Thousands of Khmer domestic tourists are descending on Oudong Mountain this weekend to undertake a pilgrimage of sorts to the temples during the Pchum Ben holidays providing tourism and food and beverage business owners in the informal something to cheer for.
Oudong is an ancient city of the post-Angkorian period (1618-1863 C.E), located in present-day Psadek commune, Punhea Loeu district, Kandal province.
The modern city lies 35 km Northwest of Phnom Penh city via National Road Number 5 and faces Kampong Loung village and Tonle Sap river on the east, Vang Chas village and Oudong market in the north, National Road Number 5 on the south, and its southwest side faces Prasith mountain.
The UNESCO World heritage site located at Phnom Oudong (Oudong Mountain) includes pre-Angkorian, Angkor and Post-Angkorian relics, with historical significance to Hindusim, Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism and Animism alike.
Guests from Phnom Penh and greater Cambodia culminate at the entry to the mountain pass where they climb the 509 steps of the temple to its pinnacle and witness the views across the plains, or for those preferring to save their energy, pay worship at pagoda complex below.
After site seeing it is a must for travellers to pick up some food from the hundreds of market stalls lining the entry roads to the temple. Within the stalls you will find rows packed and filled with an eclectic mix of local delicacies at a range of prices everyone can afford.
A local seller, Sreynoet, offering a range of fried bean and coconut desserts at her market-side stall, said “tourists are arriving in large numbers for the weekend with the very heavy traffic starting on Thursday and this will continue until the end of the festival period.”
“For the people selling food and drinks around here, this is our busiest time of year. We are all prepared for it,” she said.
