Cambodia Independence Monument Park
Let's walk!
First meeting today ended early (ayaw yata magpa-lunch ni host)! And two more are happening later - 1 in the afternoon, and 1 in the evening! Ikot agad pag me chance!
I walked towards a nice park, beside the Cambodia Independence Monument. From a mere rotunda (the monument) of long ago, OMG it is now about as long as Luneta!
And still beautifully expanding!
But.., as I always say.., let's start from the very beginning!
I heard about this park being upgraded and I have seen pictures where I could say, it was a wow compared to what I saw in the '90s. So I planned to come and see it live.
That is also one reason I chose Toyoko Inn (aside from being a 'member'), because it is just nearby. And, I feel more safe and secure in this area - you will see later why.
Oh, not later, now na! I walked westward from Toyoko, turning right to this street:
That is the National Assembly St. Over at the end is the park. The street name alone should already indicate this is a safe and secure area. And, that gray house at right?
Guard house and information counter pa lang yan. It is actually this...
Just about a block away from my hotel, amidst new or under-construction buildings!
We all know, anywhere in the world, where there are embassies, consulates, or local parliament houses, obvious or not, there will be 'extra security' in the area. Di ba la?!
Just look at the main entrance of that embassy, ayan yung me naka-angat na bakal kulay orange-and-black. Aba di yan madaling sugurin ng kung anong sasakyan lang!
Next door, just ahead, after the 'oz' embassy's white fence, is the National Assembly Building of Cambodia. Kung sa'tin pa, that would be congress! I didn't take pictures.
Why? Ah, lots of scaffolding and big equipment blocking the good views. Looks like they are doing a new building beside the impressive traditional khmer style building.
So I walked the few more steps to reach the park. This is one of the roundabouts.
Did I say one of the? Yes, similar to our Luneta where streets cross the park's length.
But I wanted to see more of the ornate khmer-style building. So I turned around.
That one, Ministry of Cults & Religion (side view, since I was already at the corner) has the same roof design, right beside (but not a part of) the national assembly building.
These traditional building designs (even if new) look wonderful amidst the urbanity.
The merry mix is meaningfully hip. You don't forget the past in the midst of urbanity.
Urbanity? Well, the white car at right seems to be a Toyota Prius XW20, and that one at left is an F16 BMW X6. O ha?! Since when did I know about car models & makes?
Salamat to you my 'must remain anonymous' friends haha! Se!
Still on the urbanity topic, look at these, taken as I stood at that same corner above.
That is NagaWorld, an integrated hotel-casino entertainment complex. It is the only one of its kind in Cambodia. Their company calls it a 'resort'. I do not know why, yet.
Best way to know why it is called a resort is to enter and explore the inside. But I do not want to go in, that's the problem hehe! I do not want to be in a casino, UNLESS it is the only nearby 'smoking area'. I conciously avoid casinos or places with casinos.
No, hindi naman bawal sa relihiyon ko hehe (asus, sa relihiyon ko pa? andami kayang sugarol na pari)! I am just easy to entice (uto-uto), so I keep distance from gambling!
Anyway, about NagaWorld...
I do remember, it started as a "floating casino" on the Mekong River back in 1995. It obviously grew successfully bigger as it came ashore (that building above) in 2003.
Alright. So, from NagaWorld, I crossed to the park for this wonderful stroll.
That shot was looking west (my left, most of the park). NagaWorld is at the east end.
There are interesting things on that shot, but foremost I want to tell you is the clock in the middle of the rotunda. It's commercially sponsored by no other than Manulife!
Yes, the Canadian Insurance firm that started 1901 in our inang bayan, while here in Cambodia, only in 2012. That's how recent Cambodia is opening doors to the world!
Still on that picture above, note there is that light-blue fence and a crane at right. My colleagues told me that, it's going to be one of the tallest buildings in Souteast Asia.
Cambodia World Trade Center (WTC), 133 floors. Broke ground last March 2018.
Wow 'no?! Tayo ba, ano na ang latest? Ay, hehehe!
Anyway, after that picture above, I faced to my right - the eastern end of this park.
