The word Battambang in Khmer means "disappearing stick" and was bestowed upon the town by a former king who legend says used a powerful stick to control the people. Now in more modern times it is commonly referred to as the rice bowl of Cambodia, due to the vast amount of rice produced. As Cambodia's second largest city it has all the charm and feel of a provincial town.
The Sangker River languidly winds its way through the city and a stroll along its banks unveils the faded glow of old colonial buildings and Chinese shop houses. The architecture here is some of the best preserved in Cambodia. Battambang is an ideal place to get the feel of what Cambodia was like in the golden years before the Khmer Rouge came to power and receives a small number of tourists.
The city of Battambang is easy to access either by road from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. For a more unique journey the boat trip between Battambang and Siem Reap is truly a highlight as the boat wends its way down river through small waterways passing fishing villages and rural hamlets.
Battambang province is located in the northwest bordering Thailand. With its 11,622 sq km, Battambang has a population of 899,556 comprising 430,443 males and 459,088 females. The percentage of females’ population is 51%. The province consists of 13 districts, 96 communes and 741 villages. The population of this province constitutes 6.9% of Cambodia’s population. Due to the conflict, census (1998) enumeration could not be constitutes the urban portion population of the province.
This province has changed hands between Thailand and Cambodia on several occasions in the past few countries. It was only returned to Cambodian control in 1907and recently as WWII the Thais cut a deal with the Japanese to take control again for several years. Before Cambodia’s civil war Battambang was the largest and richest province in Cambodia, but ceded a large chunk of its territory to Banteay Meanchey for the creation of the new province. It shares a long border with the Tonle Sap Lake and is the fifth largest in the country.
Battambang was untouched for much of the early 1070s, as fighting range elsewhere around the country. For this reason the whole area was viewed with much suspicion by Khmer Rouge leaders and was the victim of successive central purges. Life was little better after the war, as the ongoing guerrilla war and the proliferation of thousands of land mines devastated the agricultural industry that hand build the economy. However, the province is slowly recovering as ddeming groups free up land agriculture and the many refugees who returned here during the 1990s are permanency settle Tourism has a lot of potential, as not only is the provincial capital a popular stop, but there are extensive example of Angkorian heritage in the surrounding countryside.
Travel around the province has traditionally been slow due to disastrous roads, but both NH5 passing through the heart of the province, and NH57 to Pailin are undergoing comprehensive renovations.
Banan Temple
Adapts the architecture of mid 11th century and the end of 12th century the temple was first built by king, Ut Tak Yea Tit Tya Varman II (1050-1066) and then was finally built by the king, Jarvarman VII (1181-1219). The temple is located on the top of approximate 400-meter heighten mountain at Kon Tey 2 commune, Ba Nan District in 25-kilometer distance from the provincial town by the provincial Road No 155 parallel to Sang Ke River. At the mountain’s valley, there are Ku Teuk and two main natural
Barsaet Temple
Was built during the reign of King, Soriyak Varman I (1002-1050) and located on a hill at Ba Set village, Ta Pun commune in 15-kilometer distance from the provincial town. Ba Set temple adapts the architecture of 11th century and built in 1036 and 1042. Next to the temple, there is 20 Meters by12 meter and 10 meter depth pond. The pond is never dried, though in the dry season. In rainy season, the water level is higher than usual.
Phnom Sampuov
Is the natural resort located along the National Road No 57 (the former National Road No 10) at Sam Puoy commune (the high land having more than 100-meter height) in 12-kilometer distance from the provincial town of Batambang. On the top of Sam Puoy mountain, there are temple and three natural wells, namely: Pkar Slar, Lo Khuon and Ak So Pheak. Next to Sam Puoy Mountain, there are some main mountains, the natural sites like Phnom Trung Moan, Phnom Trung Tea and Phnom Neang Rum Say Sork. These mountains related to the Cambodia folk legend of Reach Kol Neang Run Say.
