Oudong ( km, ឧដុង្គ; also romanized as Udong or Odong) is a former town of the post-Angkorian period (1618–1863) situated in present-day ''Phsar Daek'' Commune, Ponhea Lueu District, Kandal Province,

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...

. Located at the foothill of the mountain Phnom Oudong, also known as Phnom Preah Reach Troap ( km, ភ្នំព្រះរាជ្យទ្រព្យ), about 35 km northwest of the modern capital

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...

via National Road No. 5, Oudong was a royal residence and Cambodia's capital for almost 250 years until 1866. A monumental royal necropolis of sovereigns of several centuries is scattered on top of the prominent bisected mountain, which runs from the southeast to the northeast.

Etymology

The city's name is derived from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

word "" ( sa, उत्तुङ्ग), meaning tall, which probably refers to the mountain. As it had gained religious merit and significance it might have undergone extension towards: "great" or "supreme".

History

Oudong was founded by King Srei Soryapor in 1601, after the abandonment of Longvek. Under the reign of King Ang Duong (1841–1850), he constructed canals, terraces, bridges and erected hundreds of pagodas in this region. From 1618 until 1866 it was formally called Oudong Meanchey, home to a succession of kings deposed from the former capital of Longvek by the invading Thais. In 1866, it was abandoned by King Norodom, taking his royal court along with him to the current capital, Phnom Penh. During the Cambodian Civil War the town was captured by the

Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 ...

in March 1974, who marched the citizens into the countryside, as well as executing a large number of prisoners. This proved to be a trial-run for the evacuation of Phnom Penh a year later. The Government retook the town in August the same year, but evidence of atrocities was widely discarded by international journalists. It was extensively damaged by the

in 1977, along with the other temples, monuments and religious structures there.

Folklore

Legend has it that in the Arthaross Temple (Temple of Eighteen Points, from pi, अट्ठारस , eighteen ), the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

located here faces north instead of the traditional direction of east, symbolizing a testimony to the strength and power of the ancient Khmer kingdom. Henri Mouhot: "Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China" 1864:

World Heritage Status

This site was originally added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Tentative List on 1 September 1992, in the Cultural category.Site d'Oudong - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
/ref> The submission has been renewed on 27 March 2020.

References

Sources

* "The Rough Guide Southeast Asia" Rough Guides, 2002

External links

Brief History of Oudong

{{coord, 11, 49, 26, N, 104, 44, 33, E, region:KH_type:city, display=title Towns in Cambodia Populated places in Kandal province Archaeological sites in Cambodia Buddhist temples in Cambodia