Noticed the light-blue fence at left? That, is still the future WTC. Oh, twin towers too!
Then that would be Tonle Sap River down the edge. The lone building in the middle? That is actually already across the river, on Koh Pich - meaning Diamond Island. Da!
Is there, was there diamonds on that island? I would doubt it. It was a fishing village (mala-"slummic" community - alams na!), then it was only developed in early 2000s.
Today, it is already a commercial-residential hub. Daming pasyalan at tambayan ng mga sosy at pa-sosy. Mind you, 2 international schools are there with 1 coming up!
How do you get to that island? From this park area, there are the twin bridges.
Can you see them? They're at left and at right of that picture. In fact, once you cross to that island, that building alone is in between them! Phnom Penh has really grown.
Alright, since I was at/near the park's east end, I turned around to continue walking.
Kumbaga, ang route ko was: babalik at lalampasan ko ang kanto that I came from!
This has become quite a long park. That's why I earlier said parang Luneta natin. You can imagine Luneta from Quirino Grandstand to Taft Avenue. It's the same distance.
Mas malapad lang ang Luneta. Baka x5 or more pa. Ito, mula lang dyan sa light-blue fence sa kanan (na magiging WTC), until that black building sa kaliwa (NagaWorld).
Oops hehe, NagaWorld is not actually a "black building", they are (yes plural) parang pink & white adjoined towers. The black colors we see are actually giant LED Walls!
Aw yun naman.., I have not yet seen that tall and wide an LED Wall in our country. At "mga" pala yun, since every building (tower) me ganyan. Now, imagine them at night!
That's why my friends were telling me to stroll this park in the early evenings - when all the lights in the park and surrounding buildings would be on. Sorry tayo, no time.
Oh, look at that picture again. The gold building also at left. That is NagaWorld 2, at a few steps from NagaWorld 1, we discussed above! What is in there? Same thing!
So gaming is also big in this city? I'm not sure, but I think I heard that it is only them (NagaCorp) that has a casino license here or other cities such as Sihanoukville, etc.
Just for 'clarity' I went near NagaWorld 1 again with NagaWorld 2 also in view.
Both are vast complexes of multiple structures. Staff normally call them N1 and N2.
At that camera angle, it's not clear that the Ministry of Cults & Religion, the National Assembly Street and itself the National Assembly Building are between N1 and N2.
That corner where I earlier stood to shoot the 3rd to 7th photos above, it's this:
Kita nyo yung kalahating puting tuktuk sa kanang dulo ng picture? (kalahati lang ang nakuha eh hehe!) That's the corner where I stood kanina for my 3rd to 7th pics above.
Ganda pala ng Ministry of Cults & Religion na yan pag total building ang view! Likod nya bale si National Assembly sa view na yan. Mas likod pa, si Australian Embassy.
Both not seen in that picture, N1 is at left, and N2 is at right. Aw, si BMW andyan pa!
I was already in the park when I took that photo above. Everywhere you stand is one fantastic panorama. In fact that last pic is opposite of my 3rd picture from the top!
I was circling this rotunda monument that didn't have a name or I couldn't see any..
But these are modern times, we have many ways of knowing things - using a phone!
Okay I got it, this is the Chuon Nath Monument. He's a national hero of this country.
National Hero, but not the war freak kind! Mataas na antas ito! A monk; preserver of Khmer language & identity; made the 1st modern Khmer dictionary; composed their national anthem; Buddhist scholar and reformer; advocate for cultural preservation.
But the intricate details all over this monument are not to be missed. Extensive!
I read that the statue is a symbol of respect & admiration for a great cultural figure and a source of inspiration reflecting the values & history of the Khmer (Cambodian) people.
Where did I read that, eh wala namang nakasulat dyan sa palibot nyan? Aw, google!
Eto pa ang marites: Chuon Nath Monument is considered by many Cambodians as a memorial for hundreds of people who died in the Phnom Penh Stampede (of 2010).
Why, where'd that happen? At the Diamond Gate Bridge, now the Twin Dragons Bridge that we mentioned above. Bumigay ang tulay na yon, dahil sa dami ng tao (festival).
Wait, teka lang.., this statue faces east, where I came from on this walk. Look...
