Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, has a population of approximatively
1,000,000. The city retains its traditional and colonial charm. It has several impressive wats
(temple-monasteries) that include: Wat Ounalom, Wat Phnom and Wat
Lang Ka. It breathes the atmosphere of French Indochina and has many
buildings left from this period. There is a rule that newly erected buildings
cannot be higher than the Royal palace, so the skyline from the beginning of the
last century is largely preserved. French colonial
villas along tree-lined boulevards remind the visitor that the city was once
considered the gem of South East Asia. Recent political changes have
encouraged an economic boom, with new hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs
spring up around the city.
Once known as "The Paris of the East", the forced
evacuation of the population by infamous Khmer Rouge in 1975 left it a ghost
town for five years. Today the city has revived, while retaining its
pre-war charm. Motorbikes and transport for the populace, and a leisurely
ride in pedicap, (called "cyoclo") is a relaxed way to get
acquainted with some of the many highlights of this once beautiful city, whose
classic villas and parks are being restored.
Phnom Penh means Hill (Phnom) of lady Penh, who founded it in
1372. The first establishment did not last long, the capital moved from one
place to another. At the end of 19th century the capital moved
to Phnom Penh again and still remain the same up to the present time. Covering an
area of 41 square kilometers, Phnom Penh is a major political, economic,
cultural, communication and tourism center for home and world service.
Phnom Penh's era of modern development and planning took place after
independence in 1953, with the addition of three lined avenues, gardens with
fountains and several distinctive monuments reflecting the city's new found
sense of freedom. Modern day Phnom Penh is a bustling city and one can see
scaffolding rising all over as demand for new housing and office space keeps
growing. It therefore comes as no surprise to discover that Phnom Penh is a
charming mix of ancient monuments and modern landmarks. It is interesting to
note that only about 10 percent (1 million) of Cambodian live in this city.
A mixture of Asian exotica, the famous Cambodian hospitality awaits the visitors to
the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Situated at the confluence of three
great rivers Phnom Penh is the
commercial, political and cultural hubs of the Kingdom and is home to over one
million of the country’s estimated 11.4 million people.
It is also the gateway
to an exotic land….the world heritage site, the largest religious complex in
the world, the temples of Angkor in the west, the beaches of the southern coast
and the ethnic minorities of the northeastern provinces.