Preah Monivong Bokor National Park ( km, ឧទ្យានជាតិព្រះមុនីវង្ស បូកគោ, ) is a national park in 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 Thailan ...

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 ...

that was established in 1993 and covers . It is designated as an

ASEAN Heritage Park ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) are selected protected areas in the ASEAN region that are known for their unique biodiversity and ecosystems, wilderness and outstanding values in scenic, cultural, educational, research, recreational and tourism. Its vi ...

. It is located in the

Dâmrei Mountains The Dâmrei Mountains (literally the "Elephant Mountains", km, ភ្នំដំរី, Chuŏr Phnum Dâmrei), refer to a mountain range situated in south-western Cambodia, traversing around north-south as a succession of the Cardamom Mounta ...

, forming the southeastern parts of the

Cardamom Mountains The Cardamom Mountains ( km, ជួរភ្នំក្រវាញ, ; th, ทิวเขาบรรทัด, ), or the Krâvanh Mountains, is a mountain range in the south west of Cambodia and Eastern Thailand. The majority of the range ...

. Most of the park is about 1,000 metres above sealevel and the highest peak is Phnom Bokor at 1,081 metres, also referred to as Bokor Mountain.

History

The Dâmrei Mountains was formerly a Khmer Rouge controlled area, but in 1993, Preah Monivong National Park was inaugurated along with most other national parks in Cambodia. It is one of only two

ASEAN Heritage Parks ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) are selected protected areas in the ASEAN region that are known for their unique biodiversity and ecosystems, wilderness and outstanding values in scenic, cultural, educational, research, recreational and tourism. Its vi ...

in the country. Preah Monivong National Park is well known for the abandoned

Bokor Hill Station Bokor Hill Station ( km, ស្ថានីយភ្នំបូកគោ, ; french: Station d'altitude de Bokor) refers to a collection of French colonial buildings constructed as a temperate mountain luxury resort and retreat for colonial reside ...

, a remote settlement build by the French colonialists in 1921. They also built a Catholic church nearby in 1928, a very rare sight in Cambodia. The park is named after King

Sisowath Monivong Sisowath Monivong ( km, ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ មុនីវង្ស, ;Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-English Dictionary''. Bureau of Special Research in Modern Langua ...

who used to visit the area and eventually died here in 1941. Monivong ordered the construction of a Buddhist temple in the area in 1924. In recent times the national park has become a popular tourist destination and now includes Thansur Bokor Highland Resort, a large luxury hotel built in 2012. In 2010, a large statue of Lok Yeay Mao was constructed in the area. Lok Yeay Mao is a mythic heroine from Cambodian Buddhism and is said to protect travellers, hunters and fishing men. At 29 metres, it is the tallest Yeay Mao statue in the country. In 2019, the government released a "Master Plan for Bokor City Development Project until 2035", by which 18,987 acres of the park are to be developed for residents, tourism, and businesses. Bokor view.jpg, View towards Kampot and the Gulf of Thailand from Phnom Bokor Phong cảnh trên đỉnh núi Bokor.jpg, Landscape Cổng Bàn Ngự.jpg, Strange stone formations with offering sites Di mau.jpg, Lok Yeay Mao Statue Chùa Năm Thuyền.jpg,

Wat Sampov Pram A wat ( km, វត្ត, ; lo, ວັດ, ; th, วัด, ; khb, 「ᩅᨯ᩠ᨰ」(waD+Dha); nod, 「ᩅ᩠ᨯ᩶」（w+Da2)) is a type of Buddhist temple and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State, Yunnan, the Southern Provi ...

, a buddhist temple (1924) Bokor Church.jpg, A Catholic church (1928) near Bokor Hill Station Crinum asiaticum 1.jpg, ''

Crinum asiaticum ''Crinum asiaticum'', commonly known as poison bulb, giant crinum lily, grand crinum lily, or spider lily, is a plant species widely planted in many warmer regions as an ornamental. It is a bulb-forming perennial producing an umbel of large, sh ...

References

External links

National parks of Cambodia Cardamom Mountains Geography of Kampot province ASEAN heritage parks 1993 establishments in Cambodia Protected areas established in 1993 Tourist attractions in Kampot province {{cambodia-geo-stub