tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64814433628327257562024-03-14T01:58:37.685-07:00Phnom Penh cityspecialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-47816217949890786892015-07-04T13:01:00.003-07:002015-07-04T13:01:41.359-07:00Top 10 Video Youtube that have people around the world always want to visit (10 Video ) 04 July 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><u> Top 10 Video Youtube that have people around the world always want to visit (10 Video ) 04 July 2015</u></b></span><br />
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1. <span style="font-size: large;">GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V =</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b>2,367,631,217</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Hanuman, Arial, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 700; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"> 2. Baby ,<span style="color: blue;">Justin Bieber</span></span> =</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>1,185,091,299</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Hanuman, Arial, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 700; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='390' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzCu1M95R0GxNnyTXgNXN1JZcaGT9d_FIhEVQe_X-jlXi9-Hy6FcC887ppNhfNJQq0DfoqCGZIqzuhWaNUeqg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Hanuman, Arial, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 700; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3.Dark Horse, <span style="color: blue;">Katy Perry</span>=</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;">1,014,056,143</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Hanuman, Arial, serif; font-size: 18px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Hanuman, Arial, serif; font-size: 18px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">4.Roar , <span style="color: blue;">Katy Perry </span> </span><b> </b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;"><b>980,178,704</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 24px; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='390' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzSpA--idNVAlmHAdXnW4KIJvPxvGBZkorTC6linWLlxbWZQV94U65ftsPZWf0FnEsn-8QKGfUaLHngVRvrLA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Hanuman, Arial, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 700; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> 5.Enrique Iglesias ,<span style="color: blue;">Bailando, Descemer Bueno & Gente De Zona=</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>941,600,932 </b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Hanuman, Arial, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 700; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO= </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;">897,464,217</span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> 7.Love the Way You Lie , Eminem &Rihanna=</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>888,669,880</b></span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='390' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwiaHIJbUJx04MSpziR9gLiROB-0IkhfppK84xiE6I0Bewa4RjXdsQJPqYVGu_5ZnxMxEtKNjRHyWnN1HXCpg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Hanuman, Arial, serif; font-weight: 700; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">8. Waka Waka This Time for Africa,of Shkira=</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;"><b>881,870,373</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Hanuman, Arial, serif; font-weight: 700; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10.On the Floor of Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull =</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;">842,915,733</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Source:</span></span><span style="line-height: 24px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=16&v=9bZkp7q19f0/</span></span><span style="line-height: 24px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4/</span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KSOMA3QBU0/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CevxZvSJLk8/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUsoVlDFqZg/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o7_U/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASO_zypdnsQ/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4H_Zoh7G5A</span></span></div>
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specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-30477012956536565732011-01-27T03:50:00.000-08:002011-01-27T03:51:25.231-08:00Phnom Penh City<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> <a href="http://cambodia-visit.blogspot.com/2009/11/phnom-penh_13.html"><br /></a> </h3> <div class="post-header-line-1"><span class="post-author vcard"> </span> <span class="post-timestamp"> </span> <span class="post-labels"></span>The capital city of the Kingdom of Cambodia was founded in 1431 by King Ponhea Yat after the sack of Angkor. Phnom Penh is conveniently located at the junction of four rivers: the upper Mekong, lower Mekong, the Tonle Sap and the Bassac. Phnom Penh was also previously known as Krong Chatomuk “City of four faces”. Phnom Penh is the political, economic, industrial, commercial, cultural, tourist and historic center. The colonial city with French influenced architecture still maintains considerable charm.<br /></div> <p>The capital is subdivided into 8 Khans; Khan Dang Kor, Khan Meanchey, Khan Russey Keo, Khan 7 Makara, Khan Doun Penh, khan Toul Kork, Khan Chamkarmorn & Khan Sen Sok.<br />Area : 357 km2<br />Population : 1,325,681(2008)<br />Population Density : 4,571/km2</p> <h2 style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours" align="center"><strong>Tourist Attractions</strong></h2> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image001.jpg" alt="Royal Palace, Phnom Penh" class="right_pic" title="'Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia by Gsy Donkey'" align="right" border="0" height="140" width="200" />Firstly the Royal Palace was erected in the reign of King Onhea Yat (1434), and secondly it was erected in the reign King Norodom (1866). The Royal Palace was formerly called "Preah Barom Reach Veang Chatomuk Mongkul" that meant it was conveniently located at the confluence of four rivers. Nowadays it is only called "Preah Barom Reach Veang".</p> <p>The Royal Palace is a royal residence now where his majesty, the king of Cambodia, and the royal families live. In a common word, it is like a small town of royal dynasties.</p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>National Museum</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image003.jpg" alt="national museum phnom penh by JP Swizzle" class="right_pic" title="'national museum phnom penh by JP Swizzle'" align="right" border="0" height="140" width="200" />National Museum Designed by the French George Groslier and “Ecole des Arts Cambodgients” it was built in 1917 in the reign of King Sisowath in traditional Khmer style. The National Museum houses the world’s important collection of ancient Khmer archeological, religious, and artistic from the 4th to the 13th centuries. There are over 5000 pieces are on display including Angkorian era statues, lingas and other artifacts. </p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Wat Phnom</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image005.jpg" alt="Wat Phnom by Debarka Banik" class="right_pic" title="'Wat Phnom by Debarka Banik'" align="right" border="0" height="134" width="200" />Wat Phnom is located on a hill 27 meters high in the center of Phnom Penh. The legend of founding Wat Phnom has it that in 1372 Lady Penh (Yeay Penh) fished a floating koki tree out of the river. Inside the tree were four Buddha statues. She built a hill (Phnom) and a small temple (Wat) which is now known as “Wat Phnom”. The current temple was last rebuilt in 1926 and the large stupa contains the remains of King Ponhea Yat who moved the capital from Angkor to Phnom Penh in 1422.<br /> </p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Toul Sleng Genocidal Museum (S 21)</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image007.jpg" alt="Toul Sleng Prison" class="right_pic" title="'Toul Sleng Prison by szczepan.lemanczyk'" align="right" border="0" height="140" width="200" />This was a high school prior to the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-79). The museum of Genocidal Crimes it was used by the Khmer Rouge as a detention and torture center in the late 1970 which chronicle the years under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. The building now serves as a museum, a memorial and a testament to the madness of the Khmer Rouge regime. Much has been left in the state it was in when the Khmer Rouge abandoned it in 7th January 1979. The prison kept extensive records, leaving thousands of photos of their victims, many of which are on display. Paintings of torture at the prison by Vann Nath, a survivor of Toul Sleng, are also exhibited.</p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Cheung Ek Killing Fields</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image009.jpg" alt="Cheung Ek Genocide Memoria" class="right_pic" title="'Cheung Ek Genocide Memorial by Beyond Teresa'" align="right" border="0" height="140" width="200" />The notorious Killing fields of Cheung Ek is located 15km of Phom Penh. In this place more than 17,000 civilians were killed and buried in mass graves; many of them transported here after detention and torture in Toul Sleng prison.<br />The memorial at Cheung Ek just outside Phnom Penh was an orchard and a Chinese cemetery prior to 1975. Cheung Ek is now a group of mass graves, killing areas and a memorial stupa containing thousands of skulls and long bones. </p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Central Market (Phsar Thmei)</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image010.jpg" alt="Phsar Tmei - Phnom Penh" class="right_pic" title="'Phsar Tmei - Phnom Penh by csaramir'" align="right" border="0" height="140" width="200" />The unique, art décor building is a Phnom Penh landmark. Prior to 1935 the area was a swamp/lake that received the runoff during the rainy season. Central market is one of the largest and business markets in Phnom Penh which is a big yellow dome. Built in 1937 by French architects many interesting products are available. Central market in Phnom Penh is a good place to purchase everything from fish and vegetable to second-hand clothes, silk scarves, silverware, gems, antiques and other commodities.</p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Independent Monument</strong> </p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image012.jpg" alt="Independence Monument - Phnom Penh" class="right_pic" title="'Independence Monument - Phnom Penh, Cambodia by ethan.crowley'" align="right" border="0" height="155" width="200" />The independence Monument (Vimean Ekareach) was inaugurated on 9th November 1962 to celebrate Cambodia’s independence from French rule (1863-1952). It was designed by the renowned Cambodian architect, Vann Monyvann. </p> <p>The Independence Monument is today used to commemorate the souls of combatants and heroes who laid down their lives for freedom of country. It is the site of colorful celebrations and services on holidays such as Independence Day and Constitution Day.