Central Market, Phnom Penh
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The Central Market (, ; meaning "New Grand Market") is a
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...
and an
art deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
landmark in
Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...
, the capital of
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
. The bright yellow building completed in 1937 has a 26-metre high central dome, with four tall arch-roofed arms branching out diagonally across the block, creating vast hallways housing countless stalls and a variety of goods. Initially designed by city architect
Jean Desbois Jean Desbois was a French architect who rose to fame during the 20th century and left significant landmarks in France and in Cambodia such as the Central Market in Phnom Penh. He was a member of the French Society of Architects (''Société de ...
, construction works were supervised by French architect Louis Chauchon. When it first opened in 1937, it was said to be the biggest market in Asia; today it still operates as a market.


History

After Phnom Penh became the capital of the
French protectorate of Cambodia The French protectorate of Cambodia (; ) refers to the Kingdom of Cambodia when it was a French protectorate within French Indochina, a collection of Southeast Asian protectorates within the French colonial empire. The protectorate was establi ...
within
French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...
in 1867, the population grew enormously and the French set about creating a spacious modern city. The decision to build a market dates back to the end of the 1920s in response to the increase in the population to 90,000 inhabitants. It was decided to build it on a marshland in the center of the Chinatown of the time, but the project did not start until 1934 because of the turmoil of the Great Depression. The market was designed by
Jean Desbois Jean Desbois was a French architect who rose to fame during the 20th century and left significant landmarks in France and in Cambodia such as the Central Market in Phnom Penh. He was a member of the French Society of Architects (''Société de ...
, the architect of the city from 1931 to 1937, and its implementation was supervised by Louis Chauchon and the engineer Wladimir Kandaouroff. Construction was carried out by the (), frequently abbreviated SIDEC, which had built the markets of
Battambang Battambang (, Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ) is the capital of Battambang province and the List of cities and towns in Cambodia, third largest city in Cambodia. The city is situated on the Sangkae River, which winds its way through t ...
and Cholon. The marsh was drained and work began in August 1935. Construction was completed 22 months later; the market was inaugurated by King
Sisowath Monivong Sisowath Monivong (, ;Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-English Dictionary''. Bureau of Special Research in Modern Languages. The Catholic University of America Press. Washington, D ...
in September 1937. Since its completion, wet season flooding around the market has remained a problem, a reminder of the marshland it once was. The areas between the four diagonal arms and the surrounding streets were originally planted as gardens; over the years the gardens were gradually filled with various temporary structures, greatly increasing the number of stalls. During the
Franco-Thai war The Franco-Thai War (October 1940 – 28 January 1941, ; ) was fought between Thailand and Vichy France over certain areas of French Indochina. Negotiations shortly before World War II had shown that the French government was willing to alter th ...
in 1941 the market was bombed by Thai aircraft, causing heavy damage, and it had to be temporarily closed. After the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
it was restored much as it was. From 2009 to 2011, it underwent a US$4.2 million renovation funded by the
French Development Agency The French Development Agency (, AFD), known from 1992 to 1998 as the Caisse Française de Développement (CFD, ), is a public financial institution that implements France's development and international solidarity policies. It works to fight pov ...
. This renovation repaired and restored all the original reinforced concrete structure, and added low arched roofed stall areas in the originally open areas on all four sides. The entrances to the market are lined with souvenir merchants hawking everything from T-shirts and postcards to silver curios and
krama A krama ( ; ) is a sturdy traditional Cambodian garment with many uses, including as a scarf, bandanna, to cover the face, for decorative purposes, and as a hammock for children. It may also be used as a garrote by Bokator fighters, who a ...
s. Inside is a dazzling display of jewels and gold. Electronic goods, stationery, secondhand clothes and flowers are also sold.


Gallery

Central_Market_(Psar_Thom_Thmey)_August_2022.jpg, Central Market View from West Side to East Phnom Penh Central Market 7.jpg, One of the Central Market's entrances Sangkat Phsar Thmei Ti Muoy, Phnom Penh, Campuchia The Central Market - panoramio.jpg, Central Market under the dome 20171125 Central Market, Phnom Penh 4368 DxO.jpg, Central Market, Phnom Penh in 2017 PP Central Market- cavernous interior (14064641229).jpg, Central Market view into one of the arms 2014 Phnom Penh Central Market - January 2020 - 4.jpg, A walkway lined with shops in 2020 Phnom Penh Central Market - January 2020 - 1.jpg, Activity in the market in 2020


See also

* List of markets in Phnom Penh


References


Bibliography

* ** About this book: ***


External links

*
History of the market and its architects

360° aerial panorama of Central Market
{{Phnom Penh Bus Rapid Transit stations Retail buildings in Cambodia Buildings and structures in Phnom Penh Art Deco architecture Tourist attractions in Phnom Penh Market houses French colonial architecture in Cambodia