The legend
The story goes that in 1372 a wealthy widow named Daun Penh found four bronze Buddha statues and one of stone inside a koki tree washed up on the riverbank. She had a hill raised to house them and a shrine built on top. The hill became Phnom Penh — the hill of Penh — and the city took its name from it.
The hill is only twenty-seven metres high, which makes it the highest natural point in the city and says a good deal about how flat Phnom Penh is.
What you see today
The main vihara has been rebuilt several times, most recently at the start of the twentieth century. Inside, the walls carry murals of the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana.
Behind the sanctuary stands a large stupa holding the remains of King Ponhea Yat, who moved the Khmer capital here from Angkor in the fifteenth century. A shrine to Daun Penh herself sits on the northern side, and a separate shrine to the spirit Preah Chau draws a steady stream of people asking for luck — particularly before exams and business deals.
The clock face set into the slope below and the surrounding park make this one of the few genuinely green spots in the centre of the city.
Visiting
Wat Phnom sits at the northern end of the old French quarter, an easy walk or short tuk-tuk ride from the riverfront. There is a small entrance fee for foreign visitors. Dress modestly — shoulders and knees covered — as you would at any active pagoda.
Early morning and late afternoon are best, both for light and for temperature. Be firm but polite with the caged-bird sellers at the base; releasing the birds funds their recapture.