"OUDONG HILL" Phnom Penh Travelogue by ancient_traveler

About 40 kilometers north of Phnom Penh, off Route 5 are the hills of the abandoned royal city Oudong.

Oudong was the capital of Cambodia from the early 17th century until 1866 when the capital was moved to Phnom Penh. Many past Kings were crowned here including King Norodom Sihanouk

Several temples, stupas and other structures cover three hills. The walk up the hill provides fantastic views of the surrounding countryside, but its not an easy walk, there are just over 500 hundred steps to the top. Its hot, hard work getting there but well worth it as the views are amazing.

There are stupas containing the remains of several Cambodian kings including King Monivong (1927-1941) and King Ang Duong (1845-1859).
The earliest structure is from the 13th century.

These hills were also the site of some of the Khmer Rouge’s most prolonged resistance against the encroaching Vietnamese army in 1979. Several new temples and shrines have recently been installed on the hill. For something completely different, take a side trip to ‘Prasat Nokor Vimean Sour’, a concrete, unduly ornate, semi-replica of Angkor Wat built circa 1998.