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 travellers, 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 closedby 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.
