Independent Monument
The monument was built in 1958 to symbolise the independence that Cambodia gained from France in 1953. The French fully abandonned their interests in Indochina following defeat by the Vietnamese at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in May 1954. Independence is marked in Cambodia on the 9th November. The monument has a unique and peculiar style and doubles as a memorial to Cambodian patriots who died for their country.
Wat Phnom
You may also want to check out WAT PHNOM which sits on a tree covered hill about 30m high in the northeast of the city. It is said that the first pagoda was built in 1373 to house four statues of the Buddha deposited here by the Mekong river. It was discovered by a woman named Penh. Thus, the name Phnom Penh, the hill of Penh. The people believe that this temple is powerful in that anyone who makes a wish will have it granted. It is not surprising to see many people coming here to pray for protection or healing. Many bring lotus flowers as offerings for prayers answered.
At the bottom of the hill is a small zoo, but its most endearing residents, the monkeys, live free in the tree.
Tuol Sleng Museum
In 1975,Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's security force 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. Over 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek to be executed; detainees who die 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 Rough.
Cheung Ek killing field
Between 1975 and 1978,aabout 17,000 men, women, children and infants (including nine westerners), detained and tortured at S-21 prison (now Tuol Sleng Museum), were transported to the extermination 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 one-time long an orchard;
43 of the 129 communal graves here have been left untouched. Fragment of
Human bone and bits of cloth are scattered around the disinterred pits.
Over 8000 skulls, arranged by sex, are visible behind the clear glass
panels of the Memoral Stupa, which was erected in 1988.The Killing
Fields of Choeung Ek are 15 km from Central Phnom Penh. To get there,
take Monireth Blvd south-westward out of the city from the Dang Kor
Market bus depot. The site is 8.5 km from the bridge near 271 St. A
memorial ceremony is held annually at Choeung Ek on 9 May.
National Museum
The NATIONAL MUSEUM has a good collection of Khmer sculptures dating
from the pre-Angkor period (4th century) to post-Ankgor period (14th
century). The museum, built of red bricks by the French in 1917 in a
pseudo-Khmer style, is built around a courtyard.
A stone's throw
away from the Tonle Sap is the royal Palace built on the site of the
Banteay Kev, a citadel built in 1813. The Palace grounds contain several
buildings: the Throne Room of Prasat Tevea Vinichhay which is used for
the coronation of kings, official receptions and traditional ceremonies;
the Chan Chhaya Pavilion which is a venue for dance performances; the
king's official residence called the Khemarin; the Napoleon Pavilion and
the spectacular Silver Pagoda. This pagoda is worth exploring. It owes
its name to the 5,000 silver tiles weighing 1kg each which cover the
entire floor. The emerald Buddha sits on a pedestal high atop the dias.
In front of the dias stands a life-size Buddha made of solid gold and
weighs 75kg. It is decked with precious gems including diamonds, the
largest of which is 25 carats. Also on display at the sides are the
coronation apparel and numerous miniature Buddha in gold and silver.
