Phnom Penh Legend
Encyclopedia
This is the legendary story of the founding of Phnom Penh
.
Lady Penh was a wealthy lady who lived on the outskirts of a village located in present day Phnom Penh. During the flood of the Mekong river, a hollow tree floated up to her lawn, and in the tree were four bronze statues of the Buddha
. She saw this as a sign that the Buddha wanted a new home, so she built a temple for the Buddha. This temple is now believed to be the one in the capital city of Phnom Penh.
The Temple that Lady Penh created grew famous, and was visited by throngs of pilgrims. When the enemies of Siam, (present day Thailand) invaded Angkor
a hundred years later, the capital city of Cambodia
was moved to Phnom Penh. In Khmer language
, "Phnom" means "Hill", so the city Phnom Penh means "the hill of the lady Penh". The temple believed to be built by Lady Penh is centeries old now, and is called Wat Phnom
, or "Hill Temple".
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
.
Lady Penh was a wealthy lady who lived on the outskirts of a village located in present day Phnom Penh. During the flood of the Mekong river, a hollow tree floated up to her lawn, and in the tree were four bronze statues of the Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
. She saw this as a sign that the Buddha wanted a new home, so she built a temple for the Buddha. This temple is now believed to be the one in the capital city of Phnom Penh.
The Temple that Lady Penh created grew famous, and was visited by throngs of pilgrims. When the enemies of Siam, (present day Thailand) invaded Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...
a hundred years later, the capital city of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
was moved to Phnom Penh. In Khmer language
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
, "Phnom" means "Hill", so the city Phnom Penh means "the hill of the lady Penh". The temple believed to be built by Lady Penh is centeries old now, and is called Wat Phnom
Wat Phnom
Wat Phnom is a Buddhist temple located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was built in 1373, and stands 27 metres above the ground. It is the tallest religious structure in the city.-History:...
, or "Hill Temple".