Located 40km north of Phnom Penh on the west bank of the Tonle Sap River at the confluence of Kandal, Kampong Chhnang, and Kampong Speu is the historical area of Longvek-Oudong that was home to Cambodia’s capital in periods of the 16th century to the mid-19th century long after leaving Angkor. It was a period of great prosperity with the opening to international trade, and, a time of great conflict, war, and power struggles.
It’s an amazing area that we can explore, with heritage sites spread out over a 60 sq km area including Buddhist Terraces, heritage pagodas, shrines, and, of course, the epic mountain of Phnom Oudong with its grand stupa and shrines.
Let’s put it all together on a map, discover the highlights in the area, and take a dive into history. At the bottom of the page, I’ll also include a section on historical images and a summary of notes that were left by the Dutch and French in the 16th-19th century featuring some quite fascinating insights on the era.
Map of Sites in Longvek-Oudong
Historical Intro to the Longvek & Oudong Eras
Exploring the historical notes left by the Dutch, French, and the contemporary translations of the Royal Chronicles we can build a little bit of a backstory to the area, or an outline at least. The numerous sources mentioned often have conflicting dates, something that will likely be qualified and expanded on by continuing research and archeological work in the area. For now, let’s begin that backstory after the capital had shifted from Angkor to the ever-prosperous Mekong, southeast of the Tonle Sap.
Around the 15th century, the capital of Cambodia had shifted south to the Srei Santhor area, and later to Chaktomuk (Present day Phnom Penh), and around the beginning of the 16th century, the nation would enter a civil war seeing Sdech Khan and Ang Chan at loggerheads for a decade, with Sdech Khan occupying east of the Mekong and Chan to the west. Ang Chan would eventually be victorious, uniting the nation and shifting his base from Pursat to establish a new capital at Longvek. This site had prior heritage in the 7th century, noting inscriptions and artifacts discovered there, and may have already been an active maritime area.
Before the completion of his new citadel, he would lay waste to invading forces from Siam at Angkor and later begin notable restorations at Angkor Wat and the clearing of the Bayon temple. It was at this time the first reports of Europeans in the country emerged. King Ang Chan would reside at a citadel in Banteay Meanchey, and then the Citadel of Baribaur (Kampong Chhnang) before returning to his newly constructed citadel at Longvek.
Longvek would be centred around a massive earthen-walled citadel with a cross-shaped Wat Tralaen Kaeng at its centre, located north of the mountain of Oudong and west of the Tonle Sap River. At that time, a grand statue of the four-sided Buddha was commissioned and placed at Wat Traleang Kaeng, a sandstone statue whose feet can still be seen in the pagoda today. Wat Preah En Tep was also constructed along with constructions atop Phnom Oudong including Wat Athross and its giant Buddha along with what we call today Buddha Nirvana, the sandstone statue of the reclining Buddha and his attendants. He also commissioned an iron smelter tended by the famed Kouy metal workers and two basins at the foot of the mountain. The great king would pass away in the mid-late 16th century (1567) with his remains enshrined in the stupa that fronts the Buddha Nirvana.
By all reports, it was a prosperous time for trade across South East Asia, and it would be around this time, that Portuguese and Spanish missionaries would visit Cambodia and leave with us the first European reports of Cambodia earlier reports were noted in Chinese annals of diplomatic missions, likewise with Japan. Cambodia was noted for gold, silver, copper, iron, brass, tin, silk, benzoin (tree sap), lac (an insect used to create red dye), wax, ivory, rhinoceros horns, elephants, and horses, some notes also mention Aloewood (agarwood), other notes mention Cambodia being an important source of dried ginger for Chinese traders.
