Phnom Sampov, “Natural Tourism Site and Memorable Mountain in Tale of Khmer People in Battambang”

Phnom Sampov in Battambang Province

Phnom Sampov is the most amazing mountain look like the ship in the sea surrounding by the view of green rice field and mountain in Battambang Province, Cambodia. Being naturally created by the chalk, Phnom Sampov might be caused by the movement of earth’s land million years ago pushing from the underground to stand higher to the sky in the middle of low land area in Battambang in the west of Tonle Sap Great Lake. Khmer people have been being living around this mountain since the ancient times and transferred the tale related to this mountain and surrounding mountain from generation to generation. Once upon the time, a beautiful girl found the egg of crocodile near Mekong River and took care of it until mature. This crocodile loves her very much as its mother. One day, a prince lived near this region seeing mother of this crocodile and promised to love her forever. However, the prince was not honest with his mother since she is not a member of the royal family, so he decided to get married to another princess in Chan Borey part of Khmer Kingdom (Thailand today). During that time most area of Battambang today was part of the sea similar to the geographical experts said that Battambang and area around Tonle Sap Great Lake was surely under the sea millions years ago. With the good arrangement for marrying to new beautiful princess in Chan Borey, the prince took the wooden ship (Sampov in Khmer) with his guards to Chan Borey through the sea over Tonle Sap Great Lake until they reached the sea above Battambang today. Being so sad and angry to the dishonest prince, the girl’s crocodile was so angry and went to stop the prince’s ship on the way. Then the wooden ship of prince met crocodile on the way in the location of Phnom Sompov today. Crocodile swam to hit the ship falling all materials to the sea and the sail breaking to the sea, so the prince was so afraid and prayed for help. Being special in magic, Neang Romsai Sork (Girl with long long magic hair) came to help him by holding hand on her hair down to lower water down and down until the sea becoming small known as Tonle Sap Great Lake today. Without water, crocodile died near the ship becoming well-known as Phnom Kroper (Crocodile look like mountain near Phnom Sampov). Materials falling to the sea also converted to mountains. Cage of the duck and chicken became known as Phnom Trung Moan Trung Tea (Cage of the duck and chicken look like mountains). Neang Romsay Sork also died becoming mountain known as Phnom Neang Romsai Sork. The broken sail falling to the sea (Kdaung Sampov in Khmer) became Phnom Kdaung. At last from time to time, the wooden ship became Phnom Sampov today. All mountains in the tale are not far from Phnom Sampov; all tourists could see these mountains from the top of Phnom Sampov.

This year during Khmer New Year 2012, the trip was done visiting Phnom Sampov in Battambang. Standing near National Road No. 10 or 57A, Phnom Sampov could make all tourists feel that it stands in front of national road if travelling from Battambang Town, but actually it is so near to this smooth rubber road just repaired a few years ago. It is so wise to spend less than one hour from Battambang Town through National Road No. 10 or 57A visiting Phnom Sampov if everyone came to Battambang Province. It is so amazing and exciting to see the appearance of Phnom Sampov in the middle of borderless green rice field rarely seen in somewhere else. Living in Battambang since at birth and travelling with father at his work in Rattanak Mondul for short vacation since the young age as well as with family enjoying visit most of natural tourism sites along National Road No. 10 until Pailin during Khmer New Year, Phnom Sampov is surely the main interest in life.  The sun shines in the morning with blue sky while white cloud moving made the best view of Phnom Sampov as heart of mountains in Battambang. Near the edge of mountain, many retail businesses are friendly to welcome all tourists selling rich local food and souvenirs to you with suitable prices. If everyone travels by motor or car, the parking lot with low price is for you to use and pay for the service taking care of your vehicles or if you do not wish to park in the land near mountain, all tourists could drive your vehicle to the top of mountain on the other side through small concrete path built by the generosity of Khmer people in foreign countries as well as in Cambodia. Walking through the stone ladder, the good sculpture of tiger’s head on the edge of ladder seems to welcome the trip to the mountain top as the gate to the sky. Up and up, the green field was seen farther and farther to the edge of the sky. The flexible ladder brought to the right place for photographing the view under the shade of the green forest. The air blew creating good feeling in the rural natural area. Then many smart monkeys on the first step of the mountain top played so happy and ate the food provided by the tourists. This place had several cars parking under the trees that some monkeys were so naughty to climb on the car and motor; some reflected its face in the mirror of motorbike and climbed back to the branch of the trees. There! The road to one special place containing deep lower place to several caves like La Ang Pka Sla (Pka Sla Cave), La Ang Kyol  (Kyol Cave), big Buddha statue, lion, etc. Here! Coming back from the lower deep place with special view, the trip continued to the second step of the top. Amazing! Continued walking lower down to the biggest cave known as La Ang Stani (Stani Cave) through the stone naga ladder with other tourists, everyone enjoyed photographing their photos with the natural view of the cave. Oh! How beautiful it was! A kid, Brother Toch, came to help guiding this trip from here. He told that there were several special characteristics in here. First, the stone on the wall of the cave was known as Dam Rey Kandeung Sam Poan (Elephants with Thousand of Bells) hearing like the bell ringing while tourists took the stone to knock on it; the stone appearance was so similar to the three head of elephants. Second, the stone on the wall of the cave looks like the small green plants floating in the pond (Chork in Khmer) and it’s sure to be the same as plants. Third, the trees were known as thousand years old tree (Deum Poan Chhnam) and the Khlok fruit look like deep stone. After, going to see the mountain protector, Nakta Phnom and taking photograph of a young guide. He also showed the way of local people going down the mountain near Nakta Phnom to log the tree. Finally, the human face look like spot on a tree was the last special one in here. Later, photographing was done from the top of Phnom Sampov over the surrounding view of mountain, green rice field, blue sky, smooth road, flowers, etc. Just a small gift for a kid, 5,000 Riel, and thanked him very much for being a good young guide. At last, going down off the mountain was taken in the mid-afternoon through the shortcut. Release Stress! Enjoy Nature! Visit Phnom Sampov, the Best Vacation for Life! “Good environment, good rubbish management!”

