Cambodia E-Visa Blog: Kampong Cham Province In Cambodia

Kampong Cham Province is located in the east part of Cambodia, 124km away from Phnom Penh linked with National Road #6A, 6 and 7. The province land area covers 9,789.60 square kilometers that composes laterite plateau ground profile and three different separated geographical conditions such as low land, Mekong basin land and mountains land.

Kampong Cham is considered a downtown of the province and it has 2 towns (Kampong Cham and Soung) and 15 districts such as; Steung Trang, Kampong Siem, Chamkar Leu, Prey Chhor, Cheung Prey, Batheay, Kang Meas, Krouch Chhmar, Tboung Khmum, Koah Sotin, Srei Santhor, Orang Ov, Ponhea Krek, Memot and Dambe.
Kampong Cham has the eastern border shared to Kratie and Vietnam, the western border shared to Kampong Chhnang, the northern boundary shared to Kampong Thom and the southern territory shared to Prey Veng and Kandal.
Kampong Cham town is situated in the western bank of Mekong River and it is linked to the eastern bank by Kizuna bridge that has been donated by Japan government. Through the luxurious bridge, all passengers and sorts of transportation mean could be accessed to northeastern part of Cambodia including; Kratie, Stung Treng, Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces.

In the long term ancient time, the provincial name originated from Kampong Rong Chamm that was known as a place where Khmer Muslims always come and wait for their relatives for embarking a boat to somewhere. In the following time, the name has become Kampong Cham and then its last name is Kampong Cham to date.

Kampong Cham attractions site:- Hluong Preah Sdach Kan or Banteay Prey Nokor; located in Angkor Knong village, Dauntei commune, Ponhea Kraek district and it is 49km from Kampong Cham town along National Road #7. Banteay Prey Nokor temple historical site has square wall surrounded at 2,500 meters for each corner. The wall built of sand mud with 5-7 meters high and 20-25 meters width, but most part collapsed. Dense bamboos were grown on the top and both sides of the dike.
Banteay Prey Nokor is a historical architectural structure, in which ancient temple and hillocks were made of bricks. Among those temples stand for Preah Theat Thom and Preah Theat Touch, and the rest were completely ruined.

Preah Theat Thom temple consists of three towers made of bricks. This group of the temple is seen in Banteay Prey Nokor behind Prey Nokor Knong pagoda. The shapes of the three towers of the temple totally collapsed except the north part of the temple, which is now covered in land. This square shape temple is 6.8 meters length and 6.4 meters width. The south tower temple was built in the reign of King Phavaraman I in 6the century, between Funan and Chenla era. The temple, whose middle tower and the north tower collapsed, was built in the reign of king Jayavaraman II. This temple has the architectural design in similar to the other temple built in the county in the 9th century.

The group of Preah Theat Touch temple is located in Banteay Prey Nokor, 300 meters from the group of Preah Theat Thom temple. The group of Preah Theat Touch temple, which people have called three Stupas or three Preah Theat, is smaller than Preah Theat Thom temple, which situated on the edge of the a pond, has a rectangular shape. This temple was made of brick. Some parts still remain until now. The temple was built in Funan period in the reign of king Phavaraman I in 6th century. In 6th century, Hluong Preah Sdach Kan built a rampart surrounding a pagoda inside Banteay Knong and another one statue by using black gold to model a statue of Buddha with cross-legged position of 12 thnoarps (1 thnoarp = 1 finger size) and 20 thnoarps heigh and kept inside that temple. He named the statue of Buddhist abbot Preah Arya Nan Sakor Apa, and offered 500 soldiers for the pagoda. He named the pagoda Prasat pagoda but some people have called Wat Kmao or Wat Prey Nokor Knong. Hluong Preah Sdach Kan came back to Toul Basan and looked for royal sward, victorious lance, Preah Pacaksetras (5 gods of Brahmanism) for his throne.

According to the royal historical documents Raja Pong Savata often Angkorian period, when Sdach Kan was in throne, he was only 29 year old and had royal name as Sreichetha Thireach Reamea Thipadey.
He ordered General Kao, his uncle to conscript soldiers to occupy and provinces that hadn’t been his control. When the country was fully in secure, he appointed his uncle to be Sdach Chaovay Torlhard (Royal Palace Minister) and entouraging others based on their ranks they deserved. In 1515 AD, King Sreichetha moved the capital to Chanlak Dauntei for 5 months and moved to Sralab village on the frontier of Tboung Khmum Province, Bar Phnom district. The new capital was the strong new fortress that he named as Sralab Pichey Prey Nokor. According to Pong Savata (Royal History) King Sreichetha was interested in hunting, fishing, and watching royal dancing. In his reign, Prak Sneng (pure silver corn) was created with dragon picture for local users, and some historians said the people in that time were wealthy.

