Phnom Sorsia is a Buddhist hill complex in

Kampot Province Kampot ( km, កំពត ) is a province in southwestern Cambodia. It borders the provinces of Koh Kong and Kampong Speu to the north, Takéo to the east, Kep and the country of Vietnam ( Kiên Giang) to the south, and Sihanoukville to the ...

, southern

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

. It contains Buddhist cultural features approached by a staircase and a complex of karst caves. One cave ''Rung Damrey Saa'' ("White Elephant's Cave") has a stalagmite resembling the head of an elephant; another has a bat colony. The gateway to the caves is marked by a pagoda, approximately from the main road.

Geography

The complex is located about east of

Kampot Kampot may refer to: *Kampot (city), a city in southern Cambodia *Kampot, an alternative spelling of the Slavic drink Kompot *Kampot Province, province of Cambodia *Kampot Municipality, a municipality in Cambodia *Kampot Airport, an airport in Cambo ...

. It is accessed via a dirt road which veers from the NH33; signage refers to the site as the Phnom Sorsia Resort. Phnom Sorsia, Phnom Chhnork, Kep, and

Bokor National Park Preah Monivong Bokor National Park ( km, ឧទ្យានជាតិព្រះមុនីវង្ស បូកគោ, ) is a national park in southern Cambodia's Kampot Province that was established in 1993 and covers . It is designated as ...

make up a popular day trip of the

. The forest-covered hill has several limestone caves. The White Elephant Cave is so named as there are many stalagmites in the limestone formations which resemble white elephants. East of Phnom Sorsia is the "Bat Cave", with a population of several thousand bats. They come out to the surface through a narrow chimney-type passage, and are hunted by bamboo-wielding local residents who swat at them while they are airborne. A concealed pool with cool water is approached through a hole. The vistas from the top of the mountain are of rice fields.

Culture

Phnom Sorsia is considered a holy hill. Steps have been carved in the slopes in a winding formation, to reach both the top of the mountain and the White Elephant Cave. Cultural features include two

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

statues to the right of the White Elephant Cave, a garishly painted temple, as well as a

stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...

on top of the hill.

References

External Links

{{Buddhism in Cambodia, state=collapsed Caves of Cambodia Buddhist temples in Cambodia Geography of Kampot province Buildings and structures in Kampot province Show caves Tourist attractions in Kampot province