Wat
Wat Nokor Bachey Knong
វត្តនគរបាជ័យក្នុង
Wat Nokor Bachey Knong (វត្តនគរបាជ័យក្នុង), often called Wat Nokor, is a Buddhist Wat in Ampil commune, Kampong Siem district, Kampong Cham province, Cambodia.[1][2]
History
Ampil commune holds two Wats of this name, Wat Nokor Bachey Knong ("inner") and Wat Nokor Bachey Krau ("outer").[3] The Angkorian temple that shares their name, Prasat Wat Nokor Bachey (Banteay Prei Nokor), is one of Kampong Cham's four historical sites, and in November 2025 the provincial administration began work on plans to develop it for visitors.[2]
The Angkorian temple
The temple, Prasat Nokor Bachey (ប្រាសាទនគរបាជ័យ), stands in Ampil commune on the edge of Kampong Cham city.[4] It lies beside National Road 7, less than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) north-west of the city.[5] Its exact age is unknown, and estimates run from the 10th to the 12th century.[6] One account places it in the reign of Suryavarman II (1113 to 1150), the time of Angkor Wat, and gives it to the god Vishnu.[5] Another dates its carvings to the 12th century and the Bayon style, and an earlier reading had it begun in the 10th century as a Buddhist temple, turned to Brahmanic worship and later returned to Buddhism.[4]
A square laterite wall, about 200 meters (660 feet) on each side, encloses the site, and the sanctuary towers inside are mostly of sandstone.[5] Within a double enclosure, two rings of galleries surround a cross-shaped central temple and two libraries, and a naga balustrade lines the east entrance.[4] A later Theravada prayer hall, or vihara, joins the east gate of the inner enclosure to the door of the central temple, and the central shrine carries a roof in the shape of a stupa.[4] A stele in Pali and Khmer at the site, dated 1566, shows that building went on until at least the 16th century, probably when the stupa and perhaps the hall were added.[4]
As Theravada Buddhism took hold in Cambodia from the 13th century, the temple stayed in use as a place of worship.[5] In the 1930s, during the colonial period, the monks living around the ruins built a new pagoda at their center, and French archaeologists carried out conservation work on parts of the temple in the same years.[5] As of 2026 the site is an active pagoda and an important place of worship for local people.[5]
Religious life
In August 2026, during Vassa, the rains retreat, Vassa candles and offerings from a government delegation led by Labour Minister Heng Sour were taken to the monks keeping the retreat at both Wats of the name.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ Fresh News, ថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំខេត្តកំពង់ចាម អញ្ជើញចូលរួមរំលែកមរណទុក្ខ និងគោរពព្រះវិញ្ញាណក្ខន្ធព្រះសព ព្រះបាលត្ថេរ ធី ម៉ាន់ ព្រះចៅអធិការវត្តនគរបាជ័យក្នុង ស្ថិតក្នុងស្រុកកំពង់សៀម (October 10, 2025)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 AKP, រដ្ឋបាលខេត្តកំពង់ចាមបើកកិច្ចប្រជុំស្តីពីការរៀបចំការអភិវឌ្ឍទេសចរណ៍នៅរមណីយដ្ឋានប្រាសាទវត្តនគរបាជ័យ និងតំបន់កោះប៉ែន (November 11, 2025)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 DAP News, ក្រុមការងាររាជរដ្ឋាភិបាល ចុះមូលដ្ឋានស្រុកកំពង់សៀម នាំយកទៀនព្រះវស្សា និងទេយ្យទានប្រគេនព្រះសង្ឃគង់ចាំព្រះវស្សានៅវត្តចំនួន ៧ ក្នុងឃុំចំនួន២ នៃស្រុកកំពង់សៀម ខេត្តកំពង់ចាម (August 9, 2026)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Hello Angkor, Rodney Charles L'Huillier, Nokor Bachey Temple (updated January 1, 2026)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Cambodianess, Paul Valdebouze, Combining Ancient and Recent History around Religion at Wat Nokor (March 2, 2026)
- ↑ Happy Frog Travels, How to Visit Nokor Bachey Pagoda in Kampong Cham (undated)