</p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Ounalom Monastery</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image014.jpg" alt="Ounalom Pagoda, Phnom Penh" class="right_pic" title="'. by hn.'" align="right" border="0" height="153" width="200" />Built in 1443 to enshrine a sacred hair of the Buddha, and located north of the National Museum of Arts, this temple is considered the seat of Cambodian Buddhism. When the Khmer Rouge evacuated Phnom Penh in 1975, they vandalized the building and murdered the Abbot along with many of the 500 monks who lived there.<br />Located on the riverfront which is reputedly the oldest Buddhist foundation in the city, probably predating the abandonment of the capital at Angkor in the 15th century. The founding date is variously cited as 1422 and 1443.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="day_tours"><strong>National Olympic Stadium</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image016.jpg" alt="A front view of the main gates" class="right_pic" title="'A front view of the main gates'" align="right" border="0" height="157" width="200" />Construction on the National Sports Complex started in 1963 and was completed in 1964. Designer Vann Molyvann made use of massive earthworks to create the stadium, digging up 500,000 cubic meters of earth to shape the grounds.</p> <p>The stadium might have been built to host the 1963 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, but the games were cancelled due to political problems in Cambodia. There was also the short-lived GANEFO games, and they were held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in November 25th~December 6th, 1966 and were named</p> <p>'First Asian GANEFO'. The stadium did play host to appearances by visiting dignitaries and state occasions, and was the home of Cambodia's national athletics teams.</p> <p>The stadium played a small part in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Unexpectedly, North Korea faced Australia in a qualifier. Because North Korea lacked dipomatic relations with most countries, finding a suitable venue for the match proved difficult, until Head of State Norodom Sihanouk, an ally of Kim Il-sung, said the matches could be held in Phnom Penh. The matches attracted 40,000 fans, with Sihounouk decreeing half would cheer for Australia, while the other half cheered the Koreans. The matches were held on 21 November 1965 and on 24 November 1965 with North Korea winning both (6–1 and 3–1). Because South Korea and all African teams had withdrawn in protests against FIFA, North Korea were thus directly qualified to the final tournament, where they reached the quarter-final.</p> <p>Among the facilities are Olympic-size pools for swimming and diving and an indoor volley-ball court with a capacity of up to 8,000, now known as the Olympic Stadium Indoor Arena.</p> <p>During the Khmer Rouge era, the stadium was used as the site of executions by the Khmer Rouge of officials in the administration of Lon Nol.</p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image018.jpg" alt="Phnom Penh - Japan Cambodia Friendship bridge across the Mekong River by nadinesan" class="right_pic" title="'Phnom Penh - Japan Cambodia Friendship bridge across the Mekong River by nadinesan'" align="right" border="0" height="131" width="200" /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours">Chrouy</span></strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong> Changvar Bridge</strong></span></p> <p>Known as the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge, it was first constructed in 1966. It was twice mined and destroyed by the Khmer Rouge forces in 1975. It was repaired in 1993 by Japanese funding. </p> <p> </p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Koh Dach (Silk Island)</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image020.jpg" alt="Koh Deach weaving village" class="right_pic" title="'DSC01178 by Peapooh.'" align="right" border="0" height="138" width="200" />For those with an interest in Cambodia silks and silk weaving should go to visit a rural weaving village on Koh Dach. The weaving village is a typical rural Cambodian stilted village, dedicated almost entirely to silk weaving-people operating hand looms under most of the houses, others dying and spinning silk on spinning wheels made of bicycle parts. The boat may stop at Mekong Island (Koh Okhna Tey) and some other weaving houses along the way.</p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>River Boat Cruising</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image022.jpg" alt="Phnom Penh River Cruise " class="right_pic" title="'Phnom Penh River Cruise by goldfish4free'" align="right" border="0" height="153" width="200" />Short river cruises and sunset cruises along the Phnom Penh riverfront are offered an interesting view of the city and watching the daily life of the people living on and around the river. A cruise typically take about 1-2 hours and run up the Tonle Sap river along the central riverfront area providing a picturesque view of the Royal Palace, National Museum, parks and Phnom Penh skyline, and then across the Tonle Sap and up to the Mekong river to view floating fishing villages.</p> <p> </p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Golf Course</strong></p> <p>Phnom Penh, Cambodia's laid back capital, has 2 full scale 18-hole golf courses on its western outskirts.</p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image023.jpg" alt="Cambodia Golf & Country Club" class="right_pic" align="right" height="107" width="160" /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours">Cambodia</span></strong><span class="day_tours"><strong style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> Golf and Country Club</strong>:</span> is located 35km west of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s charming capital city, and was the second 18 hole golf course to open in the country in 1996. The 7,000+ yard course is in a pleasant rural setting surrounded by palm trees, native fruit trees, evergreen plants and beautiful flowers, with a sprinkling of rocks. With a backdrop of distant mountains it is a delightful location. The course is relatively challenging with a large number of bunkers to keep you alert. </p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image025.jpg" alt="Royal Cambodia Golf Club" class="right_pic" align="right" height="119" width="160" /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours">Royal Cambodia Golf Club</span></strong><span class="day_tours">:</span> lies 10km west of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s charming capital city and was the first 18 hole golf club to open in the country. The 7,075 yard course is set in an attractive environment sitting amongst rice paddies and coconut palms. The course is rather flat yet it still provides a challenge with numerous sand and water hazards, including a large lake near the third hole! Being the closet course to Phnom Penh it is popular with local dignitaries, and it is said it is the Prime Minister’s preferred course - perhaps due to the fact he got a hole-in-one here in 2004! </p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="day_tours"><strong>Airport</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.angkor-tourism-cambodia.com/place-of-in/image/pnh_clip_image027.jpg" alt="Phnom Penh International Airport" class="right_pic" title="'Phnom Penh International Airport'" align="right" border="0" height="162" width="200" />Phnom Penh International Airport is the second-largest and second-busiest airport in Cambodia. It is located 7 km (4.3 miles) west of central Phnom Penh. Taxis, pick-ups and minibuses leave Phnom Penh for destinations all over the country, but are fast losing ground to cheaper and more comfortable buses. Phnom Penh also has a rail service.</p> <p>Penh is one of the very few Asian cities with virtually no traffic jams. The modern layout of Phnom Penh is a French creation. Colonial landmarks can be seen all over the capital, including the National Museum and the beautiful art-deco Central Market.</p> <strong><em>We wish all of you a pleasant stay in Phnom Penh</em></strong>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-81173262813090177372011-01-26T02:51:00.000-08:002011-01-26T02:52:05.980-08:00cambodian adventure part 1<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OQ71scE6ejQ?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OQ71scE6ejQ?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-8840528759851743442011-01-24T21:51:00.000-08:002011-01-24T21:52:32.822-08:00A Brief History of Phnom Penh<p style="word-spacing: 0pt; line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#cc6600;"><b> <img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH-History3.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="212" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="250" />Chaktomuk</b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><br /> People have inhabited parts of Southeast Asia since the early Stone Age, and the ancestors of the Khmer people have been in the area for at least 5000 years, perhaps much longer, but there is no firm evidence of settlements in the Phnom Penh area prior to about 2000 years ago. Though probably an active settlement in Cambodia's golden age of Angkor (9th-15th century AD,) Phnom Penh does not enter the historical record until after it became the Khmer capital in the mid 15th century AD. At the time it was known as Chaktomuk - the 'Four Faces' - so called for its location at the four-branched confluence of the Mekong River. The chaktomuk is a riverine crossroads in the heart of Cambodia with the Tonle Sap River running northwest to the old Angkorian capital, the Mekong River north to Laos and branches south to the delta and the South China Sea. Phnom Penh is, before all else, the city at Chaktomuk on the Mekong River.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color:#cc6600;"> <img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH-History2.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="300" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="199" />Legend</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><br /> First recorded a century after it is said to have taken place, the legend of the founding of Phnom Penh tells of a local woman, Old Lady Penh (Duan Penh,) living at the chaktomuk, the future Phnom Penh. It was the late 14th century and the Khmer capital was still at Angkor near Siem Reap 350km to the west. Gathering firewood along the banks of the river, Lady Penh spied a floating koki tree in the river and fished it from the water. Inside the tree she found four Buddha statues and one of Vishnu (the numbers</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color:#cc6600;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH-History4.jpg" align="right" border="0" height="200" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="133" /></span></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"> vary on different tellings.) The discovery was taken as a divine blessing, and to some a sign that the Khmer capital was to be brought to Phnom Penh from Angkor. To house the new found</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"> sacred objects, Lady Penh raised a small hill on the west bank of the Tonle Sap River and crowned it with a shrine, now known as Wat Phnom at the north end of central Phnom Penh. 'Phnom' is Khmer for 'hill' and the Lady Penh's hill took on the name of the founder, i.e. Phnom Duan Penh, and the area around it became known after the hill - Phnom Penh.