Silver Pagoda

There are many treasures in the Silver Pagoda, yet it is the Emerald Buddha and the eponymous silver floor tiles that are the main attraction.

The original pagoda was commissioned by King Norodom in the 19th century and was primarily constructed of wood. King Sihanouk expanded and rebuilt the site in 1962 using concrete and marble. The marble on the façade was brought in from Italy, while thousands of silver tiles (weighing more than two pounds of solid silver each) cover the entire floor. While the temple has no resident monks, those from nearby temples attend ceremonies presided over by the King on Buddhist holidays - when the temple is closed to the public.

The Silver Pagoda houses a 200-pound solid gold Buddha image that was cast in the early 1900s, nearly overshadowing the stunning 17th century baccarat crystal “Emerald” Buddha. The golden Buddha image, which was cast from the melted down coffin of King Norodom in 1909 (one of his dying requests) is adorned with nearly 10,000 diamonds. Beside the statue, a small silver and gold ‘stupa’ is told to house remains of the Buddha.

The temple was fortunate to avoid being entirely plundered by the Khmer Rouge, who refrained from doing so as propaganda of their ‘benevolence’. While numerous artifacts were surely stolen or destroyed, 1,650 objects, predominately Buddhist statues belonging to the royal family, remain within the temple and are on display for visitors to appreciate.

Murals painted at the onset of the 20th century that depict episodes from the Ramayana grace the walls surrounding the Silver Pagoda. Beginning at the southern side of the temple’s east gate, the fading murals wind their way around the courtyard, which also houses a pair of funerary stupas and a number of statues. The south stupa contains the remains of King Ang Duong and the north stupa contains the ashes of King Norodom, who is also commemorated with an equestrian statue that originally featured the head of French Emperor Napoleon III.

Other attractions within the grounds of the Silver Pagoda complex include the Khmer Mondul, a small mound representing Phnom Kailasha, where the Buddha was believed to have left his footprints in stone; Keung Preah Bat, which features four of such Buddha footprints; a bell hall; the mondap, a library of sacred texts; and two smaller stupas housing the remains of King Norodom Suramarit and Princess Norodom Kunthabopha.

Tourists are only allowed to photograph certain parts of the Silver Pagoda and visitors must have knees and shoulders covered (sarongs and long t-shirts are available for rent onsite). A small section of the silver tiles are on display though most are covered by an enormous carpet.