Category Archives: Cambodia, Kingdom of

Preah Sothearos Boulevard (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

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Preah Sothearos Boulevard

Preah Sothearos Boulevard

After our short visit to the National Museum, Osang, Violet, Jandy and I proceeded on our way to the nearby Royal Palace. The Royal Palace, a good example of Khmer architecture, covers an area of 174,870 sq. m. (402 m. x 435 m.). Its layout features a defensive wall (kampaeng), throne hall (preah tineang), Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Preah Keo Morakot), stupas (chedei), towering spires (prang prasat) and mural paintings.

Osang feeding the doves

Osang feeding the doves

The complex is divided by walls into four main compounds.  On the south side is the Silver Pagoda, on the north is the Khemarin Palace, on the west is the private sector (or the Inner Court) while the central compound contains the Throne Hall . The buildings of the palace were gradually built over time, some were dismantled and rebuilt as late as the 1960s, but some old buildings date back to the 19th century.

Gamely posing with a sentry at his ost

Gamely posing with a sentry at his post

From Street 184, we turned right to the surprisingly car-free (save for one tourist bus) Preah Sothearos Blvd. On its left is a wide promenade with yellow hexagonal floor tiles.  Here, flocks of black, white and gray doves congregate.  Children enjoy chasing them while adults feed them with corn kernels and peanuts bought from vendors nearby. Beyond the promenade is a small park, Sisowath Quay and the mighty Mekong River.

The open-air Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya ("Moonlight Pavilion")

The open-air Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya (“Moonlight Pavilion”)

On the boulevard’s right are the high, yellow crenelated walls of the Royal Palace. We passed two guardhouses, one of them manned, gamely posing with the guard on duty. The  open-air  Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya (“Moonlight Pavilion”), built alongside a section of the palace walls, dominates the facade.

The Victory Gate

The Victory Gate

One of the most notable buildings of the Royal Palace, it 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. During the 2004 coronation of King Norodom Sihamoni, it was used for a banquet and a tribune for the new king.  It also has a balcony that is used for viewing parades marching along Sothearos Boulevard.

Finally ... the visitor's entrance gate

Finally … the visitor’s entrance gate

Past the pavilion is the Victory Gate which faces the entrance steps leading to the palace’s Throne Hall. Traditionally, this gate was only used by the king and queen though it is now used to admit visiting dignitaries.  As such, this gate was locked.  However, the entrance for tourists wanting to tour the palace was nearby.  Upon entering, we walked along a short corridor to the ticket booth.

 

National Museum of Cambodia (Phnom Penh)

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The National Museum

The National Museum

Jandy and I met up with Osang and Violet while were still having breakfast at our hotel.  Together, we all left for our walking tour of the city’s tourist attractions.  After last night’s rain, the early morning sun was a welcome sight.  Street 184, where our hotel was located, was also bounded by 2 of the city’s prime tourist attractions – the National Museum and the Royal Palace. We first headed out for the latter. Along the route, we met up and had a short chat (he spoke good English) with an orange-robed monk on his way home.

Street 184 (6) - Copy

The National Museum, an excellent repository of many heritage artifacts, murals and paintings that display the talents of the Khmer people, is Cambodia’s largest museum of cultural history and the country’s leading historical and archaeological museum.  The museum, housing one of the world’s largest collections of Khmer art (sculptural, ceramics, bronzes, ethnographic objects, etc.), also has a collection of over 14,000 items from prehistoric times to periods before, during, and after the Khmer Empire including the legendary statue of the “Leper King.”

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Located to the north of the Royal Palace and on the west side of Veal Preah Man Square, the museum is under the authority of Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. On the west side of the museum is the Royal University of Fine Arts.  The museum buildings, designed by French historian, curator and author George Groslier (1887–1945), were constructed between 1917 and 1924.  Though inspired by traditional Khmer temple architecture seen on ancient bas-reliefs, it inevitably portrayed elements of the French style of architecture in its structures to meet the museum-size requirements.

Main entrance

Main entrance

The new museum’s foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1917 and officially inaugurated, during the Khmer New Year, on April 13, 1920 in the presence of King Sisowath, François-Marius Baudoin (Résident-supérieur) and Groslier, the director of Cambodian Arts and conservator of the museum. In 1924, to make the building even more imposing, the original building was altered by adding wings at either end of the eastern façade.  On August 9, 1951, following independence in 1953, the French ceded control of the National Museum and Arts Administration to the Cambodians. In 1966, Chea Thay Seng became the first Cambodian Director of the Museum and Dean of the newly created Department of Archaeology at the Royal University of Fine Arts. The museum was renovated in 1968.

