Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

Royal Palace, Phnom Penh (Khmer: ព្រះបរមរាជាវាំងនៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា)

"On the auspicious occasion of the 61st birthday anniversary of His Majesty, Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, may His Majesty be blessed with the four sublime blessings of Lord Buddha: longevity, good health, great happiness, and wisdom."

We spent a few lovely hours touring the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. I was very impressed and a little bit surprised by the grandeur and beauty of the location. It feels like an oasis in downtown Phnom Penh. All of the buildings are immaculately maintained, with gold roofs, intricate decorations, plenty of statues, and of course gorgeous paintings on the inside walls. Additionally, there were relatively few visitors at the palace, making for a calm and peaceful touring experience.

The palace was constructed after King Norodom relocated the royal capital from Oudong to Phnom Penh.  The Kings of Cambodia have occupied the Royal Palace since it was built in the 1860s, with a period of absense during and after the reign of the Khmer Rouge.

Silver Pagoda:

One of the most important buildings in the Royal Palace complex is the Silver Pagoda. Funny story: we had read that the roof of the Silver Pagoda was covered with silver tiles.  So, we walked around the whole complex, and a few minutes before closing time, we still had not been able to find the Silver Pagoda! I was getting worried, because the complex was about to close and I really wanted to see it.  Finally, I walked up to a tour guide from a different group and asked about the Silver Pagoda. He pointed to one of the largest structures in the complex, looking confused, and asked if we had already been there. I was also confused, as of course, we had gone into this building and had admired the many Buddha statutes inside.  It turns out that our intel was slightly off; it is true that during King Norodom Sihanouk's pre-Khmer Rouge reign, the Silver Pagoda was inlaid with more than 5,000 silver tiles.  However, most of the silver tiles went mysteriously missing during the Khmer Rouge, so the roof today is similar to the roofs of the other structures in the complex, gold-colored tiles outlined by green and red tiles.  A little disappointing, but I was relieved that we had not missed it.