Oudong Mountain

Oudong Mountain is a long low ridge rising from the flat rice plains of Kandal province about 40 kilometers north of Phnom Penh, serving as the royal capital of Cambodia for over two centuries between 1618 and 1866. The hilltop is crowned with a sequence of large Buddhist stupas housing the ashes of former Khmer kings, including the distinctive Vihear Preah Ath Roes stupa, plus a revered reclining Buddha and several active pagodas maintained by resident monks. Two staircases climb the north and south ends of the ridge, with the longer southern stairway flanked by nagas and vendors selling incense and offerings. From the summit the panoramic views extend across the surrounding floodplain, rice paddies, and the glittering surface of the Tonle Sap river in the distance.