Wat Phnom Daun Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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Wat Phnom Daun Penh, located on a 27-meter artificial hill in central Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is the city's oldest and most sacred Buddhist temple, founded in 1373 by a wealthy widow named Daun Penh who discovered four Buddha statues and a Vishnu figure in a floating Koki tree during a flood.

Legend ties it to the city's origins, with later expansions under King Ponhea Yat in the 15th century, including a stupa housing his ashes, and rebuilds in the 19th century and 1926 blending Khmer architecture with French colonial influences like ornate stupas, lion-guarded stairways, and murals depicting Jataka tales and the Reamker (Khmer Ramayana).

Surrounded by gardens with monkeys, viharas, and shrines, it serves as a vibrant prayer site especially during Khmer New Year, offering panoramic city views and remaining an active hub for locals seeking blessings amid its golden spires and devotional atmosphere.