Royal Palace Phnom Penh

The Royal Palace is a must see Phnom Penh sight - but its presentation, its brochure, and the absence of any substantial context, make it a difficult sight to connect with beyond the superficial. There is a sense that there are thousands of stories of the past 130 years lingering behind the palace walls that could make it one of the most compelling sights in Cambodia and Asia - but for now, those stories remain trapped behind the walls. Travellers have to satisfy themselves admiring the structures their contents and what they reveal of a rich cultural tradition, without much by way of context. This is in part explained by the fact that this is a living palace - not just an historic sight. It's the home of Cambodia's reigning monarch King Sihamoni.

The king graciously opens a considerable part of his palace to the public much of the time.

The Silver Pagoda is the most admired structure in the palace complex. Named after the more than 5000 tiles that decorate its floor, it has served as a place of meditation, religious counsel and Buddhist ritual for Cambodia's kings. King Sihanouk spent a year living at the pagoda as part of his coronation ritual in 1947. The Silver Pagoda is home to many Buddhist treasures, the most important of which is the Emerald Buddha (the pagoda is also known as the Emerald Buddha Pagoda) donated by France in the nineteenth century.

The walls to the pagoda grounds are lined with beautiful frescos from the early twentieth century depicting the Khmer interpretation of the Hindu Ramayana epic.

Photography is permitted in the palace grounds only.