Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
PREAH VESSANDAA
A popular theme at Cambodian pagodas is the tale of Preah Vessandaa - one of the previous
incarnations of the Buddha - which is often told in tableaux, the figures usually life-sized and
garishly coloured. According to the story, an old man, Chuchuk, was given a young woman,
Amita, to be his wife in repayment of a debt. The couple were unable to have children, and Amita
was snubbed by the other women. Knowing of King Vessandaa's generosity, Amita persuaded
her husband to ask Vessandaa for two of his children. When depicted in temples, the story,
usually told in a series of ten or so scenes, tells of Chuchuk's adventures on the way to the palace.
One scene at Phnom Prasith shows Chuchuk dangling in a tree where he has been chased by
the hunter Chetabut and his dogs; to escape, the old man lies that he is one of the king's
messengers. As Chuchuk approaches the palace, the king's children run off, only to be discovered
hiding under lily pads by the king, who grants them to the old man. After getting lost on his way
home, Chuchuk ends up in the kingdom of the children's grandfather, who pays a ransom to buy
them back. As told in Cambodia, the story ends when Chuchuk spends the money on a feast at
which he gorges himself to death - a graphic injunction against the vice of gluttony.
Steps lead up to the summit and vihara, where a series of tableaux illustrate scenes
from the story of Preah Vessandaa (see box above). Bizarrely, Cambodia's gun
culture pervades even here; in a painting of Angkor Wat, a man - presumably the
benefactor - proudly displays his pistol holster.
Kompong Luong
Heading north out of the capital, NR5 follows the Tonle Sap River most of the way to
Oudong, passing Cham villages and new mosques (most mosques having been
destroyed - and Cham religious leaders murdered - by the Khmer Rouge). This area is
important for the production of prohok (fermented fish paste), and in January and
February the air is pungent with the odour of drying fish. Just beyond the new bridge
at Prek K'dam, around 33km from Phnom Penh, is the village of KOMPONG LUONG .
Once the royal port for Oudong, the village has for centuries been famous for its
silverwork , and several generations of silversmiths still work together here to craft cups,
bowls and all manner of small boxes in animal and fruit designs, shaping and
decorating them by hand. Visitors are welcome to watch and buy, though there's not
much difference in price from the markets of Phnom Penh.
Oudong and around
Oudong , 37km northwest of Phnom Penh, was the capital of Cambodia for 248 years,
playing host to the crowning of several monarchs, including Norodom, great-great-
grandfather of the current king. However, in 1866, King Norodom was persuaded
by the French to relocate the capital from here to the more strategically positioned
Phnom Penh; the court, totalling more than ten thousand people, moved en masse
and Oudong was abandoned. The old wooden city has long since rotted away, but the
site , with shrines and chedi scattered across two hills , remains important to pilgrims
and has been designated a tourist spot. Food stalls are in abundance as are the
ubiquitous hammock-strung stilted huts beloved of the Cambodians who pile in here
on weekends and national holidays.
Phnom Preah Reach Troap
Visible from afar, the chedi on top of Phnom Preah Reach Troap , the larger of the two
hills at Oudong, are something of a landmark. Approaching from NR5, you'll arrive
at the foot of this hill - otherwise known as the Hill of Royal Fortune, as the royal
treasure was hidden here during the war with the Siamese in the sixteenth century.
 
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