By: POK Panhavuth

Khmer Kingdom and Her People

Smile! Smile! Smile! (Friendliness of Khmer People)

Khmer Village Along the River near Wat Phnom in 1866

Cambodia, Kingdom of Wonder, locates in the Indochina Peninsula of the Southeast Asia Area. Nowadays, Cambodia covers the area of 181,035 km² and her border is along with Thailand in the west and north, Laos in the north, Vietnam in the east and southeast, and the Gulf of Thailand in the southwest. Cambodia used to be the most powerful kingdom, “Angkor Kingdom”, in Southeast Asia Region from 9^th to 15^th century that covered all the territory of Cambodia, most of Thailand, Laos, & the South part of Vietnam (Kampuchea Krom); the Gulf of Thailand, some part of Andaman Sea, and some part of South China Sea today. After Angkor era, this Kingdom was also known for her strong power again in Longvek Era, but it was damaged again by Siam (Thai) in 1594. 

Khmer is people for this kingdom. However, today Khmer is separated between the lost and remained territory. Majority of Khmer people are living in their own country “Cambodia”. Anyway, there are also millions of Khmer remain in the former territory of Angkor Kingdom around Cambodia. 

First, millions of Khmer, called “Khmer Sorin”, are living in Southeast territory of Thailand today such as Sorin, Nakhon ratchasima, Chanthaburi, Trat, Rayong, Nakhon Nayok, Srah Keo, Sisaket, Burirum, Yasothon, Oubun rachathani, Roiet, Chonburi, Lopburi, chaiyaphum, Mohasarakam, Amnatcharoen, Saraburi, Nonthaburi, etc. In fact, there are Khmer living in other provinces in Thailand, but they absorbed into Thai people like Sukhothai as example. Actually, Khmer temples remain in such provinces that Khmer are living and some other provinces like Sukhothai, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Sakon Nakhon, Phetchaburi, Lamphon, Kamphaengphet, Phisanulok, Phichit, Singburi, Nakhon Phanom, Ayuthyea, Nakhon Sawan, Uthaithani, Suphanburi, Lampang, Phrae, Samut Songkhram, Nongkhai, Udon thani, Nongbua Lamprio, etc. 

Second, in Laos, there are also Khmer people living in the south provinces, especially in Champasak. The main famous Khmer temple in these provinces is Wat Phu Temple, “the former Khmer capital in Chenla Era”. Obviously, Angkor Kingdom used to control all the territory of Laos today with her strong power. 

Finally, around 8 millions (Statistics in 2009 from Khmer Krom Federation’s Website) of Khmer, called “Khmer Krom”, are living in their own territory under Vietnamese Government’s control in the south of Vietnam. Khmer territory in this area include Mesor, Kuohkaung, Prey Nokor (Hochiminh City today), Peam Banteay Meas, Kromuon Sor, Teuk Khmao (Chroy of Cambodia in the French Map during French Colonial), Moat Chruk, Khleang, Long Hor, Prek Reussey, Kompong Reussey, Ou Kab, Preah Suorkea, Preah Trapeang, Pul Leav, Tuol Tamouk, Kompong Srokatrey (Changva Trapeang), Rong Damrey, Phsa Dek, Svay Taung, Peam Bareach, Chmouh Thmey, most part of Kontum & Dalat Plateau, and other islands, especially two large islands include Koh Tral (in front of Kampot Province of Cambodia today) and Koh Trolach. Furthermore, there are many Khmer Temple through out this territory, but most of them are broken down gradually. However, until now Vietnamese government has changed these entire Khmer name into Vietnamese name instead. 

Additionally, besides these areas, there are also some Khmer people living in the rest of the world after they fled from their homeland during the war such as Khmer Community in USA, Australia, France, Canada, Malaysia, etc. Even though Khmer people are living in different places, they still firmly continue their ancestors’ culture, language, tradition, religion, lifestyle, food, songs & music, etc. Unfortunately, Khmer Krom people are facing the restriction from Vietnamese government in continuing their culture, tradition, religion, language, lifestyle, and education in the pagoda. And one more problem between Vietnamese government and Khmer Krom today is the land conflict caused by the Vietnamese government and Vietnamese people confiscating the land of Khmer Krom for agriculture in some provinces that have continued since the control of Kampuchea Krom by Vietnam in 1949. 

In Short, there is a hope that in the future Khmer people who are living in different places will keep the good relationship with each other to improve the culture of Khmer towards the development of the bright future. Finally, there is just a request to appeal the Vietnamese government not to restrict too much on Khmer Krom in practice what they want because Khmer Krom people need only high living standard, development, and peace as Vietnamese people.

By: POK Panhavuth