Nokor Bachey temple is a cultural and historical site. It is located 2.2
kilometers from Kampong Cham provincial town along National Road 7,
about 122 kilometers northeast of Phnom Penh. Visitors traveling from
Phnom Penh will see the gate to the pagoda on the right. The temple was
built in the middle of the 11th century, during the reign of Suryavarman
II and King Ouphey dedecating to Brahmanism. The temple is about 200
meters inside the gate. The site is accessibleto almost all types of
vehicles.The famous place of Nokor Bachey Temple, Kampong Cham is a
wonderful place to visit in the country of Cambodia.
The province
of Kampong Cham is brimming with wonderful scenic spots along with
several historical monuments. Nokor Bachey Temple, Kampong Cham is one
such treasure of the province. The historical spots of this province are
ancient and have their own history to narrate. The Nokor Bachey Temple,
Kampong Cham can be easily accessed from the provincial town of Kampong
Cham. You will have to take the national Road No 7 that links Phnom
Penh and Kampong Cham. Any type of vechiles can access the Nokor Bachey
Temple in Kampong Cham as it is situated along the national highway. The
Nokor Bachey Temple, Kampong Cham can be divided into four distinct
buildings that have been named as long buildings.
The first long
building of Nokor Bachey Temple of Kampong Cham is 421 meters and 371
meters in dimension made of laterite stones. The height is of 9 meters
and length is of 2.4 meters. Most part of this building is destroyed
over time. Inside this building you will find structures like Six Lions,
Eight dragons and two devils. The Second long building is also a
beautiful architectural structure that includes two statues of Te Cho
Dam Din, two devils each of1.6-metre in height and two ponds, each
having the size of 20 meter. The most significant one is the third long
building, where you will find eight-hand statue of Preah Norey located
near the entrance. A four-hand statue of Preah Norey is located on the
left hand side of the Nokor Bachey Temple, Kampong Cham. Finally comes
the fourth long building, which is also made of laterite stone and can
be accessed from 12 directions. In the middle of the building you will
find a high peak made of sandstone with Buddhist statue. Nokor Bachey
Temple is one of the major Tourist Attractions in Kampong Cham.
Koh Pen is 2km (2mn) From Provincial Town. Operations of Recreation Park and Beaches, Location: Kampong Cham & Kampong Siem District.
Located at Kro La Commune, Kampong Siem
District in Seven- kilometers distance from the provincial town of
Kampong Cham or 114-kilometers distance from Phnom Penh with exceeding
500 Metres to the left. The pagoda of Phnom Pros has official name
called What Sovan Kiri Rotanak Phnom Pros; in 1000 Meters to the North,
there is another mountain, which has pointed peak called Phnom Srey.
North
of the Phnom Srey, there are ranks of mountains such as mountains of
Dang Rek, Ba Ley and Chhuk. The mountain of Pros has dull peak and has
approximate 30-metre height. It can be reached by road until the top. At
the top, there are a high-five peak temple adapted the model of Bontey
Srey temple and two pagodas closed to each other: one is the old pagodas
having two peaks built in Sang Kum Reas Niyum time and the other one is
being built. Under the temple, there is a big statue with 15-metre
height built by the first dead of pagoda, named Keo So. At the mountain
base, there are Kot for monks staying.
In addition, at the top of
Pros Mountain we can view the beautiful scene of Kampong Cham province.
From 1975-1979, the mountain of Pros was a big detention place for
torturing Cambodian people in Kampong Cham province. The mountain of
Srey has pointed peak and can be climbed up by 308 Stair steps. At the
top, there is a ruined temple, with a few nuns and no monks who stay to
maintain and collect contribution to rebuild the temple. In this resort,
there are many local people who go there during the Khmer traditional
festivals such as Khmer New Year and Pchum Ben.
The province of
Kampong Cham is located on the banks of the Mekong River that lies about
50 kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Phnom Srey and Phnom Pros, Kampong
Cham is a wonderful place to visit in the Kampong Cham province. The
region of Kampong Cham has a history dating back many centuries and the
rich heritage and culture is evident from the remains of the ancient
archeological treasure. The Phnom Srey and Phnom Pros, Kampong Cham is
one such incredible treasure of the region which is worth visiting.
The
Phnom Srey and Phnom Pros, Kampong Cham is located at Kro La Commune,
which is at a distance of seven kilometers from the provincial town of
Kampong Cham.
