Wat Phnom temple description and photos - Cambodia: Phnom Penh (Topic)

Wat Phnom temple description and photos - Cambodia: Phnom Penh. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Wat Phnom.

Photo and description

Wat Phnom - the Buddhist "Temple of Horus", rising 27 meters above Phnom Penh, was erected on the top of the city's hill overgrown with greenery. Legend has it that the first religious building on this site was built in 1373 to house four statues of Buddha, thrown by the waters of the Mekong River and found by Lady Pen.

A grandiose staircase leads to the central entrance to Wat Phnom, which is guarded by figures lions and nagas, placed on both sides of the balustrade. The vihara (temple sanctuary) was reconstructed several times - in the middle of the 15th century, early and late 19th, the last time in 1926. To the west of the Vihara there is a large stupa with the remains of the monarch Ponhei Yata (1405-67). Between the vihara ​ ​ and the stupa there is a statue of a smiling Lady Pen, installed in a pavilion on the south side of the path.

Both sides of the passage to the central altar are guarded by statues of guardian spirits with metal bats. Inside the main altar is a large bronze statue of a seated Buddha, surrounded by sculptures, flowers, candles and offerings. The walls are covered with paintings, the main plot is the stories of Jataka about the early reincarnations of the Buddha before he became enlightened. There are also murals depicting stories from Reimker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana. In the chamber to the right of the statue are the figures of the Chinese sages Than Cheng and Than Tae.

In the northwest corner of the complex, down from the vihara, there is a small museum with old statues and historical artifacts. There you can also see the bizarre sanctuary of the Preau Chau genie, which is especially revered by the Vietnamese.

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Topic: Wat Phnom temple description and photos - Cambodia: Phnom Penh.