Archive for KAMPONG THOM

KAMPONG THOM PROVINCE

Kampong Thom is a province in Cambodia, Its capital is Kampong Thom, a picturesque town on the banks of the Stung Saen river. Kampong Thom is one of the provinces that borders the Tonle Sap Lake and is in Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve.

Kampong Pos Thom was the original name of the present province called Kampong Thom. Originally long time ago, at the dock of the Sen River next to a lake, there was a big cave with a pair of big snakes inside. The people living around this area usually saw these big snakes every Buddhist Holiday. Time after that, the snakes disappeared, and the people of that area called it Kampong Pos Thom. Then, only short words, Kampong Thom came later. During the French colony in Cambodia, the French ruled and divided Cambodian territory into provinces, and named them according to the spoken words of the people.

Kampong Thom was a powerful capital in south-east Asia during the Funan period. Kampong Thom has Prasat Sambour Prey Kok temple that was famous during the Chenla Era.

Kampong Thom is Cambodia's second largest province by area, it touches Preah Vihear to the north, Siem Reap to the northwest, Pursat to the west, Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang to the south and Steung Trang to the north east. Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk and Prasat Andet are two of the main Angkorian temples in the province. There are a number of other significant Angkorian sites in the area.

The province is subdivided into 8 districts.

- 0601 Baray

- 0602 Kampong Svay

- 0603 Stueng Saen

- 0604 Prasat Balangk

- 0605 Prasat Sambour

- 0606 Sandaan

- 0607 Santuk

- 0608 Stoung

Phnom Santuk

Since the ancient time to the present, Phnom Santuk Mountain has been called in many names as below:

- Phnom Thom (in history)
- Phnom Arth Santuk (In history)
- Phnom Chorm Chong Kiri
- Phnom Krop Tuk
- Phnom Preah Bat Chann Tuk

The ancient heritages on the top of the mountain:
- Many Buddha statues were carved from great mountain rock including three big Buddha statues reaching Nirvana, each has more than 10-meter length.
- Prasat Touch of pyramid shape, made of sandstone, has three stories and three-meter height, and is located next to the ancient wooden temple (presently, it is made of cement) with a rectangular pond (10m x 4m).
- Preah Bat Chann Tuk statue was carved on the stone shaped as food of a sacred human, and there are many other small sculptures.

By the stories, the construction and the statues were erected during the reign of Preah Ponhea Dharma Reacha (1474-1494) and have been maintained until now.

Phnom Santuk has changed names to Chorn Chong Kiri and Phnom Krop Tuk. Chan Dare or Chan Chare are called two pieces of stone by local people that join all together in marked symbol and made in small hole, the passenger arrived there, they always dropped cash coins (ancient coins) into this small hole. When cash coins was dropped in, it make soft weak voice like a voice of the birds sing or music with happiness. So they did that since ancient period.

Preah Bat Chan Tuk or Buddha statue:

- Was built by King Ang Chan I (16th century).
- King Baksei Chamkrong built a wooden temple on Phnom San Tuk at the same year.
- Sculptures carved on large ancient stone with many scenes of story.
- Buddha statue reaching Nirvanawas carved on larges-stone since 16th century.