Surely you have never seen a pagoda inlaid with over 5,329 silver tiles? Prepare yourself to discover the splendor of the Silver Pagoda. Officially named Wat Ubaosoth Ratanaram it is also known as Wat Preah Keo Morakot. Locals often shorten this to Wat Preah Keo.
The Silver Pagoda sits on the south side of Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace in Chey Chumneas. Its historical and cultural importance is immense. The temple has no monks.
King Norodom Sihanouk lived here for a year during Preah Phnos’ construction. He became a monk in 1947. He then renamed the temple Wat Ubaosoth Preah Chin Rangsey Reachea Norodom Ratanaram. This translates to the Divine Dharma Pagoda of the Radiant Treasure of King Norodom. Foreign tourists call it Wat Prak. This means Silver Pagoda in their languages.
Step inside. Marvel at the floor covered in 5,329 silver tiles. These weigh a combined 1,125 kg. Imagine the craftsmanship. It is truly breathtaking. The Silver Pagoda houses national treasures. Gold and jeweled Buddha statues fill the space.
Behold the small green crystal Buddha. It’s known as the Emerald Buddha of Cambodia. Some say it’s Baccarat Crystal from the 17th century. But that’s impossible as Baccarat Crystal didn’t exist until the 18th century. Other sources claim Lalique created it in the 19th century.
A life-sized gold Maitreya Buddha will capture your attention. King Sisowath commissioned it. It weighs 90 kg. The statue is adorned in royal regalia. It glitters with 9,584 diamonds. The largest diamond weighs 25 carats. Palace workshops created this masterpiece between 1906 and 1907. Sadly after the Cambodian Civil War the gold Maitreya Buddha lost most of its two-thousand diamonds.
King Norodom Sihanouk had the Silver Pagoda inlaid with silver tiles. He also remodeled outer facades with Italian marble. Only a small area of the tiles are viewable by the public though. The structures are surrounded by a wall. Murals of the Reamker adorn this wall. Cambodian artists painted them between 1903 and 1904. Oknha Tep Nimit Mak directed them. He was the Silver Pagoda’s architect.
Two statues represent the legend of Preah Ko Preah Keo. The Silver Pagoda’s grounds host national and royal ceremonies. Norodom Sihanouk’s cremated remains are interred in the stupa of Kantha Bopha.
The temple cloister walls display paintings. They tell the Reamker story from beginning to end. Forty classically trained Cambodian artists created this mural. It was painted in 1903-1904. Oknha Tep Nimit directed them again. The mural extends 642 meters long and 3 meters high. It starts from the eastern gallery on the south side. It surrounds the temple grounds entirely. The Reamker story is told by visitors circuambulating the outer galleries.
These ancient paintings show unique details. They differ from the Indian Ramayana. The Reamker story seems somewhat inaccurate here. The paintings are slowly disappearing due to weather rock-eating germs and human vandalism. In 1985 the Cambodian and Polish governments collaborated to protect and restore the paintings. The program lasted five years. Limited funds caused it to expire before completion.
King Norodom Sihanouk revived the project in 2015. Foreign and Cambodian craftsmen cooperated. They restored the original vibrancy of the figures buildings and vegetation.
As you leave the Silver Pagoda remember its treasures. Think of its history and the art that surrounds it. Let the Silver Pagoda’s beauty stay with you long after you leave.