- Phnom Cheung Prey Historical Site; was considered and recreated as a cultural and natural tourist site that is located in Koak Rovieng village, Kaok Rovieng commune of Cheung Prey district. It is about 55km in distance from Kampong Cham town along national road #6.

Phnom Cheung Prey is separated into two different parts. One is situated in the east, which was called Phnom Srei (female mountain) or Phnom Thom (large mountain). Another is in the west, which called Phnom Pross (male mountain) or Phnom Preah Bat (name of ancient king). In the same story of Phnom Pross and Phnom Srey in Kampong Siem district, in the ancient time female and male people made a bet of earth-up into the mountain. The only thing is found that it is different is that a dug hole of Phnom Srey in Phnom Cheung Prey has become a large pond that could store water in both wet and dry season, which name as Sras Teuk Preah (Buddhist’s pond).

In contrary phenomena, in Phnom Pross and Phnom Srey in Kampong Siem, a dug hole near Phnom Pross has alos become a large pond but it could not store water even if there is a heavy rain, so it was named as Sras Kampeng Sgnuot (dry stone-wall pond). Sras Teuk Preah has still been good to date and it contains clear water, which is a habitat for fish and aquatic plant, especially lotus plant that blossoms greatly and it could be seen look like a small lake. On the top of Phnom Srey, in the front side it is found that there is a people foot track imprinted rock, which has been called Dane Cheung Tapreng. In the north eastern side of the mountain there is a smooth terrace that is a place if Khun Chhang. In the west cave, there is a cavity that its size is equal to Riel note, which has been called Run Tapreng. On the other hand, there is a laterrite-made wall whose piece is 0.6m length and 0.4m width. Based on ancient word, this wall stone has seven levels, which is an ancient ancestor’s accomplishment and now this wall is broken down and there are remain scattered stones.

- Wat Norkor Temple; located along national road #7 and it is 2km west of Kampong Cham town.
The temples constructed at the end of 12th century and early 13th century by Preah Bat Jayavaraman VII in order to devote Mahayana Buddhism. Based on historical record, the middle tower of Wat Norkor temple was pulled down and repaired to be converted to funeral monument in the reign of Preah Bat Srei Sokun Bot and Preah Bat Angchan I in 16th century with changing the belief of Mahayana to Theravada Buddhism on Hevar sect. The plan of Wat Nokor is a rectangular shape with 21m length from the west to the east and 371m width from the north to the south and this temple has five towers and four-level wall. Wat Norkor temple which is the same meaning to Ta Prum temple in Tonle Bati temple which is a Mahayana Buddhism castle and it has been devoted to Preah Chey Putr Mahaneath. Chey Putr is referred to Preah Bat Jayavarman VII who has been glorified as to being mostly Buddha. The body and face shape of Buddha statue on Muchlin magic snake is similar to the face shape of Preah Bat Jayavaraman VII. The word, Mahaneath, is symbolized to the great rescue. Preah Bat Jayavaraman VII constructed this temple to reconcile regional religion between Buddhism and Brahmanism sect such as the statue of Garuda embracing serpent that symbolized both religious sects (Garuda symbolizes Brahmfanism sect and serpent symbolizes Buddhism sect). Constructed ponds in Wat Nokor temple have symbolized the two female gods, Preah Neang Sarasvati on the right side and Boarkharani Tepthida on the left side. In Sarasvati’s pond, water provides art knowledge and in Boarkharani’s pond, water is used for washing out sorrow.

On the value of Buddhism, those ponds symbolize the five Anavatab in the top of Himalayas Mountain for providing happiness, good success and elimination of all kinds of diseases.

Wat Norkor temple has four entrances. The east entrance is constructed to devote entrance guard named Preah Bat Chakrath and Mahayana Buddhism named Preah Phesacheakuru, who has delayed his nirvana, is the physician of the three worlds. The west entrance is constructed to dedicate guard named Preah Bat Virulbakha and Mahayana Buddha named Amitapheak who is responsible in banishing evil for animal kingdom in the three worlds. The south entrance is constructed to dedicate guard named Preah Bat Virulaka and two Mahayana Buddha name (1) Preah Akhsoarphia who is responsible in leading animal kingdom to be in the middle way of performance and great true (eight fates) and (2) Preah Ratanasangphou who is responsible in providing wishes, blesses and interests. The north entrance is built to devote guard named Preah Kovera and Mahayana Buddha named Amukhsithi who plays his role to protect justice interest. The channel around Cheysanthu is symbolized of the seven oceans (Situntheara Ocean). Tonle Om, has been dug by people, which was a royal accomplishment of Preah Bat Jayavaraman VII who was former Samreh minority.

