Royal Palace

 Royal Palace at Phnom Penh was At the time that King Norodom (1860-1904) signed the Treaty of Protection with France in 1863, the capital of Cambodia resided at Oudong, about 45 kilometers northeast of Phnom Penh. Earlier in 1863 a temporary wooden Palace was constructed a bit north of the current Palace site in Phnom Penh. The first Royal Palace to be built at the present location was designed by architect Neak Okhna Tepnimith Mak and constructed by the French Protectorate in 1866. That same year, King Norodom moved the Royal court from Oudong to the new Royal Palace in Phnom Penh and the city became the official capital of Cambodia the following year. Over the next decade several buildings and houses were added, many of which have since been demolished and replaced, including an early Chanchhaya Pavilion and Throne Hall (1870). The Royal court was installed permanently at the new Royal Palace in 1871 and the walls surrounding the grounds were raised in 1873. Many of the buildings of the Royal Palace, particularly of this period, were constructed using traditional Khmer architectural and artistic style but also incorporating significant European features and design as well. One of the most unique surviving structures from this period is the Napoleon Pavilion which was a gift from France in 1876.

King Sisowath (1904-1927) made several major contributions to the current Royal Palace, adding the Phochani Hall in 1907 (inaugurated in 1912), and from 1913-1919 demolishing several old buildings, and replacing and expanding the old Chanchhaya Pavilion and the Throne Hall with the current structures. These buildings employ traditional Khmer artistic style and Angkorian inspired design, particularly in the Throne Hall, though some European elements remain. The next major construction came in the 1930s under King Monivong with the addition of the Royal Chapel, Vihear Suor (1930), and the demolition and replacement of the old Royal residence with the Khemarin Palace (1931), which serves as the Royal residence to this day. The only other significant additions since have been the 1956 addition of the Villa Kantha Bopha to accommodate foreign guests and the 1953 construction of the Damnak Chan originally installed to house the High Council of the Throne.

From the time of the coup in 1970 when Cambodia became a republic, through the Khmer Rouge regime (Democratic Kampuchea 1975-1979) and the communist regime of the 80s, until 1993 when the Monarchy was restored, the Royal Palace alternately served as a museum and was closed. During the Khmer Rouge regime, former King Sihanouk and his family resided and were ultimately held as prisoners in the Palace. In the mid-90s, many of the Palace buildings were restored and refurbished, some with international assistance.built in 1866 is a comparatively recent event in the history of the Khmer and Cambodia. The seat of Khmer power in the region rested at or near Angkor north of the Great Tonle Sap Lake from 802 AD until the early 15th century. After the Khmer court moved from Angkor in the 15th century, it first settled in Phnom Penh in 1434 (or 1446) and stayed for some decades, but by 1494 had moved on to Basan, and later Lovek and then Oudong. The capital did not return to Phnom Penh until the 19th century and there is no record or remnants of any Royal Palace in Phnom Penh prior to the 19th century. In 1813, King Ang Chan (1796-1834) constructed Banteay Kev (the 'Cristal Citadel') on the site of the current Royal Palace and stayed there very briefly before moving to Oudong. Banteay Kev was burned in 1834 when the retreating Siamese army razed Phnom Penh. It was not until after the implementation of the French Protectorate in Cambodia in 1863 that the capital was moved from Oudong to Phnom Penh, and the current Royal Palace was founded and constructed.

Night Market

Night Market in Phnom Penh, located on the riverfront, is definitely targeted at visitors. It has a wide selection of all the usual tourist items including handicrafts, silks, art, T-shirts, curios, knickknacks, and souvenirs. While it is an open market like a local market, it has a bit more of a relaxed and festive atmosphere than a typical local market. The night market is a different addition to Phnom Penh’s shopping scene.

Opening Hours: Only Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 17:00 to midnight

Central Market

Central Market is truly an engineering marvel that largely reflects traditional Southeast Asian architecture featuring an enormous yellow-painted central dome with four wings extending to huge hallways, each of which teems with an array of shopping stalls. In fact, the major plus point of this lively market is its well shielded, properly ventilated structure that enables both sellers and buyers to engage in the trade while not being affected by monsoon rain or blazing heat.
Speaking of the items sold here, they are almost endless with a wide assortment of goods, from men and women’s clothing, jewelry, gemstones, flowers and shoes to souvenirs and food items such as seafood, spices and vegetables. Just name a product, and it’ll be readily available here. On the eastern side of the building is the main entrance where you’ll come across shops that have items such as ornaments, T-shirts and souvenirs on sale. Likewise, head over to the market’s central area that holds numerous jewel stores, gold as well as silver jewelry collections.

Russian Market ( Toul Tom Pong Market )

The name of this market came from the 1980s after the Vietnamese occupation when it was a market for foreigners, and most foreigners were Russian. The Russian Market has a large selection of souvenirs, curios, antiques, carvings, Buddha statues, handicrafts, silks, fabrics, DVDs, inexpensive electronic goods, and many other things of interest to visitors. It is also the place to buy clothes at big discount prices. Jewellery and gemstones are big here, but as always, you need to be careful, and be aware of scams and fakes.

National Museum

National Museum Located just north of the Royal Palace, the National Museum has recently been restored and represents the finest of Phnom Penh's architecture. On display inside are more than 5,000 works of art, ranging from the 7th to the 13th century. Treasures include sculptures, 19th century dance costumes, royal barges and palanquins. Visitors can rest by the peaceful, palm-shaded central courtyard and lotus ponds and contemplate one of Asia's riches cultures.