Phnom Penh (Khmer: ភ្នំពេញ, official Romanization: Phnum Pénh. literally: "Hill of Penh" or more loosely "Pehn's Hill") is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. This is the main capital since the French colonized Cambodia, it has become the center for the direct country's economic system and has grown to be the source of renowned industrial, commercial, cultural, tourist and historical centers, after 1979.

Once known as the "Pearl of Asia" it is considered one of the loveliest of French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s, Phnom Penh, along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville is a significant global and domestic tourist destination for Cambodia. In addition to its traditional but modern additions surrounding the city, it has attracted tourists from around the world. Established in 1434, The city is still noted for a place of great historical beauty and cultural attraction. The number of examples of surviving French colonial architecture, such as the The Royal palace, embody the soul of classic as well as the modern social lifestyle for a developing economy, beside the relaxing ambiance of its wide boulevards and picturesque squares.

Situated at confluence of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong and Bassac River, Phnom Penh is now home to two million people. Around 60% are Cambodian, with nearly a third Chinese Cambodian and Vietnamese Cambodian; other nationalities make up the remainder. While about 15% of inhabitants live below the poverty line, Phnom Penh is the richest city of Cambodia.

Etymology

Stupas in front of Wat Phnom

Phnom Penh City takes its name from the present Wat Phnom or Hill Temple. Legend has it that in 1372, an old nun named Penh went to fetch the water in the Mekong river and found a dead Koki tree floating down the stream. Inside the hole of that dead Koki tree contained four bronze and one stone Buddha statues in it.

Daun (Grandma) Penh brought the statues ashore and ordered people to pile up earth at northeast of her house and used those Koki trunks to build a temple on that hill to house the five Buddha statues, then named the temple after her as Wat Phnom Daun Penh, which presently known as Wat Phnom, a small hill of 27 metres (89 ft) in height.

Phnom Penh was also previously known as Krong Chaktomuk meaning "City of Four Faces". This name refers to the junction where the Mekong, Bassac, and Tonle Sap rivers cross to form an "X" where the capital is situated. Krong Chaktomuk is an abbreviation of its ceremonial name given by King Ponhea Yat which full named Known as "Krong Chaktomuk Mongkol Sakal Kampuchea Thipadei Sereythor Inthabot Borei Roth Reach Seima Maha Nokor".

History

Phnom Penh first became the capital of Cambodia after Ponhea Yat, king of the Khmer Empire, moved the capital from Angkor Thom after it was captured by Siam a few years earlier. There are stupa behind Wat Phnom that house the remains of Ponhea Yat and the royal family as well as the remaining Buddhist statues from the Angkorean era. There is a legend that tells how Phnom Penh was created. In the 1600s, Japanese immigrants settled on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh remained the royal capital for 73 years from 1432 to 1505, when it was abandoned for 360 years from 1505 to 1865 by subsequent kings due to internal fighting between the royal pretenders. Later kings moved the capital several times and established their royal capitals at various locations in Tuol Basan (Srey Santhor), Pursat, Longvek, Lavear Em and Oudong.

It was not until 1866, under the reign of King Norodom I, that Phnom Penh became the permanent seat of government, and the current Royal Palace was built. Beginning in 1870, the French Colonialists had turned a riverside village into a city when it started to build hotels, schools, prisons, barracks, bank, public works offices, telegraph offices, law courts, and health services buildings. In 1872, the first glimpse of a modern city took shape when the colonial administration contracted a French contractor, Le Faucheur, to construct the first 300 concrete houses for sales and rentals to the Chinese traders.

By the 1920s, Phnom Penh was known as the Pearl of Asia, and over the next four decades continued to experience growth with the building of a railway to Sihanoukville and the Pochentong International Airport (now Phnom Penh International Airport). Phnom Penh under the period of Sihanouk’s rule had seen the expansion and the constructions of many modern infrastructures. The city had been expanded and many infrastructures had been built.