- Phnom Pross and Phnom Srey; is a historical cultural sites that is located in Trapeang Char village, Krala commune of Kampong Siem district and it is 7km from Kampong Cham town. Historically, Phnom Pross and Phnom Srey are both associated to ancient Khmer custom of daughter asked in marriage function. In an ancient time, a queen has been found to reign in our Khmer territorial and she asked for a man in marriage as he husband whose shape has been very good-looking. From this event so on, the custom of female asking for male in marriage was determined and established if a women would be falling in love with a man. In case of women is not pretty, a man will actually disapprove the female’s proposal.

In the following time, a female group held a meeting to have a talk on how to modify the mentioned custom by proposing a man who was asking for female in marriage.

Then a female group seeks the best way to make a bet with a man group to earth up a mountain under a conditional determination. The condition was that when man group’s mountain is lower than a female group’s mountain, a man group had to ask for female group in marriage.

- Preah Theat Basrey Temple; located in Preah Theat commune of Orang Ov district. In ground yard of the temple is an ancient temple made of Thmar Phuok and built as a square shape at 15m width, 15m length and 33m height. The temple size from the west to the east is 1,250m long and from the south is 300m. Around the temple, there is a laterite stone wall at 8,660m length and 49m width.

In the north of the temple, two layers of the stone wall were constructed and outside the rampart, there are many major god statues to which inhabitants respected and prayed but some statues have been lost and now generous people reconstruct some representatives of those statues.

- Preah Theat Toeuk Chhar or Boars Preah Nunn; located in Thmey village, Kroch commune of Prey Chhor district and it about 42km from Kampong Cham town on national road #7, then extended to the north on a paved road about 14km. In the north part of Toeuk Chhar zone, there is a high land with several hills close to lake shore. Surrounding this zone, there are many large natural channels such as Kampong Sar channel. In the south part, it is a low land that is the slop from the plateau.

- Hoarng Natural Recreation; situated in Sre Veng village, Teuk Chrov commune of Dambae district and it is about 90km away from Kampong Cham town .

Hoarng is a mountainous location where there was a waterfall for hundred years ago. Hoang’s land area covers approximately 1,800 hectares in the coverage of natural forest.

The fantastic natural landscape integrated between natural forest and variety of fruit fields and seasonal crop and a slow cold water run-off as well create an extreme natural environment for visitors in relaxing, bathing and picnic.

Cascade of waterfall has created a 1,425 square-meter-size stone crater below the cascade.

- Phnom Hanchey Temple or Cheykiri; has many art of properties, brick temple, concrete kiln shaped temple, funeral monument shaped castle or Neang Khmao temple. Cave castle, was constructed in early 10th century in the reign of Preah Bat Ehsaranavaraman II, which is 7m length and 4m width made of brick in followed to the design of Sambo Prey Kuk on dedicating to the east faced Siva. It is the symbol of the top of Meru Mountain which is the highest and Kay Las Mountain which is the 109th top of Meru Mountain and the ground terrace around brick temple is the symbol of the capitcal of Siva (Sitvesvarabora).

- Koah Pen Riverside Recreation; known as current emerged natural recreation in 1979 is near Kampong Cham downtown (~1km). That is a small sand island around which wrapped by river water. If a far look from river bank, the head of island likely extends to Tonle Tauch (Small River) that could be concluded as the both side between the east river bank and island bank look like attached. The head of Koah Pen extends to Tonle Bet that results in sand deposit by in wet season water current. As a result, sand deposit will create a beautiful sand shore in dry season extends and it along the head of Koah Pen that would attract the eyes of visitors to look around and come on relaxing and bathing.

- Rubber Plantation; Kampong Cham is a province that has the most rubber plantation in Cambodia in which 6 rubber plantations have been found to be invested such as Chub, Memot, Krek, Peam Cheang, Chamkar Andong and Boeung Ket. All rubber plantations cover 59,861 hectares of the province’s whole land area in which 21,780 hectares are exploited land area and 15,187 hectares are family’s rubber plantation land areas. When visitors get there, they are more interesting in very green fantastic landscape of rubber plantation range with cold breeze and they could take their opportunity to understand rubber cultivation technique, small rubber tree maintenance, gum harvesting, and rubber production for foreign export.