Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

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The Chan Chhaya Pavilion as seen from Sothearos Blvd

The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh, Cambodia is a complex of buildings which are the royal abode of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Its full name in the Khmer language is Preah Barom Reachea Vaeng Chaktomuk. The Kings of Cambodia have occupied it since it was built in 1866, with a period of absence when the country came into turmoil during and after the reign of the Khmer Rouge.

The palace was started after King Norodom relocated the royal capital from Oudong to Phnom Penh after the mid-1800s. It was gradually built atop an old citadel called Banteay Kev. It faces towards the East and is situated at the Western bank of four divisions at the Mekong River called Chaktomuk (an allusion to Brahma).

1 Buildings of the Royal Palace
2 The Royal Palace Today
3 Image Gallery
4 References

The complex is divided by walls into three main compounds, on the north side is the Silver Pagoda and to the south-west is the Khemarin Palace and a central compound containing the Throne Hall. The buildings of the palace were built gradually overtime, and some were dismantled and rebuilt as late as the 1960s.

The Khmer name for the Throne Hall is Preah Thineang Vinnichay meaning the "Sacred Seat of Judgement." The Throne Hall is where the king's confidants, generals and royal officials once carried out their duties. It is still in use today as a place for religious and royal ceremonies (such as coronations and royal weddings) as well as a meeting place for guests of the King. The cross-shaped building is crowned with three spires. The central, 59 meter spire is topped with the white, four-faced head of Brahma. Inside the Throne Hall contains a royal throne and busts of Cambodians kings of the past. On the left wing of the building there is a small palanquin-style throne with a life-size bronze statue of King Sisowath in royal regalia.

The Silver Pagoda is a compound located on the North side of the palace complex. It features a a royal temple officially called Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot but is commonly referred to as Wat Preah Keo. Its main building houses many national treasures such as gold and jeweled Buddha statues. Most notable is a small 17th century baccarat crystal Buddha (the "Emerald Buddha" of Cambodia) and a near-life-size, Maitreya Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds dressed in royal regalia commissioned by King Sisowath. During King Sihanouk's pre-Khmer Rouge reign, the Silver Pagoda was inlaid with more than 5,000 silver tiles and some of its outer facade was remodeled with Italian marble.

A side view of the main building in the Silver Pagoda complex

The Khemarin Palace is the common English name for a building called Prasat Khemarin in Khmer meaning the "Palace of the Khmer King." It is used a residence by the King of Cambodia. This compound is separated from other buildings by a small wall and is located to the right of the Throne Hall. The main building is topped with a single spired prang.

The Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya ("Moonlight Pavilion"), is an open-air pavilion that serves as stage for Khmer classical dance in the past and present. It is one of the most notable buildings of the palace as it easily seen from the outside as it was built along side a section of the palace walls. The Chan Chhaya Pavilion has a balcony that was used as a platform for viewing parades marching along Sothearos Boulevard of Phnom Penh.

Of lesser significance include a French-style building that was a gift from Napoleon III, a Royal Dining Hall, and a pavilion-like theatre.

The Royal Palace has had some modifications to its buildings; some have also been demolished completely. The Throne Hall there today is actually not the original one King Norodom would have used when the palace was first built. The Silver Pagoda has undergone a tremendous face-lift with its tiles replaced and buildings given new paint. It has become a popular tourist attraction in Phnom Penh. Visitors are able to wander around the Silver Pagoda compound and the central compound containing the Throne Hall, however, they may not enter the Khemarin Palace compound. The Khemarin Palace compound is where Norodom Sihamoni, the present King of Cambodia currently resides.

The Napoleon III pavilion is to the left of the image.	Throne Hall	Throne Hall	The Chan Chhaya Pavilion
The Silver Pagoda as seen from the central compound.	A close of the a stupa in the Silver Pagoda compound