The Independence Monument ( km, វិមានឯករាជ្យ ) in
Phnom Penh, capital of
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 Thailan ...
, was built in 1958 to memorialise Cambodia's independence from France in 1953. It stands on a roundabout in the intersection of
Norodom Boulevard
Norodom Boulevard ( km, មហាវិថីព្រះនរោត្តម), also called Street 41 ( km, ផ្លូវលេខ៤១, link=no), is a major boulevard in Cambodia and one of Phnom Penh's oldest arterial roads. It was named a ...
and
Sihanouk Boulevard in the centre of the city. It is in the form of a
lotus-shaped
stupa, of the style seen at the temple at
Banteay Srei
Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey ( km, បន្ទាយស្រី ) is a 10th-century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor, it lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, north-east of the main group of temples ...
and other Khmer historical sites.
The Independence Monument was designed by the Cambodian architect
Vann Molyvann
Vann Molyvann ( km, វណ្ណ ម៉ូលីវណ្ណ; 23 November 1926 – 28 September 2017) was a Cambodian architect. During the Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime (1955–1970), Prince Norodom Sihanouk enacted a development policy encompass ...
, who was “personally selected and instructed” by Prince
Norodom Sihanouk on how it should look like, combining “the religious and the secular.” It stands 37 metres tall.
During national celebrations, the Independence Monument is the centre of activity. A ceremonial flame on the interior pedestal is often lit by a royal or high official on these occasions, and floral tributes line the stairs. Every year, the Independence Monument is visited by foreign tourists and locals alike. Behind the monument is the
Norodom Sihanouk Memorial, constructed in 2013.
Notes
Monuments and memorials in Cambodia
Buildings and structures in Phnom Penh
Tourist attractions in Phnom Penh
Buildings and structures completed in 1962
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