Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda

ព្រះបរមរាជវាំង

The royal residence of the Cambodian royal family, built from 1866 onward. Its golden-spired Throne Hall and the Silver Pagoda, whose floor is paved with 5,000 silver tiles and which houses a diamond-studded Buddha, make it Phnom Penh's most magnificent architectural complex.

The Royal Palace was built by King Norodom in 1866, when he moved the capital to Phnom Penh, and it remains the king's residence today. The complex sits on the south side of the riverfront district, facing the Tonle Sap River, and its golden, multi-tiered Khmer-style roofs and spires stand out sharply along the riverbank. The parts open to visitors include: the Throne Hall (rebuilt in 1919, with a 59-meter spire topped by four faces; inside is the throne where kings are crowned and receive foreign guests, and visitors may only look in from the doorway); Chan Chaya Pavilion (a dance and military review pavilion facing the street); the Napoleon III Pavilion (an iron building given to the royal family by Napoleon III, currently under renovation); and, in a separate courtyard on the south side, the Silver Pagoda (Wat Preah Keo Morakot). It takes its name from the 5,329 silver tiles, each weighing 1 kg, that pave its floor. Inside stand a 17th-century jade Buddha (in fact crystal) and a life-size Buddha cast in 1907 from 90 kg of gold and inlaid with 2,086 diamonds. The surrounding galleries are painted with 600 meters of Khmer-version Ramayana murals. The courtyard also holds stupas containing the relics of past kings and a model of Angkor Wat.

Admission is US$10, which includes a Chinese and English guidebook. It is open 8:00 to 11:00 and 14:00 to 17:00, and guides cost about US$10 to 15. Getting there: the palace is in the riverfront district, a 10-minute walk from the night market, and the National Museum is 5 minutes to the north.

Tips: Go in at 8 a.m., see the Throne Hall first and then the Silver Pagoda, and allow 1.5 to 2 hours. When you leave, walk along the riverbank to the National Museum.

Note: The dress code is strict. Wear skirts or trousers that cover the knees and tops with sleeves. Clothing is not rented at the gate, and anyone who doesn't comply will not be admitted. Photography is banned inside the Silver Pagoda, and you must take off your shoes there. The royal residence and some halls are not open to the public. If someone at the gate says the palace is 'closed today' to start a conversation, it's a scam.

Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda

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