The museum lobby

The museum lobby

During Khmer Rouge regime of 1975-79, the museum, along with the rest of Phnom Penh, was evacuated and abandoned and many of the museum’s employees also lost their lives. When the Khmer Rouge were ousted, the museum was found in disrepair; its roof rotten and home to a vast colony of bats, the garden was overgrown and its collection in disarray, with many objects damaged or stolen. The museum was quickly tidied up and repaired and, on April 13, 1979, was again reopened to the public. In 2000, the Post-Angkorian Buddha,a permanent exhibition supported by UNESCO and a number of individuals and local businesses, was opened to extend the religious function of the museum. 

Violet, Osang, the author and Jandy

Violet, Osang, the author and Jandy

National Museum: Street 13, Preah Ang Eng, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel: +855 23 217 643. The visitor’s entrance to the compound are at the corner of Streets 13 and 178.  Multi-lingual tour guides are available. Photography is limited. Open 8 AM – 5 PM.  Admission: US$5/pax.

Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh Bus Trip

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After our Huyen Sy Church visit, we returned to Elios Hotel to pick up our luggage. The previous day, Violet was able to book all of us on  an airconditioned Sorya 168 Bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh for US$9 each. The travel agency where we booked our bus was along Pham Ngu Lao St. where our hotel was located and it was just a short walk away.  Upon arrival, we were all picked up by a van and brought to our waiting Hyundai bus.

Rural scene along the route

Rural scene along the route

We all occupied a row of reclinable, side-by-side bucket seats with armrests, stored our hand carried bags at overhead racks and our large luggage at the back (though there was a huge baggage storage compartment at the side of the bus, below the passenger deck).

Moc Bai Border Gate (Vietnam)

Moc Bai Border Gate (Vietnam)

Our bus left the station by 12 noon.  We were in for a long 285-km. (177 mi.)/6-7-hr. trip.   As soon as we left, the bus steward started collecting our passports as well as of other passengers bound for Phnom Penh. Naturally, I did not like this idea of giving away our passports to a stranger but looking around, I noticed that this was normal and routine. The steward was to hold on to it within the duration of the trip up to the Vietnam-Cambodia border where he will hand these over to the Vietnamese immigration officer for the stamping of the exit date.

Bavet Border Gate (Cambodia)

Bavet Border Gate (Cambodia)

After a 2.5 hour (70 km.) trip along the National Highway 22 (the Vietnam section of the Trans-Asia Highway) through Cu Chi, we reached the Moc Bai border gate in Tây Ninh Province and we all got off from the bus and entered a building where the Vietnam immigration passport checkpoint is located.  Here, our passports were stamped with the exit date. We didn’t wait a long time.

Khai-Nam

Khai-Nam

Caramelized pork and eggs.

Caramelized pork and eggs.

Fried chicken rice

Fried chicken rice

From the Moc Bai border gate, we again boarded our bus and, upon reaching the Cambodian border, alighted again upon reaching the Bavet border gate at  Svay Rieng. Bavet is one of the “special economic zones” (SEZ) of Cambodia, with established textile industries, bicycles factories plus 10 to 12 big and small casinos (Bao Mai Casino,  Roxy Casino, Crown Bavet Casino, Le Macau Casino-Hotel, Titan King Casino, etc.) attended by Vietnamese.

The small Bao Mai Casino & Roxy Casino ,,,,

The small Bao Mai Casino & Roxy Casino ,,,,

....... and the huge Titan King Casino

……. and the huge Titan King Casino

After clearing with Cambodia immigration, we again boarded our bus and traveled 1 or 2 kms. before making a 30-min. stopover for a late lunch at a cafeteria called Khai-nam.  A meal here costs US$2 (yes they accept US dollars as well as the Vietnamese dong and Cambodian riel).  Back at our bus, our passports were finally returned to us by the steward.

Roll-On Roll-Off ferry

Roll-On Roll-Off ferry

Enjoying the ferry crossing

Enjoying the ferry crossing

We still had a long 170-km. drive to get to Phnom Penh and the trip was uneventful save for the occasional downpour and  the roll-on-roll-off ferry crossing at Neak Loeung where our bus crossed the Mekong River. As the traffic was flowing smoothly, our bus got to board the ferry in less than 15 minutes.  We were lucky as there are times when there are many vehicles wanting to cross the river and a traffic jam occurs. The wait can sometimes stretch up to 2 hours. The crossing itself took less than 10 minutes.

Neak Loeung Ferry Terminal

Neak Loeung Ferry Terminal

The unfinished Neak Loeung Bridge

The unfinished Neak Loeung Bridge

Currently, a 2-km.long, Japan-funded bridge, connecting the National Rd. 1, near Neang Lerg, is being built and is slated to be finished by 2015, making it the longest bridge in Cambodia.  We arrived at Phnom Penh’s Central Market by 6 PM.  Here, we hired a tuk tuk (a motorcycle with an open cabin, suspended upon the rear fork, with an in-line seat on each side), at US$1 per pax, to take us to Elite Boutique Hotel where Jandy and I stayed.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Elite Boutique Hotel“