I missed something very important in this park. That rectangular thing on the grass.
Syempre, I told my royal self, importante yan kelangan balikan... so binalikan. This:
So there it is... the garden pala, on the east end of this park is, the Hun Sen Garden.
It's the area from across the religion ministry, all the way to the Tonle Sap river bank where my walk initially went (everything above)! Namasyal ako sa Hun Sen Garden!
It says the garden is a gift from him. Hindi memorial yan hehe. Buhay sya! Sino sya? Aw, just google-search Hun Sen - he has been to the Philippines a number of times.
Okay okay, on with my stroll of the park, then I saw this to my left!
Interesting! So I went in for curiosity's sake.
Hmm, similar to other KCCs (Korean Cultural Center) worldwide, except that this one seems to focus on a particular province's products and culture - that of Gyeongbuk.
Gyeongsangbuk-do is an eastern province of South Korea. Capital city nya dati was Daegu, until it became an independently administered city in 1981. HUC kung sa'tin.
Oy, the building is called PGCT Center (Phnom Penh-Gyeongbuk Cooperation Center) at mukhang owned (if not managed) by Gyeongbuk Trade. I say good for both sides.
Sa'tin ba me ganyan ang Korea? Meron yata, pero baka doon lang sa embassy nila. But I heard sometime ago, magkakaroon daw ng hiwalay na KCC somewhere BGC.
Trivia: according to my sources, South Korean tourists to Camboadia is around .5M and deceasing (2015 to 2017), while to our country it's around 1.5M and increasing.
Alright, after the KCC, I went on with my stroll. I think this was halfway of the park.
You see those 2 pagoda-like roofs? The darker one and farther, is the Independence Monument. That's the original and only edifice in this park that has been expanding.
The gold-colored one is Norodom Sihanouk Memorial that I haven't seen yet. It was erected only in 2013. While it looks taller at this vantage it's only about half the size.
Nice well-manicured grass, plants and shrubbery, 'no?
I walked on the grass (yes allowed), to the other side of the park. Sarap ng feeling!
I so love walking at parks na walang "keep off the grass", and "no ID no entry" hehe!
Oh, while walking, I also kept looking back. Why? Because it looks beautiful!
I came from all the way at the end that cannot even be clearly seen anymore. At this vantage, NagaWorld 1 looks already obscured while NagaWorld 2 is super towering!
Did you notice those medium-sized trees and artfully curated bushes? Obviously an artwork of good topiarists. Hey, I read years before, Topiary is both art and science.
I'll say it's a skill that does not allow trial-and-error. Pag pangit, error na agad yan, na di pwedeng burahin or i-reprint. At di rin pwedeng putulin ang puno, to hide an error!
Okay, about-face again, to continue my stroll towards the park's western edge!
I think I was still a hundred meters far to that monument, but, I could already sense something that I was not going to like. Ang mga bwakang wakanga groups nandito!
All I could say was "OMG, magsilayas na kayo dyan, pleaaaase" heheheh hihihi! You would notice on that shot, I was walking diagonally from right to left, to avoid them!
Actually I'm fine with them scattered around like other tourists - not noisy or rowdy.
When I got to the monument itself, most of them were gathered at the monument's left flank, to avoid direct sunlight. I tought ba't di pa kasi kayo magsisakay sa bus nyo!
They were everywhere, I had to wait for them to... "dissipate" or "evaporate" hehehe!
Look at my collage. I did not go up there for my photos, I just stood by the barricade (where the woman in brown pants is) and zoomed my phone's camera when needed.
And, since I was a little at an angle, I didn't catch my reflection on that black granite marker (dedication) of the monument. Kahit i-zoom nyo, all reflections are wakanga!
Hay, pati pagsusulat ko ngayon, nagugulo dahil sa mga istorbong wakanga groups!