</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color:#cc6600;">History</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;">Cambodia is the land of the Khmer, the dominant ethnic group in the area stretching from the present deep into prehistory. The </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color:#cc6600;"> <img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH---HistSEAmap.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="291" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="200" /></span></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;">Angkorian era Khmer Empire centered near Siem Reap dominated the region from the 9th-13th century AD, at its apex the Empire stretched across most of mainland Southeast Asia. But by the 15th century the Empire was in political and territorial decline and under challenge from the rising Tai kingdom of Ayudhaya in today’s Thailand. By the 14th century Ayudhaya was staging regular incursions, culminating with the sack of Angkor in 1431-32. Shortly thereafter the Khmer court of King Pohea Yat left the Angkorian capital and established a new capital at Phnom Penh. With a very brief exception, the capital would never return to Angkor.<br /> <br /> The choice to move the capital to Phnom Penh at the confluence of the Mekong was probably not only a strategic response to Ayudhhaya’s aggression but may have also reflected a tectonic economic shift. The 15th century was the beginning of a general rise in international commerce throughout the region and Phnom Penh was an ideal location for a trade center. The move may have reflected the country changing focus from the old Angkorian agrarian economy based in the country’s interior to a trade oriented economy based in a riverine port town.<br /> <br /> During the first Royal occupation of Phnom Penh in the mid 15th century, King Pohea Yat set the foundations of city, establishing several wats and laying out the town along moats/rivers which approximate the area and layout of modern central Phnom Penh. Wat Ounalom on the riverfront near the Royal Palace may even slightly pre-date King Pohea Yat, making it the oldest known Buddhist foundation in the city.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color:#cc6600;">Phnom Penh</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><br /> Trade with China and other Asian kingdoms was well established in the Angkorian-era long before Phnom Penh was the capital. Boats traveling upriver to Angkor would pass Chaktomuk (Phnom Penh) which, due to its favorable location, was probably an active settlement at the time. After the capital moved from Angkor to Phnom Penh in the mid 15th century, the city remained the capital only briefly. Before the century was out, the capital had been relocated to Longvek 46km upriver. Though it moved a few more times in the subsequent centuries (primarily between Longvek and Oudong,) the capital always remained within a few tens of kilometers of the Chaktomuk area.<br /> <br /> Maritime trade increased dramatically throughout the region in the late 15th century, with international players from as far as Japan. Though the capital had moved from Phnom Penh, the town remained the center of international commerce for Cambodia. Sixteenth century Spanish and Portuguese records paint a picture of small but cosmopolitan port of trade hosting significant populations of Chinese, Malay, Cham, Japanese and some Europeans, all living in separate camps in and around the Phnom Penh area. Structures of wood and bamboo crowded the west bank of the Tonle Sap river and the great stupa on the hill of Wat Phnom was visible from the river, marking the town to arriving visitors.<br /> <br /> Arriving in the early 16th century, the Portuguese and Spanish were the first Europeans to make contact with Cambodia, sending missionaries, establishing trade and eventually becoming deeply involved in the affairs of the Cambodian court. At the center of the drama were two larger-than-life characters, Spaniard Blaz Ruiz, Portuguese Diogo Veloso and their band. Arriving in the 1580s they ingratiated themselves to the Cambodian King, served him as a sort of Praetorian guard, were captured and then escaped the Siamese, retuned and murdered the new Khmer leader, fled to Laos, installed a new Khmer king in Cambodia, and amidst rising tensions, both died in 1599 coming to the aid of their compatriots in a battle between the Malay and Cambodians against the Spanish in Phnom Penh. The battle resulted in a massacre of the Spanish, bringing Spanish influence in Cambodia to an abrupt and permanent end.<br /> <br /> In the 17th century, Phnom Penh continued to prosper and the Dutch East India Company became the dominant European trading partner, but this relationship also came to a dire end in Phnom Penh. In a tale less colorful than the Spanish adventure, after a lengthy trade and diplomatic dispute between the Dutch and the King of Cambodia, negotiations came to violence. A Company embassy was killed and captives taken. The Company sent war ships to force the issue with the King at Longvek. Once the ships had passed Phnom Penh on their way up the Tonle Sap, the Cambodians built two bridges across the river behind them, effectively blocking the river. Upon returning downstream the Dutch ships were trapped by the bridges at Phnom Penh and besieged by fire from both banks. They fought their way through in a day long battle but suffered very heavy losses. Like the Spanish, Dutch influence in Cambodia never recovered. Though the first British and French explorers would arrive in the mid 17th century, European interest in Cambodia waned until the French in force returned in the late 19th century.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color:#cc6600;">The 19th Century</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><br /> Squeezed between Siam and Vietnam, the 18th and 19th centuries were hard on Cambodia. At the beginning of the 19th century the capital returned to Phnom Penh for the first time in 300 years, but again only briefly. In 1813, during a period of Vietnamese influence, King Ang Chan built the palace Banteay Kev in Phnom Penh, but it burned in 1834 when a retreating Siamese army razed the city. The capital subsequently moved back to Oudong 35km away. It was not until the French arrived in the 1860s that it returned to Phnom Penh once again, this time permanently. At the time the area had a population of about 10,000 including a large Chinese sector as well as many other foreigners. It was a multi-ethnic port town of floating villages and wooden and bamboo houses, huts, shops and vendors lining a complex of paths and a single main road paralleling the riverfront. After a brief visit in 1859, traveler Henri Mouhot dubbed Phnom Penh “the great market of Cambodia."<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color:#cc6600;"> <img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH-History1.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="199" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="300" />L'Indochine française</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><br /> France gained colonial control of much of mainland Southeast Asia beginning in the 1860s, first taking portions of Cochin-china (southern Vietnam,) then Cambodia and the remainder of Vietnam and Laos, finally coalescing in 1887 into a federation of protectorates called French Indochina. Cambodia first came into the French sphere in 1863. Seeking assistance fending off Siam and Vietnam, and under pressure from France, Cambodian King Norodom signed a Protectorate agreement with France in August 1863. On French encouragement, the seat of government was officially moved from Oudong to Phnom Penh in 1866. It was only then that the city first began to take on the appearance of modern Phnom Penh.<br /> <br /> The first modern stone structure to be built was the Royal Palace, opening in 1870. Soon thereafter the first stone 'Chinese shophouse-style’ buildings were constructed, initially appearing along the riverside near the Palace. The shophouse design is present across Southeast Asia and ubiquitous in Phnom Penh, characterized by rows of a deep, narrow apartment made up of a combined ground-floor businessfront and upstairs residence.<br /> <br /> By the 1880s, early colonial buildings clustered near Wat Phnom but most of the rest of the city was a swampy place of wooden and bamboo buildings. In the 1880/90s fires periodically swept through sections of town, capped by the Great Fire of May 1894. After that brick and cement became the standard for new buildings. The 1890s saw an expanding population (50,000) and accelerated development including draining wetlands, constructing canals and bridges, expanding the Grand Rue along the river and the addition of several buildings such as the Post Office and Treasury Building which still exist today. The city stretched from the French Quarter around Wat Phnom south to Sihanouk Blvd, most squeezed within a few hundred meters of the river.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color:#cc6600;"> The 20th Century...</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><br /> <br /> France remained in control of Cambodia for most of the first half of the 20th century. Many classic colonial buildings were constructed including the Police Station (next to the Post Office,) the Hotel Le Royal and the large villas around the Royal Palace. By the 1930s the canals had been filled and turned into garden boulevards, which are now parks along Sihanouk Blvd and also Streets 108/106. As the population grew (109,000 in 1939) the city continued to expand, mostly westward into the wetlands, which were drained accordingly.<br /> <br /> In 1935 the Boeung Deco lake was filled and the distinctive, domed, art deco 'Central Market' (Phsar Thmey) was built in its place, originally known as the ‘Grand Market’ when it opened in 1937. That same year the cyclo-pousse, the iconic bicycle rickshaw known the ‘cyclo’ was first introduced in the city. This was Phnom Penh at its colonial apex, reputed to be the most beautiful city in French Indochina.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH-History5.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="185" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="300" />Independence from France came in 1954, issuing in a period of considerable urban and commercial development and the beginning of the distinctive 'New Khmer Architecture,' reflected in existing structures such as the Independence Monument and Chaktomuk Theatre. Factories, roads, markets, power plants and hundreds of shophouse-style apartments were built, giving the city much of its current appearance. This all came to an abrupt end with the Lon Nol coup of 1970 and Cambodia's descent into war between the government and the communist Khmer Rouge (KR.) As the Khmer Rouge took over the countryside in the early 1970s Phnom Penh became swollen with refugees. In 1974 the city was lain siege and eventually cut off, finally falling to the Khmer Rouge on April 17, 1975. Three days after the fall the city was totally evacuated, leading to thousands of deaths. Though some workers and Khmer Rouge remained in Phnom Penh, the city was essentially a ghost town until the Khmer Rouge fled the invading Vietnamese army December 1978-January 1979, leaving behind evidence of their horrors such as the S-21 facility, now known as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. (See page 34.)<br /> <br /> When people returned to the city after the Khmer Rouge period, it was a shambles, largely intact but thoroughly looted and neglected. Restarting the city began from scratch. As low level war continued in the western provinces, the 1980s saw Phnom Penh repopulated and revitalization begun. The city was scoured and basic services were re-established. Phnom Penh’s population grew from 100,000 at the end of 1979 to 615,000 by 1990.