Today was my first full day in Phnom Penh, a nice change after Battambang. Being the capital of Cambodia, it's considerably larger and much more lively. The hotel that I'm staying at, Her Royal Highness (yes, that's the name), is only a couple of blocks away from the Tonle Sap river and also the Royal Palace and the National Museum of Cambodia. Since I was so close, I decided to make these my first visits during my stay in Phnom Penh.
My first visit was to the National Museum. The museum consists of four pavilions surrounding a gorgeous courtyard and houses the finest collection of Khmer sculptures anywhere. Some dating to as early as the 4th century. There is also a permanent collection of post-Angkorian Buddhas, most of which were rescued from Angkor Wat when civil war broke out. Unfortunately most of the collection is off limits to cameras, but the pavilion and courtyard were definitely worth a few snapshots.
My next visit was to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, located right next door to the National Museum. Its massive compound is located along the riverfront, hidden behind a huge protective wall. Being the official residence of King Shamoni (it was his birthday the day I visited), most of the compound is off limits to the public. Visitors are only allowed to visit the palace's Silver Pagoda and its surrounding buildings, and picture taking was not allowed here either. Probably for good reason. The Silver Pagoda is named in honor of the floor - covered in over 5,000 tiles made of pure silver, each weighing in at about 1kg or about 5 tonnes total! Inside you will find the Emerald Buddha, believed to be made from Baccarrat crystal, as well as a life-size gold Buddha decorated with 9584 diamonds - the largest being about 25 carats. Although more than half of the pagoda's contents were destroyed under Pol Pot's regime, the Silver Pagoda was preserved by the Khmer Rouge to "demonstrate its concern for the conservation of Cambodia's cultural riches". How thoughtful of them...
No comments:
Post a Comment