Anyway, the inscription says:
HIS MAJESTY PREAH BAT SAMDECH PREAH
NORODOM SIHANOUK
HEROIC KING, FATHER OF INDEPENDENCE,
TERITORIAL INTEGRITY AND UITY OF THE KHMER NATION
"PREAH BOROM RATANAK KAUDH"
31OCTOBER1922 - 15OCTOBER2012
O di ba, nakuha ko naman? Lalong palaisipan bakit ba akyatan ng akyatan ang mga gi-ahak na wakanga! Ano ang pipiktyuran nila kung nakadikit sila doon sa pedestal?
Tapos ang iingay ang lalakas ng mga boses umaalingawngaw!
Anyway again, from the Sihanouk Memorial, I viewed the Independence Monument.
As I said earlier, that's what started here. Built 1958, 5 years after Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953. Norodom Sihanouk, as Prince then, had it built.
The garden on foreground is called Independence Monument East Park. Malaki yan at more than a hundred meters. After the rotunda (monument) there's the West Park about as long. They were the 'orig' Independence Monument Park. Now, anhaba na!
Oops, by the way.., after that picture above, I decided not to go there anymore. Why? Ah yes, partly because I overheard, the wakanga groups were about to go there too!
But frankly, especially if you don't have a tour guide to describe detailed information such as materials and design nitty-gritties, it is better seen from a distance like this.
Unless you want to stroll on the nicely manicured east and west gardens, under the hot sun! Plus, it's a busy rotunda with speeding vehicles, di pwede tumawid pagitna.
Instead, I went on to my 'next destination', after I saw some of the wakanga buses!
Where's that? Ay, outside the Indonesian Embassy to outside Hun Sen's Mansion. Ta!
Anyway, I was moving east (again), proceeding to my next destination -still walking- that, is more than a kilometer walk to... The National Museum and the Royal Palace!
But let's talk about those next. Ang haba na nito!
First meeting today ended early (ayaw yata magpa-lunch ni host)! And two more are happening later - 1 in the afternoon, and 1 in the evening! Ikot agad pag me chance!
I walked towards a nice park, beside the Cambodia Independence Monument. From a mere rotunda (the monument) of long ago, OMG it is now about as long as Luneta!
And still beautifully expanding!
But.., as I always say.., let's start from the very beginning!
I heard about this park being upgraded and I have seen pictures where I could say, it was a wow compared to what I saw in the '90s. So I planned to come and see it live.
That is also one reason I chose Toyoko Inn (aside from being a 'member'), because it is just nearby. And, I feel more safe and secure in this area - you will see later why.
Oh, not later, now na! I walked westward from Toyoko, turning right to this street:
Guard house and information counter pa lang yan. It is actually this...
We all know, anywhere in the world, where there are embassies, consulates, or local parliament houses, obvious or not, there will be 'extra security' in the area. Di ba la?!
Just look at the main entrance of that embassy, ayan yung me naka-angat na bakal kulay orange-and-black. Aba di yan madaling sugurin ng kung anong sasakyan lang!
Next door, just ahead, after the 'oz' embassy's white fence, is the National Assembly Building of Cambodia. Kung sa'tin pa, that would be congress! I didn't take pictures.
Why? Ah, lots of scaffolding and big equipment blocking the good views. Looks like they are doing a new building beside the impressive traditional khmer style building.
So I walked the few more steps to reach the park. This is one of the roundabouts.
But I wanted to see more of the ornate khmer-style building. So I turned around.
These traditional building designs (even if new) look wonderful amidst the urbanity.
Urbanity? Well, the white car at right seems to be a Toyota Prius XW20, and that one at left is an F16 BMW X6. O ha?! Since when did I know about car models & makes?
Salamat to you my 'must remain anonymous' friends haha! Se!
Still on the urbanity topic, look at these, taken as I stood at that same corner above.
Best way to know why it is called a resort is to enter and explore the inside. But I do not want to go in, that's the problem hehe! I do not want to be in a casino, UNLESS it is the only nearby 'smoking area'. I conciously avoid casinos or places with casinos.
No, hindi naman bawal sa relihiyon ko hehe (asus, sa relihiyon ko pa? andami kayang sugarol na pari)! I am just easy to entice (uto-uto), so I keep distance from gambling!
Anyway, about NagaWorld...
I do remember, it started as a "floating casino" on the Mekong River back in 1995. It obviously grew successfully bigger as it came ashore (that building above) in 2003.
