Wat Samrong Knong
Battambang, Cambodia
A beautiful Buddhist monastery dating back more than 300 years, Wat Samrong Knong is infamous for being one of the Khmer Rouge’s killing fields; more than 10,000 people died here. Shrines, stupas, memorials, and ancient ruins surround the main pagoda, but it’s the glazed tower housing bones, skulls, and grim reliefs of torture that pulls focus.
The basics
There’s a charge to enter Wat Samrong Knong which includes access to a small museum with text in both Khmer and English. Signage in English and Khmer and English captions on the reliefs make it easy to explore the site independently. However, visiting with a guide who understands Theravada Buddhism and can bring their perspective to the Khmer Rouge period and the resulting generational trauma will enrich the experience. Wat Samrong Knong often features on Battambang tours.
Things to know before you go
You may also see the temple’s name written Somrong Knong or Somroung Knong. These are different ways of transliterating the same Khmer words.
The temple is not only a working monastery but also the site of a mass murder. It’s important to dress correctly (covering shoulders, upper arms, chest, belly, and legs to the knee) and behave with respect: Laughing or smiling selfies are likely to offend.
The reliefs are graphic, including depictions of gang rape, and the skulls and bones are confronting. Wat Samrong Knong is not a good choice for pre-teen children.
Parts of Wat Samrong Knong are accessible with a wheelchair.
How to get there
Wat Samrong Knong is just outside Battambang, about a 3-mile (5-kilometer) drive northeast of Phsar Nath (Battambang Central Market). The city’s informal public transit is not tailored to travelers and Grab rideshares have yet to arrive, so your best options are to charter a car or a tuk-tuk or hop on a tour.
When to get there
Wat Samrong Knong is open daily and it’s rarely overcrowded. You may wish to plan to visit earlier in the day to beat the midday heat. Visit Battambang during the dry season from October through April for the highest chance of good weather.
On the path of the Khmer Rouge in Battambang
Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge decimated Battambang, wreaking particular destruction on the city’s rich community of artists and musicians. As well as Wat Samrong Knong, you can trace their vile legacy at the Phnom Sampeau Killing Caves, where the bodies of men, women, and children were hurled through a hole in the cave roof. Phare Ponleu Selpak—Battambang Circus has several shows, including Rouge and Sokha, that dramatize this brutal period and its aftermath.
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