The monument is an Angkorian style tower built in 1958 after Cambodia won back independence from the French protectorate in 1953.
As the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Phnom Penh still maintains its old charm with broad boulevards, colonial buildings and houses.
Sitting on a tree-covered hill, Wat Phnom temple was built in 1373 to house four statues that the Buddha deposited here by the Mekong river.