Alright. So, from NagaWorld, I crossed to the park for this wonderful stroll.
There are interesting things on that shot, but foremost I want to tell you is the clock in the middle of the rotunda. It's commercially sponsored by no other than Manulife!
Yes, the Canadian Insurance firm that started 1901 in our inang bayan, while here in Cambodia, only in 2012. That's how recent Cambodia is opening doors to the world!
Still on that picture above, note there is that light-blue fence and a crane at right. My colleagues told me that, it's going to be one of the tallest buildings in Souteast Asia.
Cambodia World Trade Center (WTC), 133 floors. Broke ground last March 2018.
Wow 'no?! Tayo ba, ano na ang latest? Ay, hehehe!
Anyway, after that picture above, I faced to my right - the eastern end of this park.
Then that would be Tonle Sap River down the edge. The lone building in the middle? That is actually already across the river, on Koh Pich - meaning Diamond Island. Da!
Is there, was there diamonds on that island? I would doubt it. It was a fishing village (mala-"slummic" community - alams na!), then it was only developed in early 2000s.
Today, it is already a commercial-residential hub. Daming pasyalan at tambayan ng mga sosy at pa-sosy. Mind you, 2 international schools are there with 1 coming up!
How do you get to that island? From this park area, there are the twin bridges.
Alright, since I was at/near the park's east end, I turned around to continue walking.
This has become quite a long park. That's why I earlier said parang Luneta natin. You can imagine Luneta from Quirino Grandstand to Taft Avenue. It's the same distance.
Mas malapad lang ang Luneta. Baka x5 or more pa. Ito, mula lang dyan sa light-blue fence sa kanan (na magiging WTC), until that black building sa kaliwa (NagaWorld).
Oops hehe, NagaWorld is not actually a "black building", they are (yes plural) parang pink & white adjoined towers. The black colors we see are actually giant LED Walls!
Aw yun naman.., I have not yet seen that tall and wide an LED Wall in our country. At "mga" pala yun, since every building (tower) me ganyan. Now, imagine them at night!
That's why my friends were telling me to stroll this park in the early evenings - when all the lights in the park and surrounding buildings would be on. Sorry tayo, no time.
Oh, look at that picture again. The gold building also at left. That is NagaWorld 2, at a few steps from NagaWorld 1, we discussed above! What is in there? Same thing!
So gaming is also big in this city? I'm not sure, but I think I heard that it is only them (NagaCorp) that has a casino license here or other cities such as Sihanoukville, etc.
Just for 'clarity' I went near NagaWorld 1 again with NagaWorld 2 also in view.
At that camera angle, it's not clear that the Ministry of Cults & Religion, the National Assembly Street and itself the National Assembly Building are between N1 and N2.
That corner where I earlier stood to shoot the 3rd to 7th photos above, it's this:
Ganda pala ng Ministry of Cults & Religion na yan pag total building ang view! Likod nya bale si National Assembly sa view na yan. Mas likod pa, si Australian Embassy.
Both not seen in that picture, N1 is at left, and N2 is at right. Aw, si BMW andyan pa!
I was already in the park when I took that photo above. Everywhere you stand is one fantastic panorama. In fact that last pic is opposite of my 3rd picture from the top!
I was circling this rotunda monument that didn't have a name or I couldn't see any..
Okay I got it, this is the Chuon Nath Monument. He's a national hero of this country.
But the intricate details all over this monument are not to be missed. Extensive!
Where did I read that, eh wala namang nakasulat dyan sa palibot nyan? Aw, google!
Eto pa ang marites: Chuon Nath Monument is considered by many Cambodians as a memorial for hundreds of people who died in the Phnom Penh Stampede (of 2010).
Why, where'd that happen? At the Diamond Gate Bridge, now the Twin Dragons Bridge that we mentioned above. Bumigay ang tulay na yon, dahil sa dami ng tao (festival).
Wait, teka lang.., this statue faces east, where I came from on this walk. Look...
Syempre, I told my royal self, importante yan kelangan balikan... so binalikan. This:
It's the area from across the religion ministry, all the way to the Tonle Sap river bank where my walk initially went (everything above)! Namasyal ako sa Hun Sen Garden!