In the later stages of the 16th century, the Khmer would be fighting off invasions from Laos and Siam, but both were unsuccessful. After a period of peace, Siam would wage an unsuccessful attack on Longvek, later to be followed by a second attack in which Siam assembled its largest-ever army to attack. The Khmer king, Satha, would enlist the help of the Portugues and Spanish already in Cambodia at that time, with requests sent to the Spanish governor in the Philippines to send help. That help would come too late. King Satha escaped to the east preceding the attack, later heading north to Laos or at least Sambour (also see Wat Sasar Muoy Roy) and in the end, Siam forces would take the remaining royal court and reportedly, over 100,000 people back to Ayutthaya, along with the nation’s treasures, literature, and leaving nothing but ruin.
From the ruins, a young Cambodian prince would rise and raise an army once again and demolish the remaining Siamese forces that had burnt Longvek to the ground. The Royal Court returned to Srey Santhor where it remained for two decades or more, in a turbulent state that saw six different kings come and go.
In the early 17th century, King Chey Chetta II established a new capital at Oudong and it would be in the mid-17th century that the adventures and misadventures of the Dutch East India Company would begin adding to the established presence of Chinese, Malays, Portuguese, and Japanese in the contexts of trade, missionaries, and pilgrimage.
During this time, the Oudong Era would last from the 17th century to the 19th century and Cambodia would see the throne change 23 times including the rise of a Queen to the throne, Queen Ang Mey, and the change of the state religion to Islam under the reign of Ramathipadi I (Ponhea Chan/Sultan Ibrahim) from 1642–1658 (also note the inscribed tablet this king left at Phnom Bakheng), and finally the rise of King Ang Doung.
In the 19th century, King Ang Doung united the country at a very difficult time, ushering in a foundation for a new age of prosperity and stability. King Ang Doung is one of the highly regarded kings of the era, leaving an enormous legacy not only in pivoting Cambodia out of difficult times, but also a legacy in art, culture, and civil reform. He established his royal court at what we know today as Wat Veang Chas and also constructed Wat Prang. Near Kampong Luong, a contemporary statue of Ang Doung atop his horse can be seen which is somewhat poetically surrounded by sandstone markers that may have once lined the beautiful roadway to his palace as noted by French reports. Around 1866, he moved the capital and Royal Palace to Phnom Penh where it resides to this day.
Let’s Explore!
With that little bit of history under our belts, we can start to understand just how fascinating the area is, and start to appreciate its wonder a little more.
As for a route, I suggest starting at Reachny Longvek, then head east to the river and follow the road north, stopping by the pagodas as you wish until you reach the junction of the rivers where there is a small floating village and a little further, a beautiful view over to the island at Wat Koh Chroy.
Keep going north and the road crosses the small canal, which is held to have been the ancient port of Longvek, then follow road 135 west into Longvek and stop for a look at Wat Sophy Raingsei noting the large collection of sema and remnants, then back to road 135 and take the next major road south which leads past the two archaeological sites of Vihear Kuk and Wat Chas, then to Wat Traleang Kaeng.
At Wat Tralaeng Kaeng there are two pagodas, one that replaced the original cross-shaped pagoda, as seen in the historical images below, which still retains the sandstone feet of the original four-sided Buddha. Also, note the original and beautiful sandstone sema that surrounds the pagoda, likewise at the adjacent pagoda, and the remains of the older stupa.
East of Traleang Kaeng are several archeological sites that remain sacred destinations for the locals, several of these still retain the original sema stones that once demarcated the Buddhist Terraces built during the Longvek-Oudong eras.
South of those, is Wat Preah En Tep, a site that has its heritage in the era of King Ang Chan and is quite beautifully kept. Continuing south, the dirt road crosses through the remains of the ancient earthen wall and moat that once surrounded this great citadel in the 16th century. Keep following that road which passes by a few more archaeological sites, the most notable being Vihear Bak Kor which contains a large collection of relics found at sites in the Longvek area.
From there, head west to NR 5 and follow that down to Wat Prang and Wat Veang Chas dating to the era of King Ang Duong featuring a row of cannons surrounding the vihara (see the historical notes). In the nearby villages, and on the plains surrounding Phnom Oudong there are numerous other pagodas you can visit, many have heritage in the Longvek-Oudong era retaining remnants from that time but I think the most interesting is perhaps Wat Preah Vihear Luong. It features an ancient sandstone votive stupa and sandstone sema, along with remnants that may be pieces of an ancient Buddha, and the recently restored pagoda is quite beautiful inside.
