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Province: Battambang
Area: 11,702 sq km
Population: 952,306
Density: 68
District: 13
Commune: 96
Village: 750
Battambang is Cambodia's second-largest city and the capital of Battambang
Province, which was founded in the 11th century. It is the former capital of
Monton Kmer and lies in the heart of the Northwest of Cambodia. Until the war
years, in which almost every infrastructure was destructed it was the leading
rice-producing province of the country.
The name Battambang or Batdambang, literally means "loss of stick" referring to
a legend of the Preah Bat Dambang Kranhoung (Kranhoung Stick King). The
population is nowadays around 250,000 people . It’s a riverside town, home to
some of the best-preserved, French colonial architecture in the country. Until
recently Battambang was off the map for road travelers, but facilities have
recently been improved and it makes a great base for visiting the nearby
temples, such as Phnom Banon and Wat Ek Phnom, as well as the closed by
villages. It's a secondary hub on the overland route between Thailand and
Vietnam, and if the National Highway No 6 from Poipet to Siem Reap is ever
upgraded it'll become an even smaller hub. The network of charming old French
shop houses clustered along the riverbank is the real highlight here, and there
are a number of Wats scattered around the town. The small museum has a
collection of Angkorian-era artifacts, and beyond the town there's a number of
hilltop temples, yet more Wats and a pretty large lake. One of the more famous
hills is Phnom Sampeau (Ship Hill) with the notorious killing caves.
Battambang did not give way to the Khmer Rouge movement after the fall of Phnom
Penh, but it’s been in the centre of the ongoing government Khmer Rouge conflict
ever since the Vietnamese invasion in 1979 pushed the genocidal regime out of
Phnom Penh and to the Northwest. Until the surrender deal of Ieng Sary (Khmer
Rouge number three man based in Pailin), Battambang was the Khmer Rouge
stronghold in the region.
In the earlier history Battambang flip-flopped back and forth between Thailand
(called Siam before their 20th-century renaming) and Cambodia. It’s been a part
of Thailand most of the time since the 15th century, with Cambodia regaining
control (more specifically due the French) in 1907. The Thais grabbed it again,
with Japanese assistance, in 1941 and kept the region in their camp until the
World War II years in 1947. The Allied Forces helped persuade the Thais that the
region was originally part of ancient Cambodia and the world community would not
take kindly to the Thais holding onto it further. Like the rest of the
Northwest, there is still a lot of Thai influence apparent. The main currency is
still the Thai Baht and many people are able to converse in Thai. But the area
is very Khmer, with ancient Khmer ruins scattered around, and even the ways of
life are much more similar to the rest of Cambodia than to Thailand. Battambang
city is a peaceful and pleasant place these days. The main parts of the city are
situated closed to the Sangker River, a tranquil, small body of water that winds
its way through Battambang Province. It is a nice, picturesque setting. As with
much of Cambodia, the French architecture is an attractive bonus of the city.
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Source: Ministry of
Tourism of the Kingdom of Cambodia |
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