<br /> <br /> In 1991 UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia) began its 2 year administration of the country as part of a UN brokered peace agreement leading to national elections in 1993. After years of isolation, Cambodia was suddenly open for business. International investment started to flow into the country and Cambodia was back the tourist map as the newest adventure destination. The city saw the beginning of a period of economic and urban development that has continued to this day. There was a flurry of new construction in the 1990's including most of the distinctive 'wedding cake villas.' With the final demise of the Khmer Rouge in 1998 and increased stability, development accelerated. The 2000's have seen another boom in Phnom Penh. The city’s population has increased to near 2,000,000, there has been significant infrastructure improvement and recently the first high rise structures have been built, giving considerable change to the skyline and architectural character of the city. Phnom Penh is now a city in the midst of rapid change. </span></p>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-89273731229160771292011-01-24T21:42:00.000-08:002011-01-24T21:53:29.628-08:00Phnom Penh: The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="786"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="488"><table id="table2" border="0" cellpadding="5" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh was constructed over a century ago to serve as the residence of the King of Cambodia, his family and foreign dignitaries, as a venue for the performance of court ceremony and ritual and as a symbol of the Kingdom. It serves to this day as the Cambodian home of King Norodom Sihamoni and former King Norodom Sihanouk. The Royal Palace complex and attached 'Silver Pagoda' compound consist of several buildings, structures and gardens all located within 500x800 meter walled grounds overlooking a riverfront park. Marking the approach to the Palace, the high sculpted wall and golden spired Chanchhaya Pavilion stand distinctively against the riverfront skyline. Inside the Palace grounds, street sounds are silenced by the high walls and the various Royal buildings sit like ornate islands rising from the tranquil, manicured tropical gardens. Except for the area of the actual Royal residence, the Khemarin Palace, most of the Palace grounds and Silver Pagoda are open to the public. Enter from the gate on Sothearos Blvd about 100 meters north of Street 240. Guide pamphlets and tour guides are available near the admission booth. Guided tours are recommended. Multi-lingual tour guides available. Admission: $3.00/person, $2.00/camera, $5.00/video camera. Open everyday, 7:30-11:00 / 2:00-5:00. The Palace grounds are closed during official functions.<br /><br /> </span> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"> <b><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">History of the Royal Palace</span></b></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-victorygate.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="236" hspace="10" vspace="3" width="200" />The establishment of the Royal Palace at Phnom Penh in 1866 is a comparatively recent event in the history of the Khmer and Cambodia. The seat of Khmer power in the region rested at or near Angkor north of the Great Tonle Sap Lake from 802 AD until the early 15th century. After the Khmer court moved from Angkor in the 15th century, it first settled in Phnom Penh in 1434 (or 1446) and stayed for some decades, but by 1494 had moved on to Basan, and later Lovek and then Oudong. The capital did not return to Phnom Penh until the 19th century and there is no record or remnants of any Royal Palace in Phnom Penh prior to the 19th century. In 1813, King Ang Chan (1796-1834) constructed Banteay Kev (the 'Cristal Citadel') on the site of the current Royal Palace and stayed there very briefly before moving to Oudong. Banteay Kev was burned in 1834 when the retreating Siamese army razed Phnom Penh. It was not until after the implementation of the French Protectorate in Cambodia in 1863 that the capital was moved from Oudong to Phnom Penh, and the current Royal Palace was founded and constructed.<br /><br /> At the time that King Norodom (1860-1904) signed the Treaty of Protection with France in 1863, the capital of Cambodia resided at Oudong, about 45 kilometers northeast of Phnom Penh. Earlier in 1863 a temporary wooden Palace was constructed a bit north of the current Palace site in Phnom Penh. The first Royal Palace to be built at the present location was designed by architect Neak Okhna Tepnimith Mak and constructed by the French Protectorate in 1866. That same year, King Norodom moved the Royal court from Oudong to the new Royal Palace in Phnom Penh and the city became the official capital of Cambodia the following year. Over the next decade several buildings and houses were added, many of which have since been demolished and replaced, including an early Chanchhaya Pavilion and Throne Hall (1870). The Royal court was installed permanently at the new Royal Palace in 1871 and the walls surrounding the grounds were raised in 1873. Many of the buildings of the Royal Palace, particularly of this period, were constructed using traditional Khmer architectural and artistic style but also incorporating significant European features and design as well. One of the most unique surviving structures from this period is the Napoleon Pavilion which was a gift from France in 1876.<br /><br /> King Sisowath (1904-1927) made several major contributions to the current Royal Palace, adding the Phochani Hall in 1907 (inaugurated in 1912), and from 1913-1919 demolishing several old buildings, and replacing and expanding the old Chanchhaya Pavilion and the Throne Hall with the current structures. These buildings employ traditional Khmer artistic style and Angkorian inspired design, particularly in the Throne Hall, though some European elements remain. The next major construction came in the 1930s under King Monivong with the addition of the Royal Chapel, Vihear Suor (1930), and the demolition and replacement of the old Royal residence with the Khemarin Palace (1931), which serves as the Royal residence to this day. The only other significant additions since have been the 1956 addition of the Villa Kantha Bopha to accommodate foreign guests and the 1953 construction of the Damnak Chan originally installed to house the High Council of the Throne.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-thronehall2.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="150" hspace="10" width="200" />From the time of the coup in 1970 when Cambodia became a republic, through the Khmer Rouge regime (Democratic Kampuchea 1975-1979) and the communist regime of the 80s, until 1993 when the Monarchy was restored, the Royal Palace alternately served as a museum and was closed. During the Khmer Rouge regime, former King Sihanouk and his family resided and were ultimately held as prisoners in the Palace. In the mid-90s, many of the Palace buildings were restored and refurbished, some with international assistance.<br /><br /> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);font-family:Arial;" >Royal Palace buildings</span></b></span></p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> </p> <table id="table11" border="1" cellpadding="4" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-thronehall.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></span><p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-thronehall3.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></p></td> <td><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Throne Hall</b> The Throne Hall, the <i>Preah Timeang Tevea Vinicchay</i>, is the primary audience hall of the King, used for coronations and diplomatic and other official meetings. This Throne Hall is the second to be built on this site. The first was constructed of wood in 1869-1870 under King Norodom. That Throne Hall was demolished in 1915. The present building was constructed in 1917 and inaugurated by King Sisowath in 1919. The building is 30x60 meters and topped by a 59-meter spire. As with all buildings and structure at the Palace, the Throne Hall faces east and is best photographed in the morning. When visiting note the thrones (<i>Reach Balaing </i>in front and <i>Preah Tineang Bossobok </i>higher at the back) and the beautiful ceiling frescoes of the Reamker.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-chanchay.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span><p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-chanchaya.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></p></td> <td><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Chanchhaya Pavilion</b> The current Pavilion is the second incarnation of the Chanchhaya Pavilion, this one constructed in 1913-14 under King Sisowath to replace the earlier wooden pavilion built under King Norodom. The current pavilion is of the same design as the earlier version. The Chanchhaya Pavilion, also known as the 'Moonlight Pavilion', dominates the facade of the Palace on Sothearos Blvd. The Pavilion serves as a venue for the Royal Dancers, as a tribune for the King to address the crowds and as a place to hold state and Royal banquets. Most recently, the Pavilion was used for a banquet and a tribune for the new King at the 2004 coronation of King Norodom Sihamoni.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-phirun.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></td> <td><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Hor Samran Phirun</b> "The pavilion where one sleeps peacefully." Royal rest house and waiting area where the King waits to mount an elephant for Royal processions. Also built to house musical instruments and procession implements. Constructed in 1917. Currently housing a display of gifts from foreign heads of state.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-vimean.jpg" border="0" height="175" width="150" /></span></td> <td><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Hor Samrith Phimean</b> Also know as the ‘Bronze Palace.’ Repository for the Royal regalia and attributes. Constructed in 1917. Currently housing a display of royal regalia and costumes on the ground floor.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-napoleon.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></td> <td><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Napoleon III Pavilion </b>At first glance the Napoleon III Pavilion seems almost out-of-place, sitting like a European-style dollhouse amongst the imposing and distinctly Khmer-style buildings that surround it. The Pavilion was in fact the first permanent structure on the site of the Royal Palace. It was originally built for Empress Eugenie of France, wife of Napoleon III, in 1869 for use in the inauguration of the Suez Canal. It is constructed entirely of iron. In 1876 Emperor Napoleon III made a gift of the building to King Norodom of Cambodia. By fortunate happenstance, the royal emblem "N" emblazed on the doors and other parts of the building to honor the name of 'Napoleon' did not need to be altered when the pavilion was transferred to King Norodom. The Pavilion was refurbished in 1991 with financial assistance from the French government. The Pavilion now serves as a small museum housing Royal memorabilia and a photographic exhibition. Best photographed in the morning. (Damnak Chan pictured in the background.) </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-phochani.