Then of course, you can climb Phnom Oudong, either from the right side or left side of the mountain, I suggest taking the trail that leads up from the northwest side which leads past the first group of grand chedi, and then to the contemporary Preah Shakyamuni Chedi and follow that trail all the way past the stupa to Wat Athaross, then down and back up to the Buddha Nirvana and Preah Ang Chan Chedi, then, follow the trail back down, passing by smaller chedi and shrines before reaching the dining huts. For more details, see the post on Phnom Oudong.
It’s also free to explore the Cambodia Buddhist Vipassana Center located at the northwest foothill of the mountain. It’s not a heritage site but it does feature beautifully landscaped grounds, a monumental seated Buddha, Chedi, Pagoda, and several shrines.
You could whizz around it in a day but two are suggested, adding in the sunset and sunrise moments. If you are really keen on exploring ALL the traces of the ancient eras, then you may well want to spend much longer.
Things you shouldn’t miss
- Phnom Oudong – inc. the numerous grand chedi/stupa, Wat Athaross, and Buddha Nirvana
- Wat Veang Chas & Wat Prang (Oudong)
- Reachny Longvek
- Wat Preah Vihear Luong
- Wat Tralaeng Kaeng and the surrounds which make up the ancient citadel of Longvek
- Wander around the Cambodia Buddhist Vipassana Center
- Beautiful views and village life along the Tonle Sap River
- Sunset and Sunrise at Phnom Oudong – the views from atop the mountain are certainly something, but so are the views from the fields looking over to the mountain and sunset or sunrise
The area also has a very decent guesthouse that’s clean, modern, and quiet with a fair price at $15 per night, see Khai Fong Guesthouse. As for meals, there is an abundance of stalls and dining huts at the base of Phnom Oudong, many have English menus. Otherwise, there are some street stalls on the southern side of Phadek Lake which is a wonderful place to be at sunset with noodles for around $2 and plenty around the market in Oudong itself..
Highlights of the Longvek Oudong area
Artifacts & Objects Diverse
Around the Pagodas of the area, perhaps of interest to history geeks and Khmerologists, are numerous fragments of eras gone by. It’s quite interesting trying to decode them and into which era they fit. Perhaps the most interesting are the sema stones, and the timeline they may expose, plus their relationship with those seen in the Wat Sithor area and with some in the Siem Reap area and beyond.
There’s a votive stupa seen that is quite interesting and unique to the later stages of the era, but only fragments remain. Just like the sema stones, some connections can be made with these and several other sites across Cambodia which I’ll come to in a later post.
Miscellaneous
Historical Notes & Images
European adventures In the late 16th Century
In the 16th century, the Portuguese were expanding their trade-religious network in tandem with religious missionaries and in 1555, a Portuguese Friar, Gaspar da Cruz, spent a year in Cambodia during the reign of King Ang Chan I. Documented in his book, Tratado das cousas da China, published in 1569, after a year in the country, he had little success in converting anyone to Christianity and moved on but he did leave us with the first documented European impressions of the country at that time.
In the account of Diogo do Couto, relaying the experiences of Antonio da Magdalena (or Madalena) who visited Angkor in the 1580s, as published by Groslier/Boxer in 1958, recalls a journey of King Ang Chan visiting Angkor whilst on an elephant hunt in 1550/51 (also note the story of Ang Chan being a captive of Siam having escaped during an Elephant that headed towards Angkor). Otherwise, little detail is found on events in Longvek-Oudong.
The book, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, by Dr. Antonio de Morga, governor of the Philippines in the 1590s, documented at length the expeditions and battles around Southeast Asia during the Spanish Colonial era, particularly the events in Cambodia. To summarise, in 1593, an embassy from Cambodia requested Spanish military aid and in the following years, Spanish expeditions were mounted under Juan Xuarez Gallinato with two very notable figures, Blas Ruiz de Hernan Gonzalez, and Diego Belloso who would be the main antagonists in the dramas that would ensue. They would arrive too late, the king of Cambodia had been usurped and had fled to Laos, and later died. Gonzalez and Belloso, would kill the usurper, and aid the former king’s sons to retake the throne around 1597.
