Cambodia
Wat Hanchey
Wat Hanchey: A Hilltop Pagoda Above the Mekong
Wat Hanchey is a Buddhist pagoda on a 63-meter hill above the Mekong in Cambodia's Kampong Cham province, with sanctuaries from the 6th and 7th centuries standing beside it. Reaching the top means climbing a stairway of 295 steps, so plan your shoes, water and sun protection before you go ashore.
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Arriving at Wat Hanchey
Your ship will tell you where it moors and how the visit to the hilltop is organized. The pagoda stands on Phnom Hanchey, officially called Phnom Chey Kiri, a hill 63 meters high on the north bank of the Mekong in Kampong Cham province.
- A stairway of 295 steps climbs the hill.
- The hilltop has a vihara, or temple hall, and ancient sanctuaries from before the Angkor period.
- Cambodia's currency is the riel, but as of 2024 small US dollar bills were still widely accepted.
- Carrying a copy of your passport photo page can be useful, but it is not a legal requirement in Cambodia.
A Brief History
Phnom Hanchey was a religious site long before Angkor. Its oldest sanctuaries date from the late 6th and 7th centuries, in the time of the Chenla kingdom, and an inscription here drew European scholars from the 1880s.
- Late 6th to early 7th century: The Hanchey temple was built in the Sambor Prei Kuk style from a porous stone similar to laterite. It is one of only two temples in Cambodia built of this stone; the other is Ashram Maha Rosei on Phnom Da in Takeo province.
- 7th century: A brick sanctuary on the south side of the hilltop, 7 meters square and 12 meters high, was built in the reign of Isanavarman I, who ruled Chenla from 616 to 637 from his capital at Sambor Prei Kuk. It is now dilapidated.
- Early 1880s: French visitors came to the hill several times and sent a rubbing of the inscription on the southern sanctuary's door lintel to France to be translated.
- 1882 and 1885: The Dutch scholar Hendrik Kern was the first to study the Sanskrit inscription, followed by the French scholar Auguste Barth.
- Early 20th century: Étienne Aymonier and Lunet de Lajonquière began publishing descriptions of the group of temples on the hill.
Accessible Travel
The visit means a climb of 295 steps to the top of a 63-meter hill, which is hard going for anyone with limited mobility. Ask your ship before the call whether a vehicle can take you to the hilltop and how long the group will spend there.
- Bring water, a hat and sun protection for the climb.
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