APAD 350: Wat Phnom

I took this photo of Wat Phnom while inside a moving vehicle. We were on our way home from the Post Office driving along the street between Electricite du Cambodge and Cambodia Developmment Council.

The stupa, along with a small wat hidden amidst the vegetation, sit on top of the hill. The stupa’s spire looks like it is reaching out to the gods in heaven.

Wat Phnom, or the hill temple, is one of the most beautiful and popular landmarks in Phnom Penh.

According to the local folklore, in 1372 a woman named Penh, retrieved a koki tree from the river. Within the tree were four statues of the Buddha. To commemorate her find, she built the hill and the wat which still exists today, having been renovated many times over the years. Phnom is Khmer for ‘hill’, hence the city is named Phnom Penh, after the hill which she built. The temple has further significance also as inside the stupa are the ashes of King Ponhea who moved the capital from Angkor to present day Phnom Penh. – Source

The stupa rising amidst the canopy of trees caught my eye and immediately snapped this photo. To add more element of interest to the picture, I edited it a monochromatic look and this is what I came up with.