While the battles and struggles are well documented, there is little description of the environment although an interesting snippet is a description of renowned goods in Cambodia at that time, including gold, silver, copper, iron, brass, tin, silk, benzoin (tree sap), lac (an insect used to create red dye), wax, ivory, rhinoceros horns, elephants, and horses.
These events are described in many other publications including Breue y verdadera relacion de los succesos del Reyno de Camboxa of 1604 which also features some insights on Cambodia at that time. In Lettres au R. P. Claude Aquaviva, escrites de Goa, le 25 jour de decembre 1599 also describes these events, this time relayed through the lens of a French Catholic missionary.
On Longvek
The five volumes of Oud en Nieuw Oost Indiën, published between 1724 and 1726, featured a history of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and their journeys in the 17th century collated by Francois Valentyn, a Christian minister and author. In it, it describes Longvek (Eauweck) at that time, some of the events from around 1630-1715, also publishing the famed “Eauweck” illustration we’ll come to later.
[..] surrounded by a wooden fence, but is so neatly built on the inside, and where all the woodwork is so beautifully varnished and gilded that it is everything seems to be made of pure gold, just as many wonderful things are proudly made of gold and silver.
Now the fortress, although made of wood, has been reinforced here and there with a lot of Chinese artillery, as well as with 24 Dutch cannons, which the Prince now received from the Goa and Noordwyk yachts.
Many will know the wonderful series, Histoire Générale Des Voyages, Ou Nouvelle Collection De Toutes Les Relations De Voyages, and its successive series, Suite De L’histoire Generale Des Voyages, Ou De La Nouvelle and in Volume 66, published in 1766, Longvek gets a brief mention with a summary of the experiences of the Dutch, perhaps based on the 1726 publication by Valentyn intertwined with the later French experience. Let’s summarize some of their observations, firstly about Cambodia itself at that time
Camboya, or Camboye, which some also call Cembodia, Camboje & Camboge, is bordered to the north by the Kingdom of Laos; to the East, by those of Cochinchina & Chiampa; to the South and the West, by the sea and by the States of the King of Siam. It forms like a large valley between two mountain ranges, which extend from the North-West to the South-East, and which separate it from the Kingdoms of Siam and Cochincine.
What shines through from the complete piece is how trade was at the forefront, which would have included Siam, Cambodia, Laos, Europeans, Chinese, Malays, and India under the powerhouse that was the Dutch East India Company. Some interesting points on regional trade are made in a summary of an 11-week journey up the Mekong in canoes from Cambodia to Laos by the Dutch including how traders from Siam would travel five months by ox cart with their fabrics to reach Laos!
For us today, it’s the section on Longvek (recorded as Eauweck) that is most interesting (translated from French)
Eauweck, Capital of the whole Kingdom, whose name it also bears, is one of the few towns which deserves some attention. Its location on the River Mecon is most pleasant.
We can judge by the magnificent plan that we give, the King makes his residence there, in a very simple palace, surrounded by a palisade, in the form of a partiion, six feet high. But it is defended by a large number of Chinese artillery, and by twenty-four pieces cannons, some of which were saved from the sinking of two Dutch ships on the coasts of this Kingdom. Within the enclosure of the palisade are the elephants, each of which has its own stable.
The interior of the palace, although built of wood, shines with gold and silver, and everything is charmingly clean. The centerpiece of the city is a temple, of a particular structure, and of which the art and beauty are extremely praised. It is supported by pillars of black varnished wood, with foliage and golden reliefs. The pavement itself is precious, and it is preserved by magnificent mats and carpets.