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></td> <td><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Phochani Pavilion </b>An open hall originally constructed as a classical dance theater. The Pavilion is currently used for Royal receptions and meetings. Built in 1912.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-damnackchan.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></span></td> <td><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>Damnak Chan</b> The Damnak Chan currently houses the administrative offices of the Royal Palace. Original constructed in 1953 for the High Council of the Throne, this building has served several purposes over the years including acting as the Ministry of Culture in the 80s and housing the Supreme National Council of Cambodia from 1991-93. Damnak Chan displays a somewhat uncomfortable mix of Khmer and Western architectural styles, the mix being particularly apparent in this building - sporting a distinctly Khmer-style roof and a Western style in the main body of the building. Closed to the public.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></td> <td><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Khemarin Palace</b> The Royal residence. Closed to the public.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></td> <td><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>Villa Kantha Bopha</b> Western-style villa named after King Sihanouk's late daughter Princess Kantha Bopha, built in 1956 as guest house for foreign guests. Closed to the public.</span></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">The 'Silver Pagoda’<br /> </span></b></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /> <img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-silverpag.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="150" hspace="10" vspace="3" width="200" />The 'Silver Pagoda' sits next to the Royal Palace, separated by a walled walkway, but within the same larger walled compound. The Silver Pagoda's proper name is Wat Preah Keo Morokat, which means 'The Temple of the Emerald Buddha,' but has received the common moniker 'Silver Pagoda' after the solid silver floor tiles that adorn the temple building. The pagoda compound as a whole contains several structures and gardens, the primary building being the temple Wat Preah Keo Morokat and other structures including a library, various stupas, shrines, monuments, minor buildings and the galleries of the Reamker.<br /><br /> Wat Preah Keo Morokat is unique in several ways. It is the pagoda where the King meets with monks to listen to their sermons and where some Royal ceremonies are performed. It houses a collection of priceless Buddhist and historical objects including the 'Emerald Buddha.' And, unlike most pagodas, no monks live at the pagoda. The temple building, library and Reamker galleries were first constructed between 1892 and 1902 under King Norodom. The equestrian statue of King Norodom was set in place in 1892. Other structures such as the stupas of King Ang Doung Stupa King Norodom (1908), the Kantha Bopha memorial sanctuary (1960) and others were added later. The temple received major reconstruction in 1962 and further renovations 1985-1987, particularly to the Reamker fresco murals. Many of the temple treasures were looted during by the Khmer Rouge 1975-1979, but fortunately the Khmer Rouge chose to keep much of the collection intact for propaganda purposes.</span></p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> </p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);font-family:Arial;" >Silver Pagoda buildings</span></b></span></p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> </p> <table id="table10" border="1" cellpadding="3" height="2432" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-vihearfront.jpg" border="0" height="224" width="200" /></span><p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-vihear.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></p></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Wat Preah Keo Morokat</b> Wat Preah Keo Morokat<br />is also known as the ‘Silver Pagoda’ the ‘Temple<br />of the Emerald Buddha.’ It is known as the 'Silver<br />Pagoda' for the 5329 silver tiles that cover the<br />floor. Each tile was handcrafted and weighs 1.125kg.<br />The vihear serves less as a functioning temple than <br />a repository for cultural and religious treasures, <br />containing over 1650 precious objects.<br />The primary Buddha, sitting on a gilded<br />dais above all others in the temple, is the<br />Emerald Buddha, reported by different<br />sources to be made of emerald or baccarat<br />crystal. In front of the Emerald Buddha stands<br />Buddha Maitreya (<i>Buddha of the Future</i>,)<br />a 90 kg golden standing Buddha encrusted<br />with 2086 diamonds including a 25 caret<br />diamond in the crown and a 20 caret diamond<br />embedded in the chest. Other objects include<br />a Buddha relic from Sri Lanka in a small gold<br />and silver stupa, a collection of gifts from Queen<br />Kossomak Nearyrith, and contributions and<br />gifts from other nobles and Royals. </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-reamkercloiste.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span><p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-reamker.jpg" border="0" height="228" width="200" /></span></p></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>Ramayana Frescoes </b>The interior of the<br />pagoda compound walls is covered with<br />murals depicting stories from the Reamker,<br />i.e. the Khmer version of the classic Indian<br />epic, the Ramayana. Some sections of the<br />murals are deteriorated and weather damaged.<br />The murals were painted in 1903-1904 by a<br />team of students working under the direction<br />of artist Vichitre Chea and architect Oknha Tep<br />Nimit Thneak. In the 30s the galleries served<br />as ad hoc classrooms for Buddhist monks.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-dhamma.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>Dhammasala</b> An open hall used for<br />Buddhist monks to recite texts and also<br />as a royal reception area. (In photo,<br />Dhammasala is behind the Kantha Bopha Memorial.)</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-bath.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Keong Preah Bath</b> Shrine containing<br />Buddha footprints. Fortune tellers.<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-mondapa.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>Library</b> Small library next to the main<br />vihear that houses sacred Buddhist texts<br />(Buddha's Tripitaka, i.e. "Three Baskets") <br />and also contains an image of a sacred<br />bull named Nandin, and several Buddha<br />statues. The Nandin statue is metal<br /> (primarily silver) and is said to be of ancient<br />origin. The statue was found in Kandal<br />province in 1983. Fortune tellers work inside<br />the shrine. If you can find somebody to translate<br />for you, you can have your future told for<br />a small contribution.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-mondop.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Phnom Mondop</b> Phnom Mondop is a small<br />artificial hill symbolizing Mount Kailassa,<br />topped by a shrine containing a large Buddha<br />footprint. The shrine is adorned with 108 <br />Buddha images symbolizing the 108 past lives<br />of Buddha. Fortune tellers work inside the shrine.<br />If you can find somebody to tr<br />anslate for you, you can have your future told<br /> for a small contribution.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-norodom.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Statue of HM King Norodom</b> Equestrian<br />statue of the King Norodom (1834-1904).<br />Completed by French artist Eude in 1875<br />in Paris and placed on the pagoda grounds<br />in 1892. The canopy was added by King<br />Sihanouk in 1953 to honor King Norodom<br />in light of Cambodia's new independence.<br />The stupa north of the statue contains the<br />ashes of King Norodom.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-norodomstupa.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Stupa of HM King Ang Doung</b> Stupa containing<br />the ashes of the King Ang Doung (1845-1860),<br />founder of the current dynasty and the great<br />-great-great grandfather to King Sihamoni. <br />Constructed in 1908.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-norodoma.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Stupa of HM King Norodom</b> Stupa containing<br />the ashes of the King Norodom (1834-1904).<br />Constructed in 1908..</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-sumarith.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Stupa of HM King Suramarit and HM Queen<br />Kossomak</b> Stupa of the father and mother of<br />former King Sihanouk (r: 1955-1960), grandfather<br />and grandmother to King Sihamoni.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-kantabopha.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > <b>Stupa of Princess Kantha Bopha</b><br />The memorial sanctuary of the beloved<br />daughter of the former King Sihanouk.<br />Princess Kantha Bopha passed in 1952<br />at the age of four, succumbing to leukemia.<br />The stupa was built in 1960.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-minangkorwat.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>Model of Angkor Wat</b> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/royal-palace-belfry.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></span></td> <td align="left"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>Belfry </b> The bell is used to signal the opening<br />and closing of the temple and for ceremonies.</span></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td bgcolor="#ff9900" valign="top" width="110"> <center> </center><table id="table7" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center" valign="middle" width="100%"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-73567971363898617172011-01-24T21:36:00.000-08:002011-01-24T21:51:01.414-08:00The Architecture of Phnom Penh<b><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></b><p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > <img src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH-Arch1.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="183" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="250" /></span><b><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >The Architecture of Phnom Penh</span></b></p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Architecturally speaking, Phnom Penh is a comparatively new city. Prior to the late 19th century the city was but a few pagodas and clusters of wooden structures along the riverfront. Almost every currently existing structure was built after the beginning of the French colonial period in 1863. ‘Chinese shophouse’ style buildings dominate the city, characterized by deep narrow apartments made up of a combined ground-floor business-front and upstairs residence. Standing in distinctive difference, old European influenced colonial period structures are interspersed through the central city. At the height of the colonial period Phnom Penh was reputed to be the most beautiful city in French Indochina - recalling Paris in its manicured parks and picturesque boulevards lined with ornate villas. Though sometimes difficult to see through the grime and disrepair of years of hardship and neglect, much of that beauty still exists. </span> </p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <br /></p><p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> </p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> </p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >See History of Phnom Penh for more.