Independence Monument—Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Posted by: 
Ianatlarge
N 11° 33.372 E 104° 55.686
48P E 492160 N 1277480
A monument commemorating Cambodia's independence from France.
Waymark Code: WM9KZP
Location: Cambodia
Date Posted: 09/01/2010
Views: 10
For a century or so Cambodia was part of the French Indochinese empire. With growing demands for greater self determination France reluctantly granted a measure of autonomy after WWII. In the 1950s and 1960s the myriad uncertainties and problems of the Vietnam War were slowly leading the relatively peaceful country of Cambodia into anarchy, which was to lead to the Khmer Rouge.
At this time, for various reasons, the Cambodian government decided to build a monument to celebrate and to recognise the independence of Cambodia from France.
This monument was inaugurated on November 9, 1962 (I have found several different years for the inauguration, from 1958 - 1962. The 1962 date comes from the 'official' website.) The 20m high, lotus shaped, monument is in the Angkor Wat style (which has caused it to be known, colloquially, as 'The Pineapple"), and was designed by the renowned Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann.
The monument also acts as a cenotaph to recognise Cambodia's war dead, as such it is sometimes referred to as the 'Victory Monument'. In Khmer the name is: "Vimean Ekareach".
The monument is in a prominent part of the city, and definitely a 'must see' tourist stop, close to the river, forming a wide traffic circle at the intersection of Norodom Blvd and Sihanouk Blvd. At night it is brightly and attractively lit, and the park area around is filled with people on weekends and holidays.
* note on the url, the official site. The website labels itself as the 'The official site for tourism of Cambodia', but it also has a .com domain. As far as I can determine, while there is a Cambodian government tourism department, there is not official tourist website. This is the best that can be found.
The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: [Web Link]
Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sun 24 hours.
Admission Prices:
Free.
Approximate amount of time needed to fully experience the attraction: Less than 15 minutes
Transportation options to the attraction: Personal Vehicle or Public Transportation
The attraction’s own URL: Not listed
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