All the houses are contiguous along a dike. The city is inhabited, in addition to the natives of the country, by Japanese, Portuguese, Cochinchinese and Malays, some of whom establish themselves there, while the others only stay there for as long as necessary to carry out their trade. The Dutch have had a base there at various times, but the betrayals to which they have been exposed on the part of these peoples have made them abandon it since.
The experience of the Dutch in Cambodia is a fascinating drama, with differing views, something we’ll surely come back to in a later post.
The Eauweck Illustration – the first image below is believed to be the original created around the mid-1600s by the Dutch and was published in Valentyn’s publication as noted earlier. Those dates would put it well after the fall of Longvek and render it an illustration of what we frame today as being the Oudong era.
It would seem to me that the illustration was likely created by someone in the comfort of their homeland based on a description in voyage notes, as there does not appear to have been an illustrator on board any of the voyages in this era. The viewing angle is also notable as if looking down from a mountain cliff and across the Mekong to Phnom Oudong in the background. The original may have come from Johannes Vingboons who produced illustrations based upon the notes left by Dutch traders.
The second image below is a reproduction by Élisabeth Haussard which appeared in various versions of the Histoire Générale Des Voyages, Ou Nouvelle Collection De Toutes Les Relations De Voyages published in the mid-late-1700s; there are some subtle differences, but not so subtle is that the image was flipped horizontally for reasons unknown. The third image is a reproduction by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, the famed French geographer, also published in the mid-1700s, this time orientated as per the original.
On Oudong
In L’illustration: journal universel v.43 1864, a chapter entitled Correspondence From Cochinchine by A. De Belloy, Singapore, September 1863 provides a first-hand view of the palace in the late stages of the Oudong era, also providing some beautiful and insightful illustrations of a journey that continued down the Mekong River to an important outpost, Sambour of Kracheh Province.
In the illustration, we see the routes from the palace leading to Phnom Oudong (Collines Royales) and to Kampong Luong, with the palace surrounded by a moat connecting with the river. At the entry, there is a bastion with a cannon and guard house. In the main enclosure, two basins flanked by a garden (Jardin), stables (Ecuries), a small temple, a large dining & pantomime/ballet hall, a market (Bazaar), an arsenal hall, a hall for the monks (Bonzerie), a reception hall and meeting room (Grand Salle de reception et de Conseil), a hall for the concubines (Kiosque de Serail), and at the rear, concubines quarters and a goldsmith workshop (Ateliers d’Orfevres).
The description of the image follows, and it seems clear that the author had a dim view of what he encountered at that time, unknown to him, that a short while later a new chapter of prosperity would emerge in Chaktomuk (Phnom Penh):
Ondoug, the capital, is situated towards the middle of the course of the river of that name, and not very far from the Me-Kong. It is there that the king resides; the one who reigns now, a weakened sovereign, formerly a prisoner in Bangkok where, reduced to the most extreme poverty, he earned his living by mending watches and clocks; [..] I must say in his praise that he is kind to strangers. Its palace, accompanied by the Mint and the Arsenal, is in the middle of the city, it is enclosed by a fairly low brick wall; the rest of the capital is surrounded by a palisade 3 to 4 meters high, and is made up of a series of houses, the least miserable in appearance being the residences of the nobles. It is truly the capital of the kingdom of poverty.
Campong-Luæng is a village not far from Ondong, a fairly large market is held there from time to time. This is where the general college of the Oriental Missions was once established.
From the French Era
In 1864, Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 1 of 2) During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860 by Henri Mahout (who had passed away earlier in 1861) wrote a fascinating tale of his journey from Kampot to Oudong, a few interesting extracts follow
Udong, the present capital of Cambodia, is situated north-east of Komput, and is four miles and a half from that arm of the Mekon which forms the great lake, lying about 135 miles from Komput as the crow flies. It is reckoned an eight-days’ journey, travelling with oxen or buffaloes, and there are eight stations on the way. With elephants you can accomplish it in half the time; but only the king, the mandarins, and very wealthy persons can afford to keep these animals. The conveyances which I had engaged could scarcely hold my baggage, so that my men were obliged to make the journey on foot.[…]
[…]The stations are equidistant from each other, about twelve miles apart; and at all of them, besides the old caravanserais for the shelter of ordinary travellers, new ones, much more spacious and ornamental, have been erected for the accommodation of the king. There are also intermediate resting-places between every two stations, where travellers can obtain a welcome shelter from the midday heat..[…]
[…]The following day I devoted to making an investigation of the city. The houses are built of bamboo or planks, and the market-place, occupied by the Chinese, is as dirty as all the others of which I have made mention. The longest street, or rather the only one, is a mile in length; and in the environs reside the agriculturists, as well as the mandarins and other Government officers. The entire population numbers about 12,000 souls.
