Wat Nokor is an 11th century temple that was rebuilt and restored with a contemporary temple after the occupation of the area by the Khmer Rouge.
The nearby killing fields of Kampong Cham make this temple a place of commemoration as well as a historical and religious site.
The temple grounds were pieced together in layers, and they’re being restored in a similar way. The outer gallery is housed inside the temple walls. The outer grounds are dominated by twin statues of mythical giants. Statues of dragons (naga) and lions are also on the grounds.
The next layer features decorative ponds and statues of famous general, Decho Dam Din. The ponds are both the same size, and they’re blanketed with lotus flowers. The layer inside has statues of Vishnu.
Next to the temple are the interred remains of Khmer Rouge massacres. The official ‘Killing Fields’ are toward Phnom Penh, but a group of local monks moved some of the skeletal remains here and erected a small memorial.
The highlight of Wat Nokor is the reclining Buddha who was decapitated by the Khmer Rouge only to be later restored to its rightful resting place.
The innermost stupa was built more recently and in a different style. While most of the temple has Mahayana motifs (like Chinese and Vietnamese temples), the inner stupa is done in Theravada style (like Thai and Laotian temples).
The entire temple is a fusion experiment. The inner stupa was incorporated into the next layer of walls. If it weren’t for their distinct styles, it would be hard to sort out where one ends and the next begins.
Getting There
Wat Nokor is about a 2km bike ride outside of town on National Road 7. Go early in the morning before the heat of the day sets in, otherwise pay a tuk tuk or moto to get you there faster during the sweltering heat of the day. There is a gateway off of the main road that marks the entrance to the Wat.
Need to Know
- What is it: A fusion temple with a modern pagoda within an 11th century shrine.
- When to go: Try to go early in the morning when it is cooler outside. During the dry season the humidity is lower in the morning to make for better bike riding and walking around.
- Nearest Town: Wat Nokor is located just outside of Kampong Cham.
- Don’t miss: Children preform traditional dance there in the evenings.
- Trivia: The temple combines both Mahayana and Theravada traditional style depending on where you are in the temple.
- Open hours: 08:00 to 18:00, daily.
- Entrance fee: Free