The exterior of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Phnom Penh

During the Vietnam War, Cambodia was used as a base by the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong, and thousands of refugees from across the country flooded the city to escape the fighting between their own government troops, the NVA/NLF, the South Vietnamese and its allies, and the Khmer Rouge. By 1975, the population was 2 million, the bulk of whom were refugees from the fighting. The city fell to the Khmer Rouge on April 17. Many of its residents, including those who were wealthy and educated, were forced to do labor on rural farms as "new people". Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's forces and was turned into the S-21 prison camp, where Cambodians were detained and tortured. Pol Pot sought a return to an agrarian economy and therefore killed many people perceived as educated, "lazy", or political enemies. Many others starved to death as a result of failure of the agrarian society and the sale of Cambodia's rice to China in exchange for bullets and weaponry. The former high school is now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where Khmer Rouge torture devices and photos of their victims are displayed. Choeung Ek (The Killing Fields), 15 kilometres (9 mi) away, where the Khmer Rouge marched prisoners from Tuol Sleng to be murdered and buried in shallow pits, is also now a memorial to those who were killed by the regime.

The Khmer Rouge were driven out of Phnom Penh by the Vietnamese in 1979, and people began to return to the city. Vietnam is historically a state with which Cambodia has had many conflicts, therefore this liberation was and is viewed with mixed emotions by the Cambodians. A period of reconstruction began, spurred by continuing stability of government, attracting new foreign investment and aid by countries including France, Australia, and Japan. Loans were made from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank to reinstate a clean water supply, roads and other infrastructure. The 1998 Census put Phnom Penh's population at 862,000; by the next census in 2008, it was 1.3 million.
 

1-GRANDMA PENH

• Grandma Penh or Daun Penh was wealthy widow. Settled on a high land at the west bank of Chrap Chheam River (Now: Sap River next to Chaktomuk).
• At a vast flood season, there were many Koki trees floating to stuck at Daun Penh high land and in the hole of a big Koki, there were four bronze and one stone Buddha statues.
• 1372 Daun Penh has ordered people to pile up earth at northeast her house and used those Koki trunks to build up a temple on that hill for keeping the five Buddha statues, then named the temple Wat Phnom Daun Penh (Now: Wat Phnom)
• Build another hut at northeast of the temple for keeping Preah Chao guardian spirit.
• The name of Phnom Daun Penh became Phnom Penh, name of the capital city of Khmer in present time.

HISTORY PERIOD II: 1432-1505: 73 YEARS
CONSTRUCTION OF CHAKTOMUK CITY

2- H.M. CHAO PONHEA YAT: (1421) 1432-1462

• Son of H.M Srey Soriyovong II
• 1431. To abandon Angkor City, by reason of suffering from ceaseless aggression of Siam, and then resettled at Tuol Basan City, (Now: Srey Santhor)
• 1432, to move from Tuol Basan City, because of flooding, to Chaktomuk City (New Phnom Penh City)
• To order district leader of Samrong Tong Province, Chao Ponhea Decho, to bank up dirt around the hill and area closed to river shore to construct royal palace, and the digging place for dirt became a lake called Decho Lake (Now: Phsar Thmey market).
• To prepare Kompong Reap Port.
• To order district leader of Bati Province, Oknha Vongsa Anuchit Phlong, to dig Oknha Phlong Canal (Now: Sakhaya Moni Chedey garden), to stream river water in city reservoir for citizen used.
• To build up city rampart and hydraulic system by digging canals and banking dams surrounded:

• First son, Neareay Reachea, titled as their apparent, built his palace at Chroy Roluos, at southeast.
• Second son. Srey Reachea, built his palace at Tuol preah Srey, west of Okor Canal (Now: Preah Puth Meanbon Pagoda
• To expand and bank up the hill higher, and reconstruct the temple of Wat Phnom Daun Penh for keeping bronze Buddha statue from Angkor and Buddha statues from Koki hole, and build up the great stupa behind the temple
• To name Wat Phnom Daun Penh as Wat Preah Chedey Borapoa
• To construct six monasteries:

To name the city as "Krong Chaktomuk Mongkul Sakal Kampuchear Thipadey Sereythor Bovor Inthabath Borey Rath Reach Seima Moha Nokor"

3-HM. NEAREAY REACHEA: 1462-1467

• First son of H M Chao Ponhea Yat
• To construct stupa on Phnom Daun Penh to bury the ashes of H M. Chao Ponhea Yat.

