Wat Phnom

Wat Phnom is the hilltop temple that gave Phnom Penh its name: the “hill of Penh”, after the woman whose discovery of sacred statues in the river led to its founding. It stands 27 metres high in a shady park at the northern end of the city centre, and it is still one of the busiest places of worship in the capital.

Don’t expect a grand monument. Wat Phnom is small and you can see it all in under an hour. What makes it special is the atmosphere: families bringing offerings, students praying before exams, fortune tellers under the trees and the smell of incense drifting down the stairs.

The legend of Lady Penh

According to the story every Cambodian knows, a wealthy widow named Daun Penh, Grandmother Penh, lived by the river in 1372. After a flood she saw a large koki tree floating in the water. When it was pulled ashore she found four bronze Buddha statues inside, along with a stone figure of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Daun Penh saw this as a sign from heaven. She had her neighbours raise an artificial hill and built a small shrine on top to house the statues. The settlement that grew up around it became known as Phnom Daun Penh, the hill of Grandmother Penh, which in time became Phnom Penh.

History of Wat Phnom

1. 1372 to 1373
   Following the legend, Daun Penh raises the hill and builds the first shrine for the statues found in the river.
2. 1434
   King Ponhea Yat moves the Khmer capital from the Angkor region to Phnom Penh. The temple on the hill is rebuilt and enlarged.
3. 15th century
   After Ponhea Yat’s death, his ashes are placed in the great stupa on the summit, which still dominates the hill.
4. 1806 and 1894
   The vihara, the main sanctuary, is rebuilt twice more.
5. 1926
   The present vihara is built, with the murals and gilded Buddha you see today.
6. Today
   The park around the hill is restored and landscaped, and the temple remains an active place of worship and the focus of city celebrations at Khmer New Year.

What to see

A path winds around the hill, so you can climb the grand staircase on the east side and make a loop back down through the trees.

The hill is also home to a troop of macaques. They are entertaining to watch and very good at stealing food, water bottles and unattended bags.

Take time for the park at the foot of the hill as well. In the late afternoon it fills with vendors selling jasmine garlands, lotus buds and grilled snacks, fortune tellers set up small tables in the shade, and families settle on mats on the grass. It is one of the best places in the capital to watch ordinary Phnom Penh life.

Opening hours and tickets

The ticket price has stayed at $1 for many years, but confirm at the kiosk. The park around the hill is open to everyone and free to walk in.

Etiquette and tips

How to get there and what is nearby

Wat Phnom stands in the middle of a large roundabout where Norodom Boulevard meets Street 96, at the northern end of the city centre. It is about 10 minutes’ walk from the northern riverside and a short tuk-tuk ride from most central hotels. PassApp and Grab both work well.

The streets around the hill are the heart of the colonial quarter. The old French post office, the National Library and the Raffles Hotel Le Royal are all within a few minutes’ walk. A good half-day route looks like this:

1. 3:30 pm Wat Phnom, about an hour
2. 4:30 pm Walk or tuk-tuk 10 minutes south to the Central Market, before it winds down
3. 5:30 pm Sunset on the riverside, with the Royal Palace lit up at the southern end

If you have a full day, start with the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda and the National Museum in the morning, and keep Wat Phnom for the cooler hours.