Wat Preah Ang Choub

Located partway up the south side of Kulen Mountain, Wat Preah Ang Choub features a highly revered ancient rock carving recorded as Peung Preah Chop.

It is a functioning monastery and an important one, too; every year, thousands of monks gather here, coming from Thailand and as far as China. As mentioned, the site is located about halfway up the side of Kulen Mountain, occupying a large plateau that stretches longways along the mountainside. The site features quarters for the monks, a prayer hall, a dining hall, a pagoda, several natural springs, and two important shrines, Peung Preah Chop and the Phka Tuk Roam temple.

The present-day pagoda is around 30 years old and replaces a pagoda/vihara closer to Peung Preah Chop. The sema from that original site now rests in the new pagoda. Below the pagoda are two large double-story prayer halls that are easily noticeable from the plains below.

There are several natural springs, all featuring sacred deities, be that lions, Naga, Preah Mae Thorani, and one a little more special that features a sculpture of the sacred turtle flanked by another pond with a Naga sculpture. As of early 2025, master craftsmen are adding new sculptures at the western end of the site featuring Buddha images. Some of these are quite beautiful, one in particular that is carved from naturally occurring pinkish sandstone.

The shrine of Peung Preah Chop abuts the natural sandstone of the mountain and features a carving of a standing Buddha taming an elephant. This is flanked on one side by a Naga carving, and beneath it is a natural water spring. It is an especially sacred site for all Cambodian Buddhists.

How old is the carving? Most of the hermitage sites and related rock carvings of the Kulen mountain area relate to around the 11th century, depicting Hindu/Brahmanical deities. However, this image is related to Theravada Buddhism and the Buddha taming the elephant Nalagiri, which symbolizes the triumph of compassion. One could assume it may date to the 15th-17th century.

Nearby Peung Preah Chop, there is a set of stairs that lead up to Phka Tuk Roam temple, which is a small cave featuring Buddha images. It has had some modern developments which were added in the 1990s. There are some beautiful views on offer here. On our most recent visit, they were upgrading the bridge, which crosses a cavern to the final set of stairs leading to the shrine.

Getting There

The site can be reached from Siem Reap via good sealed roads that pass by the Banteay Srei Butterfly Centre, Cambodian Landmine Museum, and Banteay Srei Temple. It’s about 50km in total or about an hour’s travel or a bit more.

From the base of the mountain, just behind the Kulara Water Plant, there is a cluster of stalls and two options to go up. You can either take the stairs or ride a moto up to the top. By moto, it’s a rocky trail in places, steep, and depending on your bike, you’ll likely need to use first gear with careful throttle and balance. By stairs, it is also steep, and it takes around 20-30 minutes.

It’s usually pretty quiet during the week, and there are stalls selling water and snacks, while on weekends, it gets busier, and several food stalls open up for Khmer making their pilgrimage to the site. There are also toilets on site.

At the base of the mountain, there is also a Brahma temple (Khmer: ប្រាសាទ ព្រហ្មទិស) and a Buddhist vihara.

Rodney Charles LHuillier

Living in Asia for over a decade and now residing in beautiful Siem Reap. Rodney Charles L'Huillier has spent over seven years in Cambodia and is the author of Ancient Cambodia (2024) and Essential Siem Reap (2017, 2019). Contact via [email protected] - more..