Phnom Krom Mountain and Phnom Krom Temple

"Phnom Krom Village (Known as Floating Village) and Phnom Krom Temple is one of the best alternative views of the sunset and visiting the floating village which brings you a refresh and peacefully."

Temple Info

Phnom Krom is the name of the village which is located around 12km from Siem Reap of the south toward the Tonle Sap river. The tour destination of Phnom Krom mainly for visiting the Chong Kneas floating village and sunset views. 

At the top of the hill over there is Phnom Krom temple which is a Hindu shrine built in the 9th century by King Yasovarman I. The temple was dedicated to three Hindu gods, Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva. There are other trilogies of mountain temples were built during the reign of King Yasovarman I (889–910) which each of them has a similar layout. 

Those of temples named Phnom Bakheng and Phnom Krom, however, according to archaeologists, Bakheng Temple was perfectly built and was taken by King Yasovarman I as the center of the city named Yasodharapura, the third capital city of the Khmer empire after Hariharalaya in the Roluos and the first capital named Mahendraparvata on the slopes of Phnom Kulen mountain in Siem Reap Province.

" The Khmer Empire also was known as the Angkor Empire, the predecessor state to modern Cambodia was a Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia. In our Khmer history, the Khmer empire grew out of the former kingdoms of Funan (50/68 AD–550 AD/627 AD) and Chenla (550 AD–802 AD). The beginning of the era of the Khmer Empire is conventionally dated to 802 when King Jayavarman II declared himself Chakravartin ("Universal ruler") on Phnom Kulen. The empire ended with the fall of Angkor in the 15th century (802 - 1431). The first capital city of the Khmer empire named "Mahendraparvata" on the slopes of Phnom Kulen mountain, the second capital city named "Hariharalaya" in the Roluos, and the third capital city named "Yasodharapura" in Phnom Bakheng."

As a historical, the King Yasovarman I, son of Indravarman I (his capital was at Hariharalaya), shifted the capital to Yashodarapura (the first Angkor capital meaning "The City That Bears Glory"). The temples that he was built named Lolei (893 AD), Preah Vihear (893 AD), Phnom Bakheng (the Royal temple 900 AD), Phnom Bok (910 AD), and Phnom Krom (910 AD).

King Yasovarman I, did not choose Phnom Bok as the capital city, near the city of Hariharalaya, as he considered it unsuitable due to its "awkward and too high" a location to mark as the center of the city. He also did not choose Phnom Krom hill either, as he considered it too close to the Tonle Sap Lake. Eventually, Phnom Bakheng of the triumvirate of hills was chosen as the capital city due to its low height and a large expanse of land available to establish a capital city. 

His objective was also to build a temple for housing a linga, which surpassed his father's Indresvara and named it as Yashodaresvara. He also named his capital as Yashodarapura, which became the first capital city of Angkor, but the third capital city of the Khmer empire.

He, however, installed the Trimurtis in the temples on the other two hills of Phnom Bok and Phnom Krom. Statues of the Hindu Trimurti were found at both Phnom Bok and Phnom Krom. Those head now in Guimet Museum in Paris.

God Brahma (Left), God Shiva (middle), and God Vishnu (right)

Phnom Krom temple at the top of the hill.

The view from the top of the hill is stunning and you can see for miles around. You can climb the stairs to the top of the rocky mountain, explore the three shrines, and watch the sunset over the Tonle Sap river. 

Also, visit the Chong Kneas floating village is one of the interested by both local and international visitors. You'll need to buy a boat ticket to visit a floating village. The best time to visit the Phnom Krom is afternoon time which you can visit the floating village first, and then go up the hill for the sunset view afterward.

Temple Facts

Name: Phnom Krom temple

Date: 889-910 AD (Late 9th - Early 10th century AD)
Builder: King Yasovarman
Cultures: Khmer Empire
Affiliation: Hinduism
Dedicated: three Hindu gods, Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva.
Style:  Bakheng

Location: South of Siem Reap along road 63 which leads to the Tonle Sap river. Phnom Krom temple is located on the top of the hill (You'll have to walk up a long set of stairs to the top of the 140m mountain).



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