh.

Shrines

On the grounds are several shrines where devotees burn incense sticks and make offerings. A small shrine is dedicated to Lady Penh. Local people bring offerings and burn incense sticks.

Sellers & beggars

Beggars often hang around the Wat Phnom grounds as well as people offering drinks, snacks and other merchandise. You will likely see people carrying cages with birds. You can pay to have them set free. Often the birds will drop dead from exhaustion right after being set free or be caught again.

Well kept gardens

The gardens around Wat Phnom are well kept and a good place to relax for a while. Large, old trees provide shade. Have a coffee or another drink at the cafè.

Opening hours

Wat Phnom opens daily from 7 am until 6 pm.

Location

The temple stands on top of a hill 200 meters from the Tonle Sap river, about two kilometers North of the Royal Palace. The main entrance is through the stairway on Baksei Cham Krong (Street 94).