Vihear Sarsar Mouy Rouy

Vihear Sarsar Mouy Rouy is a pagoda well-known for its history and as a place of pilgrimage for residents of Kratie. Vihear Sarsar Mouy Rouy, meaning 'Temple with 100 columns', was first built in the 16th century by King Chann Reachea. The pagoda included 100 wooden columns to commemorate the memory of his daughter Vorakpheak.

The pagoda is located in Sambor town, 36 km from Kratie. To get there, take the old N R 7 along the River bank 24 km to Sandan village and continue northward 12 km by the River road to Sambo.

Hisory of Vihear Sarsar Mouy Rouy

In the 16th century, King Chann Reachea reigned over the country and lived in the former capital City of Oudong. He had a daughter named Vorakpheak. Once the daughter was ill, he commanded his servants to invite the head of Buddhist monastery at Neak Sen pagoda (located at Chrouy Banteay commune Prek Prasop district) to cure his daughter’s illness. While the head of the monk was absent from the pagoda, Nen Thun his favorite student who learnt white magic spell secretly, and then he was magically transformed into a crocodile called “Crocodile Nen Thun”. When the teacher returned, Nen Thun had become a crocodile and could not turn to be a human being.

Then he always took his teacher on his back to cure the king’s daughter. One day, a mighty crocodile called Sopor Kaley, that wanted to challenge with Nen Thun, stopped Nen Thun while he was carrying his teacher on the way back from the palace.

The two crocodiles then started fighting. As Nen Thun could not find way to save his teacher, he decided to swallow his teacher into his stomach to keep safe for a while. The fighting lasted 3 days and 3 night, and finally Sopor Kaley was defeated and then died and suddenly turn into a mountain presently called Sopor Kaley. When Nen Thun threw out his teacher from his stomach, he was alredy dead. Nen Thun was very sorry and determined to kill he king’s daughter because he thought that she was the cause of his teacher’s death. Nen Thun swam quietly and suddenly swallowed the kind’s daughter who was playing at the Royal Palace port.

King Chann Reachea commanded his confidants to follow Nen Thun until they reached the place now known as Sambor caught crocodile (Nen Thun) there and cut open the crocodile’s stomach to get the king’s daughter out.

The king decided to buy her corpse in Sambor and build a 100-column pagoda to dedicate to the spirit of his daughter.