Serenely located on a grassy hilltop, Wat Phnom is the main temple and legendary founding place of Phnom Penh. According to folklore, in the 14th century, a woman by the name of Penh uncovered sacred Buddhist relics in the nearby river and purposefully placed the statues on the hill. This created a temple or pagoda to house the precious relics. The building of a “Phnom” meaning “hill” and a “wat” meaning small temple, allegorically resulted in what is known as Wat Phnom today. Over time, the surrounding area was acknowledged after the hill “Phnom” and its lady creator “Penh.”
Presently, Wat Phnom is a site of activities with a faithful stream of visitors to the shrines and fortune tellers located on top of the hill. At the foot lies an assemblage of street vendors and visitors where activities such as elephant rides are available. Also significant is Wat Phnom’s containment of the remains of King Ponhea Yat (1405 - 1467) who moved the Khmer capital from Angkor to Phnom Penh in the early 15th century. Additionally, the altar of Lady Penh is believed to be a special blessing to women.
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