The Phnom Srey and Phnom Pros in Kampong Cham is the name
of a mountain peak that belongs to a mountain range exceeding 500 meters
to the left. The northern part of Phnom Srey and Phnom Pros of Kampong
Cham is surrounded by spectacular mountains of Dang Rek, Ba Ley and
Chhuk. You will also find a high-five peak temple on the Phnom
Srey and Phnom Pros, Kampong Cham. The temple is built in the form of
Bontey Srey temple. You will also find two pagodas that are located
close to each other. One of the pagodas includes two peaks built in Sang
Kum Reas Niyum time and the other one has been recently built. Below
the temple, you will find a big statue, which is 15-metre in height and
is named as Keo So.
At the base of the Phnom Han Chey of Kampong
Cham, there are Kot for monks. Here you will find monks staying in the
Kots. As you climb up to the Phnom Srey and Phnom Pros, you will get to
see the beautiful scenery of the entire Kampong Cham province. This
Khmer race of the province has left a wonderful heritage for the world
to wonder at, and the religious memorials built by them stand as an
everlasting evidence to the inventiveness of the human intelligence. The
numerous Tourist Attractions in Kampong Cham carry the evidence of the
superiority of this race.
Phnom Srei translates into Man Hill
and Women Hill respectively. The common legend told about these hills is
that two teams (one of men and one of women) were competing to build
the tallest mountain before sunrise. This competition occurred because
the Khmer custom was that a man needed to go to the woman?s parents to
ask permission for wedding, and the men were challenging this. As the
story goes, the women lit a fire at night, which made the men believe
that the sun was rising. They stopped working, and the women won the
competition. Thus men still need to ask the women's parents for
permission, and Phnom Srei is higher than Phnom Pros.
There are
modern hilltop temples on each of the hills that you can explore. Phnom
Srei also offers good countryside views, while Phnom Pros is considered
to be a good relaxation spot. Between the two hills is the location of
the Kompong Cham killing frelds.In ancient times, there was a queen
named Srei Ayuthiya. Since no man could propose to such a beautiful,
noble woman, she decided to choose the man of her own preference for her
husband. After that, it became the custom in the country that a woman
proposed to a man.
Some women, especially those who were not so
appealing, were very unhappy with this arrangement and wanted to change
the custom. One day, the women thought up a trick to make the men come
to propose to them again. All the women gathered for a meeting. At that
time, the women employed their trick. They dared the men for a
contest.If the men won this competition, all would remain the same and
women would have to continue asking the hand of the men, while if the
women won, the men would have to ask the hand of the women. Work on the
mountain must continue until the morning star rose, and then they could
stop.
The men believed it would be easy to win this contest,
because they were much stronger and could carry more earth, so they
accepted the contest. Both started working hard, digging the earth to
build the mountain, and the men were clearly winning the competition.In
the middle of the night, while the men took a rest, the women hung a
lantern way up in a tall tree. The men, seeing the light of the lantern,
thought that it was the morning star and went to sleep, convinced they
had won. But the women continued constructing their mountain. When the
daylight arrived, their mountain was higher that the one from the men.
They woke up the men and showed them the morning star.
Teuk Chhar Water
fills the canal year round, and the water is very clear and
free-flowing, making it popular with tourists who enjoy bathing in it.
At one time, there were many trees and plants along both sides of the
canal.
Today, the ancient pond designed by
Leaksintra is a vast source of water that is contained by a dam built
several years ago. The water that fills the canal flows south from
Kampong Cham province, pass the temple and into the big slit, which for
many years has been full of water that irrigates the rice fields of
nearby villages such as Kroch village in Prey Chhar district.
Because
the canal is old, the Ministry of Agriculture has built a dam to store
water to supply thousands of hectares of rice fields in Prey Chhar
district, Kampong Cham province and Baray district in Kampong Thom
province. The surface of Teuk Chha is 3 square kilometers. The water
that
fills it comes from about ten sources in the mountainous northeast and
the plateau region, which is called Kbal Teuk. This basin has an average
depth of 2 meters. The water flows through three channels. Any two of
the channels can be closed at one time, allowing the water to flow into
the
third channel and into the dam. The first channel is opened every
day, and the rapidly flowing water sounds much like a waterfall,
attracting many tourists. The second channel is opened only occasionally
during festival days; therefore the water flow is not very strong.
Water from the north channel flows only during the rainy season, because
during the dry season, the water level is lower than the dam.
Because
the canal of Teuk Chhar is angled like a carpenter's tool, people can
swim there. Since the water is clear, visitors can watch schools of
small fish swimming in opposite direction of the water flow. In
addition, the trees that line the canal bank hold many birds and provide
shade and shelter
to visitors. The cool climate along with the water
and big trees that surround the ancient temple make this site popular
with tourists and locals, who enjoy spending their holidays there. Thus,
this place is very well known.