Published in 1873, Voyage d’exploration en Indo-Chine by Francis Garnier covers the incredible journey of Garnier, Delaporte, Doudart de Lagrée, and others in their journey along the Mekong from Saigon to Shangjai between 1867-68. Cambodia is well documented along with wonderful illustrations by Delaporte. Some extracts from their notes on the Longvek-Oudong area, once again the roadway features a special mention, along with the citadel of Longvek and Wat Tralaeng Kaeng, Kampong Luong, and Phnom Oudong
Ang Duong also built the beautiful roadway planted with trees, which connects Oudong to Compong Luong, the Peam Choninua Phom Penh, and built a citadel near its capital (1849).
Like all Annamite and Cambodian villages, Compong Luong is made up of a long row of houses parallel to the river and built on the kind of causeway that forms the bank itself, and which dominates the surrounding land. However, while the Annamese huts rest directly on the ground, the Cambodian huts are raised on pilings one, two, sometimes three meters above. […]
It was no longer possible to travel around Compong Luong, due to the rising waters which had taken on considerable proportions since our departure. There was no other usable road than the high and wide causeway which leads to bog. This walk itself no longer offered much interest, the king of Cambodia and his entire court having recently moved to Pnom Penh. Following the roadway, you leave a three-peaked hill on the left, called Prea Reach Trop. At the foot of this hill have been buried almost all the members of the royal family since King Ang Lng. The highest point once stood a contemporary sanctuary of Angcor, near whose ruins the kings of Cambodia built new pagodas in the sixteenth century.
[….]It is from this moment that the splendor of this city dates, whose ruins can still be seen to the north of Oudong, on the right bank of the arm of the Great Lake. It has three enclosures, inside which we find numerous remains of pagodas. It was Preah Ang Chan who had the most important of these sanctuaries built, the one called Traleng Keng or four-sided, because it contained a colossal statue of Buddha with four faces, to which the imagination of the people attributed a “supernatural power”. Next to it were the famous statues of Preah Ko, the Taurus god, and Preah Keo, the precious stone Buddha. We will not dwell here on all the legends which relate to these idols and which have already been commented on in other works. In addition to the construction of Tralang Keng, we also owe to Preah Ang Chan the restoration of the sanctuary of Preah Reach Trop, which can be visited today a few kilometers south-east of Oudong. One of the daughters of this prince had married the king of Old Chan who was as fervent a Buddhist as her father, she caused the re-construction of several religious monuments in Laos, among others the Tat de Peuom.
In the early 1900s,
South of the former royal residence of Oudong, which preceded the current residence of Phnom Penh, rises a small range of hills called Phnom Prah Reach Trap. On the slopes and the summit of this hill are some remains of archaeological monuments transported to this place from some unknown neighboring point. They are: a stone Nandin, broken a few years ago by lightning, say the locals, and door frames used in the construction of a modern pagoda that houses a statue of the reclining Buddha.
A road approximately 6 kilometers long was established between Oudong and Kompong Luong on the very bank of the lakes spillway, by King Ang Duong, father of the current king. It is punctuated by stone lingas, the first of which is erected at the corner of the bridge in the Kompong Luong market.