<br /><br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" > Architecture Tour and Sites of Architectural Interest</span></b></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /> The historical architecture of the city may be divided into three broad categories:<br /><br /> 1) The ubiquitous ‘Chinese shophouse’ style structures, some as old as the late 19th century but most from later periods.</span></p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /> 2) Late-19th/early-20th century French Colonial buildings encompassing a range of influences and styles. Early villa-style residences and public buildings display an eclectic mix of European influences. Slightly later structures such as Phsar Thmei reflect the art deco movement and other ‘modern’ western styles of the period. Also of this period, ‘Colonial Traditional’ style buildings such as the National Museum that draw heavily on traditional Cambodian themes. Most of Phnom Penh’s colonial-era highlights are located within the city center with clusters near the Royal Palace, around Post Office Square and Wat Phnom, and dotting Norodom Blvd. from Sihanouk Blvd to Wat Phnom. </span> </p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /> 3) ‘New Khmer Architecture’ of the late-1950s/60s, such as the Chaktomuk Theatre and Independence Monument, built in the post-Independence ‘Golden-era’ and displaying a modern but distinctively Cambodian direction. Few examples exist in the city center.<br /><br /> See the city center map below for sites of architectural interest and a suggested walking tour route. The route passes many of the better French colonial buildings as well as examples of later architecture. Due primarily to proximity, very few examples of New Khmer Architecture are included. Also not listed below, the <i>National Museum</i> and <i>Royal Palace</i> should be included in any tour. The whole route takes about 4 hours on foot. Faster by cyclo or motodup.</span></p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <br /></p><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >AA1: Villa Late 19th century Sino-Khmer villa, displaying a mix of western architectural styles. In very good condition. Currently the offices of UNESCO.<br /> A2: Villa Picturesque late 19th century villa in a dilapidated state.<br /> A3: Old Royal Villa ‘No Problem Building’ Constructed c. 1905. One of the few remaining royal villas. Good condition.<br /> A4: Villa Classic colonial era villa constructed c. 1905. Currently houses The Colonial Bar.<br /> A6: Block of apartments/shops Constructed circa 1905.<br /> A7: 1935-45 Apartments Distinctive art deco style apartment block attached to the Lux Cinema, much of the frontage hidden by a modern facade.<br /> A8: Villa Constructed c. 1920. Small, colonial era villa.<br /> A10: Block of shop houses Late 19th century in poor condition, buried is modern facades and signage.<br /> A11: Block of apartments/shops A classic block of Phnom Penh architecture displaying a mix of periods from the 1930s(at the market end) through the 60s.<br /> A12: Phsar Thmey Unique domed art deco market structure built 1935-37. See page 28 for more.<br /> A13: Hotel Le Royal Opened 1929. Fully and sensitively restored. Currently a luxury hotel.<br /> A14: Public Library Constructed in the early 20th century in neo-classical Greek style. Open to the public.<br /> A15: Former Treasury Building constructed in the 1890s. Several buildings along Street 106 are late-19th/early-20th century. The boulevard park along Street 106 was a canal until the 1930s. Note the modern faux-Naga Bridge on Norodom Blvd, an echo of a real bridge there in the 30s.<br /> A16: 1960s office block<br /> A17: Apartments Colonial period apartments from the 1930s or 40s displaying a unique Mediterranean style.<br /> A18: Intersection 130/15 Each corner of the intersection has a building from a different period: c. 1905, c. 1940 (art moderne) and from the 1980s.<br /> A19: International Hotel Constructed circa 1905. Unique tower structure. Early signage still visible. Poor condition.<br /> A20: Post Office/Post Office square The post office building was constructed in the 1890s and still operating as the central post office. Many of the building on and around the square are turn of the century. Best photos in the morning hours.<br /> A21: Former Central Police Station Constructed in the 1890s. Site used extensively in movie ‘City of Ghosts.’ Best photos in the morning hours.<br /> A22: French Colonial Chamber of Commerce On Post Office Square. Constructed early 20th century.<br /> A23: Former Banque de l'Indochine building Late 19th century bank building. Owned by the Van family after 1960. Now fully restored to its former grandeur and containing Van’s Restaurant.<br /> A24: Chaktomuk Conference Hall Constructed in 1960-61. ‘Golden era’ architecture by Vann Molyvann.</span> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> </p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <img style="width: 454px; height: 672px;" src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH-Architecture4.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <img style="width: 433px; height: 690px;" src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH-Architecture2.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"> <img style="width: 442px; height: 687px;" src="http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/PH-Architecture3.jpg" border="0" /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /> </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">For more on the architecture of Phnom Penh check out the books: ‘Phnom Penh Then and Now,’ ‘Cultures of Independence’ and ‘Building Cambodia: New Khmer Architecture 1953-1970.’ See book page for more on books.</span></span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Khmer Architecture Tours </b>(www.ka-tours.org) offers regularly scheduled lectures and guided architectural tours of the city focusing primarily on 'New Khmer Architecture.' Cyclo tours of central Phnom Penh every other Wednesday. See the website for schedule.</span></span></div><p style="text-indent: 0pt; word-spacing: 0pt; margin: 0pt;" align="justify"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > </span></p>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-23974373795570389742011-01-24T08:28:00.000-08:002011-01-24T08:32:07.657-08:00Phnom Penh and Surrounding<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><div align="justify"><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="phnompenh" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>PHNOM PENH CITY</strong><br /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/cam_pic5.jpg" align="left" height="140" hspace="10" vspace="5" width="212" />Phnom Penh was founded by a rich old lady named Penh, who house was not far from the river bank, on a knoll on the eastern side of small hill. One day when the water had overflowed she went down to the river bank and found a large Koki tree drifting down the river. She immediately called her neighbors to get into a boat to catch that tree. After taking it to the bank, she cleaned out the mud and discovered four bronze Buddha statues and one stone Buddha in the hollow tree. Lady Penh and her neighbors exulted in their discovery. They brought all the statues to Lady Penh’s house. Then she asked the people to build a small cottage for them in front of her house and to build up a hill “Phnom” nearby.<br />After that, she had the Koki sawn up for wood to make a sanctuary. In 1372, as a result of the firm support and assistance of her neighbors, Lady Penh built up a sanctuary on the “Phnom” and covered it with grass called “Sbov Phlaing”. The sanctuary housed the four bronze statues, whereas the stone statue, she put at the foot of the “Phnom” to the east. When the work was finished, the monks were invited to settle at the foot of the “Phnom” to the west. Then, they called it “What Phnom Daun Penh” (old lady Penh’s Pagoda).</div><p align="justify">In 1434, King Ponhea Yat moved the capital from Bassac City (in ancient Kampong Cham Province) to Phnom Daun Penh. The sanctuary built by Lady Penh had been removed, but the King decided to construct a new one. Then he tried to build up the hill and constructed a brick stupa on top.</p><p align="justify">After the inauguration, the King named the hill “Preah Chedei Paravata”, but nowadays it is simply called Wat Phnom.</p><p align="justify">The first establishment did not last long, the capital moved from one place to Phnom Daun Penh again and remains up to the present time.</p><p align="justify">Phnom Penh covers an area of 290 kilometer square with 2 million inhabitants. It is a major industrial, commercial, communication, and tourism center for home and world services. Valuable tropical products can be found here including seafood, fresh water food, delicious fruit, handicrafts and articles. The city offers tourists a lot of modern hotels and restaurants with diversified service.</p><p align="justify"><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="royalpalace" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>ROYAL PALACE</strong><br /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/royal_palace.jpg" align="right" height="150" hspace="10" vspace="5" width="220" />Built in 1866 by King Norodom, the Royal Palace is now home to His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk is the King of Cambodia, and Her Majesty Preah Reach Akka Mohesey Norodom Monineath Sihanouk is the Queen. The Palace is actually a number of structures within a pagoda-style compound. An awe-inspiring sight the throne room (the main building), has a tiered roof topped by a 59 meter tower.</p><p align="justify"><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/silve_pagoda.jpg" align="right" height="150" hspace="10" vspace="5" width="220" /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="silverpagoda" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>SILVER PAGODA</strong><br />Located within the Royal Palace compound, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor which is made up of 5,000 silver tiles. The treasures are a solid gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds and weighing 90 kilo and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha.</p><p align="justify"><br /><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/national_museum.jpg" align="left" height="190" hspace="10" vspace="5" width="146" /><br /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="nationalmuseum" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>NATIONAL MUSEUM</strong></p><p align="justify">It houses of Khmer art, especially sculptures, from different periods of Cambodian history, 19th century dance costumes, royal barges and palanquins. On display inside are more than 5,000 works of art.</p><p align="justify"> </p><p align="justify"> </p><p align="justify"><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="watphnom" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>WAT PHNOM</strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/wat_phnom.jpg" align="right" height="144" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="191" /><br /></p><p align="justify">Wat Phnom is a famous city landmark. This symbol of the Phnom Penh Capital was built in 1434 to house the sacred relics. Today Wat Phnom remains the highest artificial hill in Phnom Penh and centre of many forms of leisure activities.