It says the garden is a gift from him. Hindi memorial yan hehe. Buhay sya! Sino sya? Aw, just google-search Hun Sen - he has been to the Philippines a number of times.
Okay okay, on with my stroll of the park, then I saw this to my left!
Interesting! So I went in for curiosity's sake.
Gyeongsangbuk-do is an eastern province of South Korea. Capital city nya dati was Daegu, until it became an independently administered city in 1981. HUC kung sa'tin.
Oy, the building is called PGCT Center (Phnom Penh-Gyeongbuk Cooperation Center) at mukhang owned (if not managed) by Gyeongbuk Trade. I say good for both sides.
Sa'tin ba me ganyan ang Korea? Meron yata, pero baka doon lang sa embassy nila. But I heard sometime ago, magkakaroon daw ng hiwalay na KCC somewhere BGC.
Trivia: according to my sources, South Korean tourists to Camboadia is around .5M and deceasing (2015 to 2017), while to our country it's around 1.5M and increasing.
Alright, after the KCC, I went on with my stroll. I think this was halfway of the park.
The gold-colored one is Norodom Sihanouk Memorial that I haven't seen yet. It was erected only in 2013. While it looks taller at this vantage it's only about half the size.
Nice well-manicured grass, plants and shrubbery, 'no?
I walked on the grass (yes allowed), to the other side of the park. Sarap ng feeling!
Oh, while walking, I also kept looking back. Why? Because it looks beautiful!
Did you notice those medium-sized trees and artfully curated bushes? Obviously an artwork of good topiarists. Hey, I read years before, Topiary is both art and science.
I'll say it's a skill that does not allow trial-and-error. Pag pangit, error na agad yan, na di pwedeng burahin or i-reprint. At di rin pwedeng putulin ang puno, to hide an error!
Okay, about-face again, to continue my stroll towards the park's western edge!
All I could say was "OMG, magsilayas na kayo dyan, pleaaaase" heheheh hihihi! You would notice on that shot, I was walking diagonally from right to left, to avoid them!
Actually I'm fine with them scattered around like other tourists - not noisy or rowdy.
They were everywhere, I had to wait for them to... "dissipate" or "evaporate" hehehe!
Look at my collage. I did not go up there for my photos, I just stood by the barricade (where the woman in brown pants is) and zoomed my phone's camera when needed.
Hay, pati pagsusulat ko ngayon, nagugulo dahil sa mga istorbong wakanga groups!
Anyway, the inscription says:
NORODOM SIHANOUK
HEROIC KING, FATHER OF INDEPENDENCE,
TERITORIAL INTEGRITY AND UITY OF THE KHMER NATION
"PREAH BOROM RATANAK KAUDH"
31OCTOBER1922 - 15OCTOBER2012
O di ba, nakuha ko naman? Lalong palaisipan bakit ba akyatan ng akyatan ang mga gi-ahak na wakanga! Ano ang pipiktyuran nila kung nakadikit sila doon sa pedestal?
Tapos ang iingay ang lalakas ng mga boses umaalingawngaw!
Anyway again, from the Sihanouk Memorial, I viewed the Independence Monument.
The garden on foreground is called Independence Monument East Park. Malaki yan at more than a hundred meters. After the rotunda (monument) there's the West Park about as long. They were the 'orig' Independence Monument Park. Now, anhaba na!
Oops, by the way.., after that picture above, I decided not to go there anymore. Why? Ah yes, partly because I overheard, the wakanga groups were about to go there too!
But frankly, especially if you don't have a tour guide to describe detailed information such as materials and design nitty-gritties, it is better seen from a distance like this.
Unless you want to stroll on the nicely manicured east and west gardens, under the hot sun! Plus, it's a busy rotunda with speeding vehicles, di pwede tumawid pagitna.
Instead, I went on to my 'next destination', after I saw some of the wakanga buses!
Anyway, I was moving east (again), proceeding to my next destination -still walking- that, is more than a kilometer walk to... The National Museum and the Royal Palace!
But let's talk about those next. Ang haba na nito!
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