Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh was know as the “Pearl of Asia” in the 1920.
Phnom Penh, along with Angkor, is a significant global and domestic tourist destination for Cambodia known for its traditional Khmer and French influenced architecture.
Phnom Penh is the wealthiest and most populous city in Cambodia. It is also the commercial, political and cultural hub of Cambodia and is home to more than one million of Cambodia’s population of over 14 million.

During the Vietnam War, Cambodia was used as a base to bomb North Vietnam and Viet Cong army, thousands of refugees from the country flooded the city to escape the fighting between government troops and Khmer Rouge army.
In 1975, the population of Phnom Penh was 2 million souls, most of whom were refugees fled the war around.
The city fell to the Khmer Rouge on April 17, 1975. Many of its inhabitants, including those who were rich and educated, were killed, deported, and forced to work in the fields.
For 4 years, until 1979, no foreigner was ever admitted to visit Phnom Penh.

Posted on October 26, 2001

Print PDF

RELATED PHOTO GALLERY AND POST

• Angkor wat

  Angkor wat archaeological complex is indeed one of greatest achievement in human history, I have tried to imagine it for years but I was not even close to the experience of visit the ruins for real. Angkor is a name conventionally applied to the region of Cambodia seat of the Khmer empire, the Angkorian period [...]...

• Killing Fields in Phnom Penh

  In the Killing Fields it was like I could feel the ghosts of 2,000,000 men, women, children, elders, deported from Phnom Penh into the country under the Khmer Rouge regime. I was not prepared to see this place, I was not prepared to see all this beauty and all this misery, I was not prepared to [...]...

• Mekong Island

  Mekong Island is absolutely a beautiful place that can be easily reached by boats departing from Phnom Penh. Sailing to the island, wandering around and coming back to Phnom Penh will take about half a day but it worth the trip.     I had the opportunity to take these marvelous photos in Mekong Island [...]...

• Phnom Chisor

  Phnom Chisor is situated about 60 km south of Phnom Phen, in Takeo province, there is a really nice temple on the hill. The temple of Phnom Chisor dated back to the 11th century under King Suryavarman I. The view from the top of the hill in Phnom Chisor over all the plains and the [...]...

• Tuol Sleng

  Tuol Svay Prey High School also known as Tuol Sleng was taken over by Pol Pot’s forces and was turned into the S-21 prison camp, where Cambodians were detained and tortured. Pol Pot sought a return to an agrarian economy and therefore killed in Tuol Sleng many people perceived as educated, lazy, or political enemies. [...]...