What Wat is Which

I visited quite a few wats around Phnom Penh. They generally have a similar layout. Most have been built since the end of Khmer Rouge and they are in a constant state of expansion. On the grounds is one central hall, which is raised and higher than the rest of the structures. This hall is where the monks have their morning prayers and is open to the public for special functions such as holidays and weddings. This building usually has guardian Garudas on the roof. There is a slightly less ornate building that is ground level where the monks take their meals and the lay people can pray. Both of these buildings will contain statues of the Buddha. Cambodian temples have scenes from the Buddha’s life on the walls and often ceilings. On the grounds are numerous stupas of various sizes, which house the ashes of deceased patrons, like Christian crypts. Temple grounds can have a variety of auxiliary buildings as well. There can be administrative offices, workshops for construction, kitchens, even lay houses and businesses that ret out space.

As the founding legend of Phnom Penh goes, in the 14the C, Lady Penh fished a log out of a lake and in that log were three Buddha statues. She had a hill built over the site, phnom is Khmer for hill, and a temple, wat, built on the top. The town eventually grew up around the temple. The actual temple on the site was rebuilt in the beginning of the 20h V. It’s just one of the many temple all over the city. 95% of the population is Buddhist and you will see monks in saffron robes, and matching orange umbrellas, all over the city, especially in the mornings as they go on their alms collection rounds. This wooden temple is quite active but y no means the most ornate in the city. There is an elephant at the base that tourists can ride on a quick round of the hill, it looks pretty lame. Also at the base is a very odd huge ground clock with a sweeping second hand. It’s very Disney, especially at night when it glows with neon.
There’s a troop of obese monkeys that hang out around Wat Phnom that live off all the tourist scraps. But the most interesting wildlife are the huge bats that hang off the trees. They must have a three-foot wingspan.