“A long time ago, in a faraway land…”

Do you know any Cambodian folk tales?

Mt. Krom in Siem Reap,

Kratie – where the Mekong runs through,

Oudong – the former capital,

and the ethnic minorities of the Rattanakiri region.

An introduction to 4 local tales passed down through the generations.

A from Phnom Krom,Siem Reap Province

General Hanuman and the Upside-down Mountain

Once upon a time, the monkey warrior, Hanuman,received a mission from the King, Preah Ream, to search out a medicinal tree to treat his younger brother, who was wounded by an arrow. The king couldn’t tell his old friend, Hanuman, that the tree was Chong Krong Sva, a monkey tree, for if he heard the word “monkey” he would be discouraged and ridiculed, and feared he would not go in search of the tree. Three times Hanuman found a medicinal tree and returned to the king, only to fi nd out it was not the tree the king was looking for. So Hanuman cut half of Mt. Trongbat, and had the king search for the medicinal tree himself. The king found the tree he desired. Hanuman said with disappointment, “This is the tree you searched for?” Being a famous tree, everyone knew its name. “If I knew it was this tree, I wouldn’t have brought half the mountain.” He complained thoughtlessly.

After the younger brother’s recovery, the mountain half was no longer needed, so the king had Hanuman take it back. It came from far away, and being lazy, Hanuman decided to throw it back. It ended up where it is found today, only upside down. It became “Phnom (= mount)Krom (= down)”.

Let’s visit the area in the story!

Siem Reap is Cambodia’s greatest tourist city. The story is set south of the city near a small lake, at a mountain with a height of just 140 metres – Phnom Krom. It is not particularly popular with tourists, but it does

feature ruins of a Hindu temple at the summit. It boasts beautiful orange coloured dusks, with reflections on the elevated water level of the lake during the rainy season a special period. The tree featured in the story still grows natively on the mountain and is used in traditional medicine – the locals would likely be all too keen to point one out for you.

ACCESS

● From Phnom Penh

First head to Siem Reap, by plane, or overland using National Highway 6. Phnom Krom is about 20mins by car (12kms) from the city centre.

*Travel time is affected by the condition of the road during the dry and wet seasons.

Upper : Sunset from Phnom Krom

Lower: Phnom Krom is sorrouded by Tonle Sap lake and rice-fields