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When I crossed the border into Cambodia from Vietnam, I applied for my visa on arrival. When I got my passport back, I opened it up to check my visa to make sure that the dates were correct, as I always do. When I found the page, I instantly saw the words “Kingdom of Cambodia” at the top of the visa. I had been so long in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, that I had completely forgotten that Cambodia was in fact a Kingdom. When I arrived in Phnom Penh, the country’s capital, I knew that the first thing that I should do is head to the Royal Palace.
Compared to the long history of Cambodia, beginning with the Khmer Empire in the 9th century, the Royal Palace and the capital of Phnom Penh are relatively new, first being established in the 1860’s. The Royal Palace complex of buildings was built throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, but the extravagance and grandeur that befits a royal residence is certainly there, and it has been the residence of the Royal Family of Cambodia for all of this time, apart from the short period of the Khmer Rouge rule in the 1970’s.
I found the art and architecture to be very beautiful and well worth checking out. I hope you enjoy this photo journey through the Royal Palace.
Walking up to the Throne Hall
The Throne Hall
Statues at the entrance to the Throne Hall (No photos allowed inside)
The Moonlight Pavilion
Hor Samrith Phimean
Wall detail
Well manicured gardens in the Royal Palace
Pochani Pavilion
The ceiling in Pochani Pavilion
The Ramayana Frescoes near the Silver Pagoda
A Buddha statue near the library at the Silver Pagoda
View of the Silver Pagoda and surrounding gardens
A Royal Stupa
Detail on the stupa
The Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5000 silver tiles – inside are many priceless treasures made of gold and silver. The “Emerald Buddha” is the main focus of the shrine, with a 90kg gold Buddha statue standing in front of it that is covered in over 9000 diamonds. (No photos allowed inside)
A column on the outside of the Silver Pagoda
The Stupa of Princess Kantha Bopha
A beautiful painting in the museums of the Royal Palace
Information on visiting the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh
Entrance to the Royal Palace costs $6.25 and is open from 8-11am and 2-5pm everyday except when it is closed for official functions.
Are the wall design made of gold? I can’t help but adore the pretty palace by it grandeur architecture!
It certainly has grandeur. A must see in Phnom Penh 🙂
Yet another reason for me to head to Cambodia this fall. Not sure how long I’ll get to stay there though.
ChinaMatt recently posted..Reflecting Again on Jiuzhaigou
Hey Matt. It doesn’t matter how long you have. It’s what you do with your time 🙂 Hope you have a great trip!
There’s a lot about travel I don’t like – the inconvenience (especially with international travel), the inevitable delays and a hundred other small things – and yet, when you arrive where you’re going it is all more than worth it – these are great photos, thanks for sharing!
Hi Kelli. Yes, sometimes getting to places can be annoying, but it’s always worth it, right? Glad you liked the photos 🙂
[…] Cambodia, Phnom Penh is a fairly new city, established as the capital in the 1860′s, and the Royal Palace was built in the years after. That being said, the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh does not lack the […]