4-H M.STEY REACHEA: 1467-1474

• Second son of H.M Chao Ponhea Yat.
• Younger brother of H.M Neareay Reachea.
• To construct stupa at the foot of Phnom Daun Penh hill, at northeast, to bury the ashes of HM. Neareay Reachea

5-THOAM REACHEA: 1474-1494

• Third son of H.M Chao Ponhea Yat.
• Younger brother of H.M Srey Reachea and H. M. Neareay reachea

6-H.M SOKUNTH BATH : 1494-1505

• Son of H.M Thoam Reachea.
• To reign for a period of time at Chaktomuk City and they moved to stay at Tuol Basan by assigned his younger brother, Chan Reachea, titled as crown prince, to stay at Chaktomuk for his replacement

HISTORY PERIOD III: 1505-1865: 360 YEARS
ABANDONMENT OF CHAKTOMUK CITY

The abandonment of Chaktomuk City was caused by:

• Frequently changing of royal palace location
• Fighting for reign
• Preferring other places to be city as Tuol Buol Basan, Pursat, Lungvek, Lavear Em, Udong, etc.

HISTORY PERIOD IV: 1865-1998 : 133 YEARS
CONSTRUCTION OF PHNOM PENH CITY

7- H. M. NORODOM: (1860) 1865-1904

• First son of H.M Angduong.
• 1865, to move from Udong City to Phnom Penh.
• At that time, Cambodia was occupied and governed by neighbor countries nearly dissolved, and the population of whole country remained nearly 1,000,000 people only.
• The situation of Phnom Penh City:

1. Rows of huts, floor 1,5m over ground, along Sap river bank, make of bamboo thatch and wood-tile.
2. Sampans, roofing boats, fishing boats, motor boats crowding docked along Sap river
3. Population lived there, about 10,0 00 people.
4. Foreigners were: Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Indian, Laotian, etc.
5. Only one inner city road along Sap river bank (Now: Quay Preah Sisowath).
6. Length of the city was 4 km.
7. Traveling means: foot, buffalo cart.
8. City gate to the west: Road to Kompot (Now: National road no. 3 )
9. City gate to the north Road to Udong (Now: National road no 5)

• 1866 Phnom Penh City divided into 3 villages:

1. Catholic Village :North of the city, Russey Keo vicinity, for Vietnamese.
2. Chen Village :Middle of the city, along Sap river, For Chinese.
3. Khmer Village :South of the city, around royal palace and Wat Unalaom for Khmers.

• 1870. French colonial administration started to build up hotel, school, prison, barrack, bank, public works office, telegraph office, Law court, and health services house.
• 1872. To order French contractor, Le Faucheur, to construct first 300 concrete houses for selling and renting to Chinese traders (brick wall, tile roof, two floors: ground floor for merchandises selling, up floor for living.
• 1884. To dig inner city canales and over bridges (Now: canales became gardens, and bridges have been eliminated).
• 1893. To rehabilitate Wat Phnom, created zoo, surrounding gardens and constructed Boulevard Doubart de Lagrée (Now: Blvd. Preah Norodom).
• 1895. CEEL, first French company produced clean water at Chroy Changwa water plant.
• 1897. Population of Phnom Penh city was close to 50,000 people:

8-H.M. SISOWATH : 1904-1927

• Second son of H.M. Angduong.
• Younger brother of H.M. Norodom.
• To dredge Mekong and Sap rivers in order to facilitate marine navigation enables to reach Phnom Penh
• 1914, to expand the city to the west and to the south until Bassac river.

9-H.M. MONIVONG:1927-1941

• Son of H.M. Sisowath.
• 1928, French company, Grands Travaux de Marseille (GTM), began to pump sandy dirt from Sap river bottom to fill up Decho lake and other lakes in the city.
• 1929, to construct iron bridge (Now: Preah Monivong Bridge)
• 1932, to construct station and railway to Battambang, and Boulevard Miche (Now: Blvd.Preah Monivong).
• 1935, to build up Grand Market (Now: Phsar Thom Thmey market)
• 1939, to construct Verdun Avenue (Now: Blvd. J. Nerhu and Ave. Preah Sihanouk)
• 1939, the population of Phnom Penh City were 108,000 people, and the population of whole Cambodia were about 3,000,000 people.

10-H.M. SIHANOUK : 1941-1998

• Son of H.M. the King Norodom Suramarit and H.M the Queen Sisowath Kosomak Neary Rath.
• To be crowned on the throne: 23 April 1941.
• To Transfer reign to father, H.M. Norodom Soramarit 1955-1960
• To transfer reign to mother, H.M. Sisowath Kosomak Neary Rath 1960-1970

A. The Kingdom of Cambodia : 1941-1970

• The statistic of Phnom Penh City

• 1958, to construct another boulevard (Now: Blvd. Mao Tse Tong).
• 1961, to expand Tuol Kork zone.
• 1962, the population of Phnom Penh City were 394,000 p
• 1963 construct International Olympic Stadium.
• 1964, to construct Tonle Bassac Theater and Casino
• To construct railway to Kompong som Ville.
• To construct International Airport of Pochentong
• 1966, to construct Sangkum Reah Niyum Bridge (Now: Cambodia-Japan friendship bridge)
• To Build up many of school. Pagodas, hospitals, factories, roads, dams, canals.
• The progresses on every field at that time caused international communities to title Phnom Penh City as Pearl of Asia.