</p><p align="justify"> </p><p align="justify"><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="independence" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>INDEPENDENCE MONUMENT</strong><br /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/independence.jpg" align="left" height="144" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="191" /></p><p align="justify">It commemorates the end of Cambodia's rule by France in 1953. The Naga motif can be seen in historic, culture and modern business contexts, as a symbol of the country. It's also used to commemorate to the soul of fallen combatants who laid down their lives for freedom of the country.<br /></p><p align="justify"><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="market" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>MARKET</strong><br /><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/banana.jpg" align="right" height="190" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="130" /></strong>A shopping spree starts at the local markets. Phnom Penh has many markets. The huge yellow domed Central Market (Phsar Thmey) is the place to pick up gold and silver jewellery. Tuol Tom Pong Market and Olympic Market offer antique collectors of genuine articles. Shopping bargains can be found in intricate stone and wood carvings, Cambodia hand woven-silk, and their silversmith expertise dates from the 11th century. Visitors should remember to be relaxed when bargaining, and to enjoy themselves. If they are not frustrated when they are not understood very well they will come away with a cheap and interesting souvenir.</p><p class="sub2" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" align="center">SURROUNDING PHNOM PENH</p><p align="justify"><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/tonlebati.jpg" align="right" height="134" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="200" /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="taprohm" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>TA PROHM TONLE BATI</strong><br />This 13th century temple, build by King Jayavarman VII, was dedicated to Brahmanism and Buddhism. It is located in Bati district, Takeo Province, 35 Km south of Phnom Penh. It can be reached via National road No2.</p><p align="justify"><strong><br /><br /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="neangkhmau" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>NEANG KHMAU</strong><br /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/Neangkhmao.jpg" align="left" height="101" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="134" />Built of bricks and sand-stones in the 6th century, located in Takeo province 58 km south of Phnom Penh. This temple can reach by road No.2. Phnom Chiso or Surya Parvata The mountain temple was built of late rite brick and sandstone in the 11th century. The mountain is about 100 meters high with stone-made two stairs. One can reach the top by the western stair with 206 steps only 30 minutes, whereas the northern one with 434 steps lasts one hour. The temple can be reach by national road No.2</p><p align="justify"><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/a.borei3341.gif" align="right" height="150" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="200" /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="angkorborei" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>ANGKOR BOREI</strong><br />It is a town in the area of several ruins and archaeological digs. The area contains artifacts dating from Funan (4th & 5th century) and Water Chenla (8th century) as well as later Angkorian period. The prasat ruins on top of nearby Phnom Da are 11th century. There is a small museum in the town.</p><p align="justify"><strong><br /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="phnomoudong" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>PHNOM OUDONG</strong><br /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/Phnom-Oudong.jpg" align="left" height="150" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="200" />It is situated in Ponhea Leu district, Kandal province and 45 km north of Phnom Penh. One can reach it by road No 5. Phnom Oudong is also called Phnom Preah Reach Trap, Phnom Atharreus and Phnom Preah Chetareus. It is a mountain which is rich in cultural patrimonies. It used to be a former Khmer’s capital city in 1618 - 1866.</p><p align="justify"><strong><br /><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/arrwbox.jpg" align="absmiddle" border="0" height="18" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="22" /><a name="kohdach" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(32, 104, 125); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></a>KOH DACH</strong><br /><strong><img src="http://www.angkor7thtravel.com/images/kohkach.jpg" align="right" height="151" hspace="10" vspace="2" width="200" /></strong>The island is located 30 Km along the Mekong River. On Koh Dach once can visit a silk weaving village and watch the woven silk on old looms. The island is also famous for its handcraft production, pottery osier craftwork, woodcarving, painting and jewelry cutting. Koh Dach can be reached via Road No 6A and by boat. It is a scenic route along the Mekong River, with its many fishing villages.</p></span></span>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-64271258963627337192011-01-24T08:23:00.000-08:002011-01-24T08:26:45.235-08:00Tourist Attractions - Phnom Penh<p style="margin-top: 15px; text-align: left;"><span class="rg_ctlv"><span class="rg_hl"><img src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTaNaVh3XqeeOj8bhLV0IJ4TQVAtIedvCN5A3pYoq1QLyx5w7le" style="width: 275px; height: 183px;" height="183" width="275" class="rg_hi" id="rg_hi" height="183" width="275" /></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 15px; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" ><img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">The Royal Palace</span></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" >The National Museum</span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong> <b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">The Silver Pagoda</span></span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong><b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Wat Phnom</span></span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong><b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" >Wat Ounalom</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Mekong Island</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);"> </span> <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Angkor Borie</span></span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" ><br /> </span></strong><b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Toul Sleng & Choeung Ek</span></span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" ><img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Koh Dach</span> <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" >Sunset Cruise on the Mekong & Tonle Sap</span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong><b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Baset</span></span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong><b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Oudong</span></span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong><b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Wat Nokor</span></span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong><b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Tonle Baty</span><br /> <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Prasat Neang Khmao</span> <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Phnom Chiso</span></span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong><b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);">Phnom Tamao</span></span></b><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span></strong><b> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > <img src="http://www.asia-planet.net/cambodia/images/cirlce-red.gif" align="center" border="0" height="7" width="7" /></span><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" > </span> </strong> <span style="color: rgb(0, 52, 156);font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" >Sambo Prey Kuk</span></b></p>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-64917931981641864502011-01-24T07:27:00.000-08:002011-01-24T07:30:40.873-08:00museum in phnom pehn<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pbase.com/ghislain3/2003_sea_phnompenh"> <img style="width: 444px; height: 295px;" class="display" src="http://i.pbase.com/u18/ghislain3/upload/36146975.bCambodiaPhnomPenhAug2003039.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><table class="imagetable" align="center" border="0" width="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"> <img style="width: 448px; height: 298px;" class="display" src="http://i.pbase.com/u18/ghislain3/upload/36146974.bCambodiaPhnomPenhAug2003038.jpg" alt="" border="0" /> </td></tr> <tr><td align="left" valign="top"> <span class="date"></span><br /></td> </tr></tbody></table><br /></div><a href="http://www.pbase.com/ghislain3/2003_sea_phnompenh"> </a>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-62501510131991195342011-01-24T07:21:00.000-08:002011-01-24T07:25:48.248-08:00Royal palace in cambodia<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pbase.com/dannyc/phnom_penh"> <img style="width: 444px; height: 295px;" class="display" src="http://i.pbase.com/u23/dannyc/large/8785478.IMG_3139.jpg" alt="IMG_3139.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.pbase.com/dannyc/phnom_penh"> <img style="width: 445px; height: 296px;" class="display" src="http://i.pbase.com/u25/dannyc/large/8785479.IMG_3142.jpg" alt="IMG_3142.JPG" border="0" /> </a><br /><a href="http://www.pbase.com/dannyc/phnom_penh"> <img style="width: 449px; height: 298px;" class="display" src="http://i.pbase.com/u25/dannyc/large/8785480.IMG_3143.jpg" alt="IMG_3143.JPG" border="0" /> </a><br /><img style="width: 454px; height: 680px;" class="display" src="http://i.pbase.com/u25/dannyc/large/8785486.IMG_3154.jpg" alt="IMG_3154.JPG" border="0" /><br /></div><a href="http://www.pbase.com/dannyc/phnom_penh"> </a>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-57719098331178868452011-01-24T07:15:00.001-08:002011-01-24T07:15:42.852-08:00Feedback Khmer Song Oh Phnom Penh<object width="390" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QsKqL9KPKNA&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QsKqL9KPKNA&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="390" height="390"></embed></object>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-42301327750596612472011-01-24T07:10:00.000-08:002011-01-24T07:12:25.648-08:00Khmer Song Oh Phnom Penh<object width="390" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j6B330M5h9w&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j6B330M5h9w&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="390" height="390"></embed></object>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-89653251035475037012011-01-24T06:24:00.000-08:002011-01-24T06:25:20.296-08:00Introduction to Cambodia<object style="height: 390px; width: 390px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sfZ3ZHnrNy8?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sfZ3ZHnrNy8?