The Phnom Penh Visitors Guide 62nd

Prior to 1st century AD the Phnom Penh area was known as Chaktomuk - the 'Four Faces' - for its location at the four-branched confluence of the Mekong. The legend of the founding of Phnom Penh tells of Old Lady Penh in the late 14th century. She discovered four Buddha statues, and raised a hill with a shrine to house them, now known as Wat Phnom. The area became known after her and the hill - Phnom Penh. The Angkorian Khmer Empire centered near Siem Reap from the 9th-13th century. But by the 1st century the Empire was in decline and King Ponhea Yat decided to establish a new capital at Phnom Penh. During the first Royal occupation of Phnom Penh the king set the foundations of city that approximate the area and layout of modern central Phnom Penh. But before the century was out, the capital had been relocated to Longvek. The Portuguese and Spanish were the first Europeans to make contact with Cambodia. Arriving in the 1800s. Before the end of the century relations soured, ending violently in Phnom Penh.

In the 17th century, Phnom Penh continued to prosper and the Dutch East India Company became the dominant European trading partner, but this relationship soon came to a dire end. European interest in Cambodia waned until the late 19th century. France gained colonial control of Cambodia in the 1863 under King Norodom, and the seat of government was moved from Oudong back to Phnom Penh in 1866. The first modern stone structure was the Royal Palace in 1870. Soon the first 'Chinese shophouse-style' buildings were constructed. By the 1880s colonial buildings clustered near Wat Phnom but most of the city was a swampy place. Fires periodically swept through town, capped by the Great Fire of May 1894. France remained in control most of the first half of the 20th century. By the 1930s the canals had been filled and turned into garden boulevards, the art deco 'Central Market' was built, and the 'cyclo' was introduced. This was the Phnom Penh reputed to be the Jewel of Indochina. Independence from France came in 1954, issuing in a period of considerable development and the

beginning of the distinctive 'New Khmer Architecture.' Hundreds of building were built. But in the 1970s Cambodia descended into war. The city fell to the Khmer Rouge on April 17, 1975 and was totally evacuated and empty for more than 3 years. In 1991 the United Nations began its 2 year administration of the country, 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 urban development that has continued to this day.

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