Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda

Construction began in 1866 under King Norodom, the year after he moved the capital from Oudong to Phnom Penh. It is still the King's official residence, so the royal living quarters, including the Khemarin Palace, are closed to visitors. The Silver Pagoda (Wat Preah Keo Morakot) has a floor of 5,329 silver tiles and holds the Emerald Buddha. A strict dress code is enforced: shoulders and knees must be covered. The palace opens in a morning session and an afternoon session, with a break at midday.

The Royal Palace of Cambodia stands on Samdech Sothearos Boulevard in central Phnom Penh, close to the riverfront where the Tonle Sap meets the Mekong. Construction began in 1866 under King Norodom, and the palace is still the official residence of the Cambodian monarch. The areas used for royal living, including the Khemarin Palace where the King lives, are closed. Large parts of the grounds and the formal gardens are open to the public.

The Throne Hall is the most prominent building open to visitors. Its golden central spire is 59 metres tall, and of its five front doors the central one is reserved for royalty. The current hall was completed in 1917 and inaugurated in 1919. Nearby are the open-air Moonlight Pavilion, built in 1913-14 as a stage for classical dance, and the Napoleon Pavilion, made almost entirely of cast iron. France gave the Napoleon Pavilion to the palace in 1876.

A walled compound on the south side of the palace contains Wat Preah Keo Morakot, better known as the Silver Pagoda. According to Tourism Cambodia, its floor is covered with 5,329 silver tiles. The temple holds the small green Emerald Buddha and a gold Buddha weighing about 90 kg and set with 2,086 diamonds. The gallery around the courtyard is painted with murals of the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana. The murals run for 642 metres.

When to go: The palace closes at midday, so plan your visit around the morning or afternoon session. Most of the grounds are open-air, and arriving at opening time usually means cooler temperatures and fewer people. The palace closes on many public and religious holidays, and sometimes without much notice for state functions, so check before you go.

Getting there: The palace is on Samdech Sothearos Boulevard in central Phnom Penh, a short walk from the Tonle Sap riverfront and the National Museum. Tuk-tuks and ride-hailing services can reach it easily from most central hotels. Licensed guides are available at the palace if you want one.

King Norodom moved the royal capital from Oudong to Phnom Penh in 1865, and palace construction began in 1866 under the French protectorate. The palace walls were added in 1873, and France presented the Napoleon Pavilion in 1876. Later kings changed the compound. King Sisowath, who reigned from 1904 to 1927, added Phochani Hall and expanded the Throne Hall. King Monivong added the Royal Chapel and the Khemarin Palace in the 1930s.

The Silver Pagoda was formerly called Wat Uborsoth Rotannaram. It was first built of wood and brick between 1892 and 1902 under King Norodom. About 40 Cambodian artists painted the Reamker murals in the gallery in the early 1900s. In 1962, under Norodom Sihanouk, the temple was taken down and rebuilt in reinforced concrete. King Sisowath commissioned the gold Buddha inside in 1904.

In the 1950s King Sihanouk added Villa Kantha Bopha to house guests and Damnak Chan to house the High Council of the Throne. A guide republished by Cambodia's Economic Diplomacy unit says the Silver Pagoda survived the Khmer Rouge era, but about half of its contents were later looted or destroyed. King Norodom Sihamoni came to the throne in October 2004, and the palace remains his official home.

1. Tourism Cambodia · Silver Pagoda, Attraction in Phnom Penh ↗
2. Tourism Cambodia · Royal Palace, Attraction in Phnom Penh ↗
3. Economic Diplomacy Cambodia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) · A Guide to Phnom Penh's Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda ↗
4. Wikipedia · Royal Palace, Phnom Penh ↗