Wat Chi Kreang

Also recorded as Wat Chikreng, and Prasat Chikreng, it’s a contemporary monastery and pagoda that hosts an array of remains from ancient temple sites. The ancient remnants presented at the site, and the wider area, have a heritage in the 10th-11th century and also from sometime around the 18-19th century, perhaps earlier, noting historical images and the stupa beside the current pagoda.

A new pagoda has been under construction for some time, still in the works when we visited in January 2023, and we returned again in October to see its completion. It’s quite special, and certainly quite colorful.

From the January visit – The pagoda is under restoration at the time of visiting (01/23) and praise to all those who have contributed as it, along with the entire village, is a quite wonderful and charming place.

Ancient remnants – The remnants may also be collected from the numerous ruins of ancient sites in the general area. Other remnants were recorded at the site, not seen on this visit, including post-Angkor era sandstone Buddha statues, and curious bollards with bas-reliefs (see Cisark site#1579).

Among the remains seen at the site today are several boundary markers, one carved with the relief of a Buddha seated on naga, a road marker bollard or “mile marker”, decorated pilasters, an ornate crown piece that would have topped a tower, numerous pedestals, decorated door columns, and lintel fragments. According to French reports from the early 1900s, not much existed of the surrounding ancient temple sites, Prasat Chikreng on which this pagoda sits, Prasat Chickeng East, and Prasat Chikreng West with some remnants already gathered at the pagoda even back then.

I counted almost 40 sandstone pedestals of various styles and sizes, perhaps indicating the remnants come from more than three temple sites…

Historical Images

Image of a carved wooden fronton via Fonds Cambodge, taken in 1929

Historical Notes

E. Aymonier, 1900, on Prasat Chikreng

Prasat Chikreng. Beyond Spean Preah Phtoeus, the road continues through beautiful forests interspersed with clearings, roughly following the right bank of the Sting Chikrêng and after two leagues it reaches the chief town. Srok Chikrêng, which keeps some vestiges of ancient monuments. There is no need to insist on Prasat Samrong, a tower which was two kilometers north of Chikrêng and which today is no more than a shapeless heap of bricks taking its name from a large “samrong” tree which covers him with his throne and his roots: neither on Kampong Preah Vihear a the “bank of the holy Buddhist temple”, a small hamlet where there is a statue of Brahma. But two Khmer inscriptions come from Prasat Chikrèng = Prasad Ji Kren, another brick tower located in the very capital, four hundred meters west of Vat Chikrêng, the current pagoda; this tower is no more than a pile of bricks on a platform. One of these inscriptions was written on a stele which was brought to Wat Chikreng; the other was traced on a wall of a door buried under the debris and which we had unearthed.