The Independence Monument is a majestic structure that dominates Phnom Penh city centre. It was primarily erected to mark the liberation of the country from the French, who ruled Cambodia for almost a century from 1863 to 1953.
Built in 1958, and inaugurated in 1962 during the regime of Sangkum Reastr, it is a stunning illustration of traditional Angkorian architecture. The Independence Monument was designed by Vann Molyvann – a distinguished Cambodian architect – in the model of a lotus that largely takes after stupas seen at Angkor Wat. Perhaps the salient characteristic of this 20-metre-tall, reddish-brown stone memorial is the multi-headed snakes that titivate the 5 levels of a lotus bud.