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="390" height="390"></embed></object>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-70814899022947919122011-01-24T06:18:00.001-08:002011-01-24T06:18:45.770-08:00in Cambodia<object style="height: 390px; width: 390px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h4-meHX4PuE?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h4-meHX4PuE?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="390" height="390"></embed></object>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-89608857083931431232011-01-24T06:15:00.000-08:002011-01-24T06:16:20.218-08:00Canadia Bank Headquarter - Phnom Penh<object style="height: 390px; width: 390px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/71UoI1NC2_w?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/71UoI1NC2_w?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="390" height="390"></embed></object>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-69974081379699456822011-01-24T05:42:00.000-08:002011-01-24T05:46:47.535-08:00PHNOM PENH (French Built City)<p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify">The capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, is located at the confluence of three rivers - the Mekong, the Bassac and Tonle Sap. The city is divided into three sections - the north, an attractive residential area; the south or the French part of the city with its ministries, banks and colonial houses; and the centre or the heart with its narrow lanes, markets, foods stalls and shops.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify">Over the past four years, the city has undergone tremendous changes - businesses are springing up constantly and tourism is once again booming. Cambodia has one of the most liberal investment laws to further boost managed to retain its charm and character - cyclos that weave through traffic with ease, broad boulevards, old colonial buildings, parks and green spaces that reminds one of the country's French heritage, and above all its people who always have a smile for you.</p> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr> <td><br /></td> <td width="281"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <p style="margin-left: 20px;" align="justify">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.</p></td> <td valign="top" width="281"> <p style="margin-right: 20px;" align="right"> <img src="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/images/phnomPenh/Silverpagoda.jpg" border="0" /></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" valign="top"> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> 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.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> The walls surrounding the compound which is the oldest part of the palace, are covered with frescos depicting scenes from the Khmer version of the Ramayana.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><p style="margin-left: 20px;"> <b>INDEPENDENCE MONUMENT:<br /> </b></p></td> <td rowspan="2" valign="top" width="41%"> <p style="margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td height="10"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="94%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left"> <table width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center"> <ins style="display: inline-table; border: medium none; height: 250px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 250px;"><ins id="google_ads_frame2_anchor" style="display: block; border: medium none; height: 250px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 250px;"></ins></ins> <br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td height="10"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> <img src="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/images/phnomPenh/independence_monument.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="139" width="189" />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.</p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="240"> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> <img src="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/images/phnomPenh/NationalMuseum.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="145" width="194" /></p> <p style="margin-right: 20px;" align="center"> </p></td> <td> <p align="justify"> <b>NATIONAL MUSEUM:</b></p> <p style="margin-right: 15px;" align="justify">The <a href="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Attractions/PhnomPenh/national_museum.asp">NATIONAL MUSEUM</a> of Cambodia is housed in a graceful terracotta structure of traditional design (built 1917-20) just north of the Royal Palace. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8 to 11 am and from 2 to 5 pm; entry is $3. Photography is prohibited inside. The School of Fine Arts (École des Beaux-arts) has its headquarters in a structure behind the main building. <a href="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Attractions/PhnomPenh/national_museum.asp">See more...</a></p> <p style="margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td> <p style="margin-left: 20px;"> <img src="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/images/phnomPenh/WatPhnom.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="151" width="202" /></p></td> <td valign="top" width="70%"> <p style="margin-right: 15px; margin-left: 20px;" align="justify"> <b>WAT PHNOM: </b>You may also want to check out <a href="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Attractions/PhnomPenh/wat_phnom.asp">WAT PHNOM</a> 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. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p style="margin-right: 15px; margin-left: 20px;" align="justify"> At the bottom of the hill is a small zoo, but its most endearing residents, the monkeys, live free in the trees. <a href="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Attractions/PhnomPenh/wat_phnom.asp">See more...</a></p> <table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td width="64%"> <p style="margin-left: 20px;" align="left"> <b>TUOL SLENG MUSEUM:</b></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 5px;" align="justify">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. <a href="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/phnompenh/toulsleng.asp">See more...</a></p></td> <td align="left" width="36%"> <p style="margin-right: 20px;" align="right"> <img src="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/images/phnomPenh/tuolsleng1.jpg" align="right" border="0" height="152" width="206" /></p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> <b>CHEUNG EK KILLING FIELD:<br /><br /></b> 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. <a href="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/phnompenh/toulsleng.asp#kf">See more...</a></p> <table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td width="62%"> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> <b>NEW CENTRAL MARKET:</b></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> A visit to the markets and market halls is a must as they give an opportunity to be acquainted with the country's local produce and also to buy textiles, antiques, gold and silver jewellery.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> The four wings of the yellow coloured Central Market are teeming with numerous stalls selling gold and silver jewellery, antique coins, clothing, clocks, flowers, food, fabrics, shoes and luggage.</p> </td> <td width="38%"> <p style="margin-right: 20px;" align="right"> <img src="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/images/phnomPenh/centralmarket.jpg" align="right" border="0" height="171" width="236" /></p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> <b>TUOL TOM PONG MARKET:</b></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 15px;" align="justify"> For some good paintings or if you prefer antiques, head fro the Tuol Tom Poong Market also known as the Russian Market. A word of caution though: you need to sharpen your bargaining skills as the prices here can be outrageously high.</p>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481443362832725756.post-20077954248719923672011-01-24T05:13:00.001-08:002011-01-24T05:13:54.928-08:00Phnom Penh<p><b>Phnom Penh</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_language" title="Khmer language">Khmer</a>: <span lang="km">ភ្នំពេញ</span>, <small>pronounced </small><span title="Pronunciation in IPA" class="IPA"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_Khmer" title="Wikipedia:IPA for Khmer">[pʰnum peːɲ]</a></span> in Khmer and <span title="Pronunciation in IPA" class="IPA"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English">/pəˈnɒm ˈpɛn/</a></span> or <span title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)" class="IPA">/ˈnɒm ˈpɛn/</span> in English<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Penh#cite_note-1"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup>;) is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_%28political%29" title="Capital (political)" class="mw-redirect">capital</a> and largest city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia" title="Cambodia">Cambodia</a>. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic activities. Phnom Penh has grown to become the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry" title="Industry">industrial</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerce" title="Commerce">commercial</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture" title="Culture">cultural</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism" title="Tourism">tourist</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History" title="History">historical</a> center of Cambodia.</p> <p>Once known as the <i>Pearl of Asia</i>, it was considered one of the loveliest of French-built cities in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochina" title="Indochina">Indochina</a><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Penh#cite_note-2"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a></sup> in the 1920s. Phnom Penh, along with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siem_Reap" title="Siem Reap">Siem Reap</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sihanoukville" title="Sihanoukville">Sihanoukville</a>, are significant global and domestic tourist destinations for Cambodia. Founded in 1434, the city is noted for its beautiful and historical architecture and attractions. There are a number of surviving French colonial buildings, such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace,_Phnom_Penh" title="Royal Palace, Phnom Penh">Royal Palace</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phsar_Thmei" title="Phsar Thmei" class="mw-redirect">Phsah Thmei</a>, and other French style buildings along the grand boulevards.</p> <p>Situated on the banks of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonl%C3%A9_Sap" title="Tonlé Sap">Tonlé Sap</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong" title="Mekong">Mekong</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassac_River" title="Bassac River">Bassac</a> rivers, Phnom Penh is home to more than 2 million of Cambodia's population of over 13 million.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Penh#cite_note-3"><span>[</span>4<span>]</span></a></sup> It is the wealthiest and most populous city in Cambodia and is home to the country's political hub.</p>specialshowtodayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760290087909265307noreply@blogger.com0