Inventaire descriptif des monuments du Cambodge, E. Lunet de Lajonquière, 1901
In the mid-1930s, Robert Dalet explored the area and left invaluable notes and the only photograph (that I know of) of the main pagoda of Wat Tralaeng Kaeng which preceded what we see at the site today
The Vat Traléň Kèn (IK. 79, 9), cited on pages 125 and 135, has two inscription fragments; the first is a remain of a somasutra canal (?) in schist, recently engraved on both sides (Cœ. 767); the second, placed on the altar of the lower pagoda, is a small piece of rather coarse sandstone jamb and bears remains of seven lines (8th-6th century; Cœ. 766).
The Vàt Traléň Kèn (IK. 79, 9), province of Kompoň Chnàn, located towards the center of the ancient town of Lovêk, capital of the kingdom from 1528 to 1593. It is built on an old site and rebuilt on a high terrace artificial. Its cross plan with equal branches is the only example reproduced so far of such a provision (pi. XXIII, a). 50 meters to the east there is a second pagoda whose terrace is cluttered with sandstone blocks. Some bear traces of a decoration, others are jambs presenting a molding which can classify them towards the mid-classical period; one of them must have even constituted a bay monolith, because one corner still remains.
It was at Vàt Tralén Kèn that the Buddha was found seated in the European-style dating to well before the remains above.
500 or 600 meters further east of this sanctuary and almost on the edge of the large marsh which occupies the eastern part of Lovêk, a mound, the Vïhâr Ba Xuc (IK. 79, 10), carries a rustic shelter protecting a base, 2 m. 50 high, in laterite blocks; this base had received an enormous statue of Buddha, in sandstone, at least for certain fragments: we can still see the cushion lotus forming a plate for the sage, the head, 1 m. 25 in height, very artistic mediocre, the hands, the palm of which is 35 centimeters wide, one attesting the earth, the other in the pose of meditation.
Next to it are still various debris:
Dix-huit mois de recherches archéologiques au Cambodge. In: Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient. Tome 35, Robert Dalet, 1935
a) the top of a red sandstone stele showing a standing figure whose the left hand, brought to the chest, makes the gesture of exposure, b) a block of sandstone that must have been part of a building base. It offers a row of pearls between threads and, after a large gradient curved molding, double lotuses, quarter round, with stamens. Above short one band of diamond and half-diamond flowers; c) another block of sandstone (pilaster?) bears a pretty decoration of leaves in stem; d) to the South is placed a fragment of a lion with horned eyes and whose mouth broken has square corners.
Contemporary References & Research Papers
- IX. Les chroniques royales et l’inscription moderne d’Angkor n° 39. In: Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient. Tome 64, 1977, Khin Sok
- L’inscription de Vatta Romlok K.27. In: Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient. Tome 67, 1980, Khin Sok
- Inscriptions khmères K. 39 et K. 27. In: Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient. Tome 70, 1981, Saveros Pou
- Quelques réflexions sur la valeur historique des chroniques royales du Cambodge. In: Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient. Tome 75, 1986, Khin Sok
- Capitals of the Post-Angkor Period, Longvek and Oudong, Kitagawa Takako, 1998
- Cambodia and its Neighbors in the 15th Century, Michael Vickery, 2004
- Factors that Led to the Change of the Khmer Capitals from the 15th to 17th centuries, 2016, Nhim Sotheavin
- L’habit ne fait pas le moine » : note sur un Buddha préangkorien sis à Longvek (Cambodge) et accoutré en Neak Ta, 2016, Nicolas Revire
- The Khmer Kings and the History of Cambodia: BOOK I – 1st Century to 1595: Funan, Chenla, Angkor and Longvek Periods, Kenneth T So, 2017
- Reconfiguring Kingdoms: The end of Angkor and the emergence of Early Modern period Cambodia, 2018, Martin Polkinhorne
- Consumption and exchange in Early Modern Cambodia: NAA of brown-glaze stoneware from Longvek, 15th–17th centuries, Martin Polkinghorne, 2019
** I’ll have a little more to add to this post soon and likely some amendments, so please revisit! I’d also like to add some Chinese & Japanese sources, a timeline, and notes on interactions between those states.