Cambodian Palace Adventure

 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia after a cruise down the Mekong on R.V. Tonle Pandaw provided an opportunity to experience a tuk-tuk (cycle rickshaw) ride on a cultural outing.  The tuk-tuk was my primary means of transportation in Phnom Penh. While there are three main tourist attractions in the Phnom Penh: Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda, National Museum and Wat Phnom.  I visited the Palace/Silver Pagoda and the Museum.   While it was one of the hottest days of the year, I found Palace/Silver Pagoda to be amazing and well worth the time and effort.

 

The Palace , since 1866, is the residence of the King of Cambodia, The King of Cambodia is the head of state of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The King's role now is primarily ceremonial and functions as power a symbolic figurehead to whom people are to give love and respect.  Since 1993, the King of Cambodia is an elected monarch for life from among the members of the Norodom and Sisowath bloodline.  The King was in residence the day, this restricted access to less than 50% of the Palace grounds. The dress code made part of the tour uncomfortable due to the heat; “shoulders must be covered and shorts or skirts need to extend to the knees”

 

The complex is divide into four main compounds (not all open to the public). The south side is the Silver Pagoda in the center the Throne Hall and to the east Inner Court and north Khemarin Palace. The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda covers slightly over 45 acres. The grounds are immaculate, the groundskeeping crew must have a number of topiary masters. The grounds had an extensive collection of lush flowers and trees native to Cambodia.  There are numerous stupas, statutes and significant buildings on the grounds with both Khmer and European styles/elements are seen in the design of several of the structures. 

 

I saw several building when I was there, these included: Thorne Hall, Moonlight Pavilion,  elephant building and the Silver Pagoda.  The Throne Hall is now used for royal ceremonies and meeting official/diplomatic guest. The building is a work of art especially the ceiling frescoes and the statute holding what appears to be the royal sword.   The Moonlight Pavilion serves as place for Royal Banquets and is where the Royal Dancers perform.  Hor Samran Phirum (elephant building) was the waiting area for Royals to mount elephants for Royal Processions. 

 

The Silver Pagoda (Wat Preach Keo Morokat, located next to the central compound,  is named for it’s silver floor. The craftsmanship of the frescoes and silver tiles is unbelievable when you consider when it and associated galleries and library were  build (1892-1902)  and tools that were available to the metalworkers.  The Silver Pagoda houses the “Emerald Buddha” and other treasures and artifacts is used for meetings with monks and Royal ceremonies. 

 

The first permanent structure on the grounds was the Napoleon III Pavilion. In 11876 Emperor Napoleon III made a gift of the building to King Norodom of Cambodia. Originally constructed for Empress Eugenie Of France for use in the inauguration of the Suez Canal. Two factoids were pointed out on the tour: the building is constructed entirely of iron and the Napoleon “N” royal emblem on the original structure wasn’t altered because the building was given to King Norodom. 

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