Phnom Penh Port is located where the Mekong, Bassac, and Sab Rivers meet, the Port of Phnom Penh is the capital and main city of Cambodia. It is an important political, cultural, industrial, commercial, tourist, and historic center for Southeast Asia. Called the “Pearl of Asia” in the 1920s, the Port of Phnom Penh is well known for the French-style and traditional Khmer architecture. The richest city in Cambodia, the Port of Phnom Penh is undergoing an economic boom with new restaurants, bars, hotels, and residential buildings blossoming every day, making it one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.

Even though it is 290 kilometers from the ocean, the Port of Phnom Penh is a major Mekong River Valley port through its link to the China Sea on the Hau Giang channel of the Mekong River delta. The Port of Phnom Penh is linked to other parts of Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia’s Kampong Saom (known as Sihanoukville) seaport. Economic growth has continued since the 1990s, and many new shops and malls have opened. Many new fast-food franchises are also appearing throughout the Port of Phnom Penh. In 2003, over 1.1 million of Cambodia’s 13 million residents lived in the Port of Phnom Penh.

Infrastructure

The main-cargo port consists of two sites, generally called Port No. 1 and Port No. 2:

• Port No. 1 (the main port) consists of a 184-m long pier built in reinforced concrete, plus three pontoons for sea-going vessels. There are two berths, known as Berths 4 and 5, which can accommodate ships up to 2,000 dwt and 4,000 dwt, respectively. Some 540 m of domestic pontoon capacity is available for riverine ships and barges of up to 100 m or 1,800-2,000 tonnes. The pontoons are served by lighters and junks. There are other berths available for small craft. There are 12 depots of 2,700 sq m and 5,910 tonnes storage capacity within some 180 m of the berths, plus open storage of some 4,300 sq. m. There is another warehouse complex at Kilometre 6 (Phnom Penh) having 15 sheds with a total capacity of 70,000 tonnes and 8 sheds of nearly 4,000 tonnes. Although actual crane capacity is not dear, there are 12 cranes- i.e. 2- 25 tonne units, 4-16 tonne and 6-6.5 tonne cranes.
• Port No. 2, about 1 km south of the main area, consists of two 45 m by 10 m steel pontoons. Due to the long and narrow bridges and the seasonal variation in water levels, these two berths cannot be reached by equipment and are limited to bagged or other light traffic. The capacity of the main port (No. 1) has been estimated at about 150,000 tonnes per year, a figure already exceeded. This port is now to be rebuilt with the aid of a Japanese grant. The improvements are expected to increase the capacity to some 566,000 tonnes per year. As an interim measure, Port No. 2 will be rehabilitated under a World Bank credit. -When the improvements to Port No. 1 are completed, Port No. 2 could perhaps revert to domestic use (up to 1991, Port No. 2 was for domestic use only).

Equipment

Virtually all equipment at Ports 1 and 2 will be repaired or renewed under the two projects now getting under way. Port No. 1 will have adequate container handling equipment for the first time, and a new workshop.

Oil Terminals

Oil is handled at separate terminals, at Km 4 and Km 13 north of the city on the Tonle Sap river. These are served by 600-1,000 dwt boats and also by Road 5.

Port History

The Port of Phnom Penh succeeded Angkor Thom (after Siam captured it) as the Khmer Empire’s capital in 1434, but it was abandoned many times. Japanese immigrants moved to the outskirts of the Port of Phnom Penh in the 1600s.

In 1865, King Norodom I re-established the Port of Phnom Penh and the permanent capital. Before the middle of the 19th Century, the Port of Phnom Penh was primarily a processing center with manufacturers of textiles, machines, and pharmaceuticals as well as rice mills. French colonialists made many improvements during this period. To control the wetlands, they extended the canal system, filled in several lakes, and built roads.

The Port of Phnom Penh was established by the French in 1905 when two 40-meter pontoons were set up on the river. The city of Phnom Penh was built around a Royal Palace and Preah Morokot Pagoda. The Royal Palace consisted of the 1919 Palace, the Royal Museum, and the Royal Plain (Veal Mien) where the congress met two times a year.

In 1952, a concrete pier was built near the Chroy Changva Bridge, which continued to grow through 1960 until it was 185 meters long with alongside depth of 12 meters. During the United States’ Vietnam War of the 1960s and early 1970s, the North Vietnamese Army used Cambodia as a base, and refugees escaping the war surged into the Port of Phnom Penh. By 1970, over two million people lived in the Port of Phnom Penh, including many educated and rich elites.

The Port of Phnom Penh’s terminal was closed from 1975 to 1979 by the Pol Pot regime.

In the middle 20th Century, the Port of Phnom Penh was rich with cultural treasures. The Royal Museum contained Khmer historical documents and works of art. The Port of Phnom Penh’s European quarter was located at the base of Phnom Penh Hill, where a pagoda held the ashes of the lady of legend who is said to have discovered a bronze Buddha there. The city then adopted Lady Penh’s name. The Port of Phnom Penh was also home to Buddhist and Pali institutes and the Buddhist University. The Royal Ballet was world-famous and, until the modern era, performed only before Cambodian royals. A national theater brought ancient works to life.

The Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia and the Port of Phnom Penh in 1975. They forced the Port of Phnom Penh’s residents to leave and drove them to rural areas. Until the Vietnamese liberated Port of Phnom Penh from the Khmer Rouge in 1979, the Port of Phnom Penh remained almost completely deserted. During their time in power, the Khmer Rouge tried to return the country to an agrarian economy. They forced many of the former wealthy elites to labor on farms, and they imprisoned and killed those who were educated, lazy, or politically threatening. The failure of their new agrarian society, as well as the sale of rice to China for weapons, resulted in the starvation of many tens of thousands. Torture was common. Today, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school in the Port of Phnom Penh, displays the Khmer Rouge’s torture devices and photographs of their victims. The famous Killing Fields (Choeung Ek), where they marched prisoners from Tuol Sleng to be murdered about 15 kilometers from the school building, is now a memorial to their victims.

In 1980, the two floating terminals and the concrete pier were restored. In 1995, the floating terminals were equipped with lighting and fresh water supply. Today, the floating terminals serve passenger and tourist boats, and the concrete pier (which is now 300 meters long) can berth as many as four vessels at the same time.

In the years after the Khmer Rouge were defeated, the Port of Phnom Penh has gradually been repopulated. But because the Khmer Rouge killed almost all of the educated class in Cambodia, recovery will be slow for the Port of Phnom Penh’s most treasured cultural assets. In the 1990s and beyond, the Port of Phnom Penh has enjoyed a period of reconstruction and political stability. Foreign investments and aid has come from Australia, France, and Japan. Loans from international banking institutions have financed water treatment facilities, road improvements, and other infrastructure repairs and rebuilding.

Port Commerce

The Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP) is the port authority for the Port of Phnom Penh. The Port Authority of Phnom Penh is controlled by two ministries: the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Ministry of Economics and Finance. The PPAP is directed by representatives of the two ministries and one for the Phnom Penh municipality and one for port employees. Under the supervision of the two ministries, the PPAP manages and operates the port and port facilities.

The Port of Phnom Penh works with many Mekong River provinces to operate the port business and distribute goods throughout Cambodia. The Port of Phnom Penh has one local terminal connected to domestic ports along the main rivers. To keep navigation open year-round, the Port of Phnom Penh maintains the access channels. The main terminal is used to both distribute imports and collect goods (primarily agricultural products) for export.

The Port of Phnom Penh provides experienced operators to handle cargo and has assigned management teams to improve productivity and manage the installation and use of new equipment.

The quay is equipped with two floating and two mobile cranes with capacity to handle up to 100 tons. The Port of Phnom Penh plans to add a fixed crane to increase capacity. The Port of Phnom Penh offers ample storage and warehousing facilities and professional staff who manage those facilities. Two new warehouses are being constructed near the port terminal to increase cargo handling and storage capacity.

In 2007, the Port of Phnom Penh handled about 45 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo, up from less than 10 thousand TEUs in 2003. The Port of Phnom Penh has increased container throughput every year.

Cruising and Travel

Travelers accustomed to luxury may be surprised when they visit the City of Phnom Penh. Its climate is hot and, in the dry season, very dusty. City infrastructure is poor after the Khmer Rouge years. Despite being the richest city in Cambodia, the Port of Phnom Penh is for the most part poor in comparison to cities like Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

In the past few years, however, the Port of Phnom Penh has become more relaxed and enjoyable. It struggles to maintain its historic cultural charm while also becoming a modern city. The Port of Phnom Penh’s infrastructure is getting better. Streets have been paved, and garbage is collected more regularly. There are fewer power outages than in past years.

What makes the Port of Phnom Penh attractive are its wide boulevards, beautiful colonial architecture, and park-like riverside dotted with many wonderful restaurants and cafes. While there are few typical tourist attractions, the street life and local atmosphere are unique and fascinating. The Port of Phnom Penh is among the most popular Asian cities for tourists of the 21st Century.

The Riverside, or Sisowath Quay, runs along the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap. Landscaped like a nice urban park, it is home to shops, cafes, and high-class bars (as well as a few prostitutes and drug dealers). The esplanade is popular with locals as well, and in the evening, the street has an almost carnival feeling.

At the beginning of the Riverside are the Royal Palace and two wonderful pagodas, the Silver Pagoda and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Built in the 19th Century, they have endured the 20th Century. The Silver Pagoda’s floor is made with five thousand silver tiles, and many gifts to the Royal family are on display. Included is a 90-kilo solid gold Buddha covered with almost 10 thousand diamonds. Also featured is a 17th Century Baccarat crystal and emerald Buddha. Visitors should dress respectfully (cover shoulders and legs) and leave the camera at home. The entrance fee is affordable, and if you don’t have the proper clothing, you can rent a sarong or big T-shirt at the entrance. The Palace Grounds are closed between 11am and 2pm.

Near the Royal Palace is the National Museum that features wonderful art from Angkor’s golden age. With a beautiful central courtyard, visitors can see the famous statue of King Jayavarman VII who lived in the late 12th and early 13th Centuries.

About three kilometers from the Royal Palace is Wat Batum, the wat favored by royalty. In the 1930s, a young novice, Saloth Sar, lived there. Later, the novice was called by the name Pol Pot, and he led the Khmer Rouge.
Mentioned earlier, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum was a school that the Khmer Rouge used as a prison where they tortured over 14 thousand people before taking them to the Killing Fields to die. Only eight people came out alive. Reminders of that horror still linger. Skulls are stacked in cabinets, tools of torture are scattered about, and photos of victims are posted. South of the Port of Phnom Penh is the Killing Fields Museum at Cheoung Ek. A Buddhist stupa full of human skulls marks the spot where so many died. Pits remain where mass graves were dug up after the Khmer Rouge departed.

Visitors will enjoy Mekong Cruises in the evening or a trip to Mekong Island where you can get a feel for rural life.