B. Khmer Republic: 1970-1975

• 1970, the population of Phnom Penh City were 900,000 people.
• 1971, people living in insecurity zone around provincial towns cities started to flee into Phnom Penh City for taking shelter and living.
• 1972, to form refugee villages and then squatters huts appear everywhere in the City.
• 1973, Khmer rouge mine Chroy Chang War Bridge 2 times.
• 1975, the population of Phnom Penh City were 2,000,000 people.

C- Democratic Cambodia: 1975-1979

• 17 April 1975, all Phnom Penh citizens have been chased out of the city, by Khmer rouge force, to live and farm at rural areas.
• 3 years, 8 months and 20 days, Phnom Penh City has been abandoned without taking care or repairing the damages from war.

D-People's republic of Cambodia: 1979-1989

• 7 January-1979, mixed provincial and municipal population returned back to live in Phnom Penh City
• 1979, the population of Phnom Penh City were 100,000 people
• The people, who came to live in Phnom Penh City at that time, were almost people from provincial and rural areas.
• To start to rehabilitate Phnom Penh city that has been damaged from war and abandonment.
• 1985, the population of Phnom Penh City were 427,000 people.

E-State of Cambodia: 1989-1992

• 1990, the population of Phnom Penh City were 615,000 people.
• To rehabilitate, repair and develop the city by constructing new buildings everywhere in Phnom Penh City.

F- UNTAC: 1992-1993

• 1993 the population of Phnom Penh City were 1,300,000 people.
• The people living far from crowded areas have been gathering to settle illegally anywhere in the City.

G- The Kingdom of Cambodia: 1993-1998

• 1995, registered population were 824,000 people, and out of that, temporary staying people, foreigners, traders, investors were all together more than 1,000,000 people.
• 1995, to repair and reconstruct National road no. 4, Cambodia-Japan friendship bridge, National road no. 6A, Blvd Mao Tse Tong, Riverside garden, roundabouts, etc.
• 1996, to repair and reconstruct Land filled garden, Blvd. J. Nerhu, Blvd. Samdech Sothearos, etc.
• To construct and repair school buildings, hospitals, pagodas, training centers, etc.
• To receive grant aid from France, Japan, Australia, Germany, Norway, etc., to rehabilitate and develop Phnom Penh City.
• To get loan from Asia Development Bank and World Bank to rehabilitate water supply networks, infrastructure of sewerage, road, environment, and transport and to develop Phnom Penh City.
• 1997, to rehabilitate, repairs and construct:
• Sewerage-drainage system, pumping stations,
• Asphalted concrete roads, asphalted roads, late rite roads and dirt roads.
• Public lighting system and new traffic lights.
• 1998, to repair and improve the national patrimony Wat Phnom and Royal Palace garden.
• Phnom Penh City was divided into 7 districts: Daun Penh, 7 Makara, Toul Kork, Chamkarmon, Meanchey, Russey Keo & Dangkor, including 76 communes
• Area of the city is 290 Km
• 1998, the population of Phnom Penh City are 862,000 people, including 149,000 families.

Geography

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is located in the south-central region of Cambodia, at the confluence of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong, and Bassac rivers. These rivers provide potential freshwater and other resources. The city, located at 11°33′00″N 104°55′00″E / 11.55°N 104.91667°E / 11.55; 104.91667 (11°33' North, 104°55' East, ), covers an area of 375 square kilometres (145 sq mi), with some 11,401 hectares (28,172 acres) in the municipality and 26,106 hectares (64,509 acres) of roads. The agricultural land in the municipality amounts to 34.685 square kilometres (13 sq mi) with some 1.476 square kilometres (365 acres) under irrigation.

Climate

The climate is hot year-round with only minor variations. City temperatures range from 18° to 38 °C (64° to 100 °F) and experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March. The city experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February.

It has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures rise up to 40 °C (104 °F) around April and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can drop to 22 °C (72 °F). The best months to visit the city are November to January when temperatures and humidity are lower.

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