遗产数据库
Ancient City of Ondong
Justification of Outstanding Universal Value
Today Oudong is well-known as a tourist attraction site due to its historical background as an ancient city of the post-Angkorian period, and persistent religious and cult beliefs maintain the mystical sacred aspect of the site.
Oudong city flourished from the early 17th century to the mid-19th century CE on a site that had been important in the early periods of Longvek, whose Ang Chand established many religious foundations on Oudong mountain and the area nearby. The construction of an image of Buddha attaining Nirvana on the lower peak of the mountain is an example. Also, he built many pagodas and Buddhist viharas, such as the Vihara of Vat Tep Pranam.
The site continued to be occupied and icn 1618 C.E, King Jayajetha II established his capital in Oudong. The choice of this location was closely related to the model of construction of cities in the history of Cambodia, referringback to the Angkor period and forward to Phnom Penh city. The location was selected firstly based on the proximate mountain (Oudong mountain, used as a sacred mountain for the Kingdom and also the central point for urban planning). Secondly, one side of the city faces and is close to the river or water (Tonle Sap), which served religious needs and also was gateway for different products trade goods and cultural items.
The location and the city area of Oudong could be described as a political centre, trading centre, and religious / cultural centre.
Criterion (ii): Political Centre: Oudong city was established about 10 km from the previous capital city, Longvek (1528-1594 C.E), which used some locations in Oudong to build significant religious structures. Later, in the early 17th century, King Jayajetha II chose to build his capital city in Oudong, making it as the main political centre of the Kingdom.
According to historical records of the Portuguese the urban planning of Oudong city was well managed and organized. Some wooden houses were built in a straight horizontal and vertical lines, one next to another with significant shape and style. They were described as looking clean and comfortable, while other houses were not built following the straight line, but the shape and style were similar. These houses were scattered both on the flat area next to the rice fields and also along the river. Roads provided easy access to the villages and facilitated local transportation inside the city which is mainly the oxcart.
Further from the houses, the Royal Palace of Oudong was also well constructed. It was built almost in a square shape, surrounded by a strong wall, with the main entrance to the south and smaller gates on the other sides. Before entering the complex area of the Royal Palace, there is a control post and also another wall. The compound of the palace had two big basins, a garden, a great hall, residential quarters of the King of Particular note, the capital city of Oudong was also not only the residence for Cambodians, but was also open to multiple nationalities with village enclaves specifically designated for Chinese, Cham (probably Java), Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and others.
Until today, some of these foreign villages are still recognisable through archaeological findings and foreign records or through the name of the villages and some distinct jobs and professions such as blacksmith, gold, silver, copper and iron smiths and ceramic kilns were also found. Recent excavation shows that Beoung Samrith, located near Oudong mountain was a large iron kiln. This kiln is suggested to be a biggest iron kiln the Southeast Asia at that time.
Contemporary reports mention that the city had other important buildings, such as pagodas, prayer halls and many storage facilities, but did not clearly mentioned other facilities such as schools and hospitals. However, it is also well-known that in those days pagodas functioned as the places for education.
Therefore, the ancient city of Oudong was composed of different infrastructures and facilities to provide and support a political centre for both local and also foreigners through a well-constructed administrative infrastructure, and a strong ability to produce significant products.
Commerce / Trading Center: Cambodia is well-known as a source of good rice. However, rice was not the only significant product to be found in Oudong city, but there were many other products which originated from other countries in Southeast Asia and also Europe. The port of Oudong city was located in the area of present day Kampong Loung (Royal Port), which still houses many workshops of blacksmiths and artisans, especially working in silver of high quality and reputation, in traditional designs passed down from their ancestors, which are still today sought by royal and wealthy clients.
According to some foreign records such as Portuguese and Dutch, and also the documentation from Cambodian Royal Chronicles, Cambodia in the post-Angkorian, mainly Oudong, period based its economy on trade with the counties in both Asia and Europe, such as India, China, Japan, Portuguese, Holland and also England, and this trade made Oudong city became the residence of those foreigners.
Oudong city was considered an important port in Southeast Asia for trade in raw silk, rice, lacquer, animal skins and horns, ivory, bee wax, honey, alum and iron ore. Furthermore, there were also products from the highland areas such as natural resin (benjamin) and gum. Additionally, crops, vegetables and fruits, were available for trade.
Products from Cambodia were described as being of high quality and were bought in large amounts, mainly by Chinese and Japanese. For instance, its pepper was highly prized; “a ship of peppercorns were easily sold in a short time” (Bassett, 1962). Thus, Oudong city was administrated as an important city through providing good and large amounts of natural products from its port to Asia and also Europe in the Oudong period.
Criterion (iv): Religious Centre: In the Oudong period, the main religion was Theravada Buddhism. However, contemporary religious structures and artefacts found on the site especially on Oudong Mountain, show that the people believed not only in Theravada Buddhism, but also Animism, Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism and Islam.
Regarding Animism, it is important to know that Oudong Mountain itself has a spirit according to local legend, and is the place of many local spirits and deities (Neak Ta). Believers especially the local people, pay high respect to the spirits there., particularly to request kitchen utensils to use during a celebration ceremony or marriage, or help on any health issue and happiness.
Traces of Hinduism can be seen in many remaining artefacts such as the statue of Nandin, while traces of Mahayana Buddhism are seen in the statue of Buddha on Naga, which is dated to the Angkor period. A substantial number of religious buidings and statues were dedicated to Thereavada Buddhism, such as the reclining Buddha, Maravijaya Buddha, Buddhist viharas and also stupas, and interestingly, an Islamic mosque was also constructed on Oudong mountain.
Most of the religious places have been worshipped before Oudong Mountain became a sacred place for Oudong city. Also, there is a continuity of installing the stupas of the Kings and Royal family on the mountain since the early period of Oudong until the present day. Since Oudong has been selected as a sacred mountain, one can note the absence of any dwelling, warehouse or treasure vault.
Power came from capital accumulated by the dynastic funerary vestiges, the stupa themselves, and through them the King,who represents the pantheon . Also, it may be surmised that the mountain housed the royal chapel, in continuation of the Angkorian experience in which a temple-mountain was surmounted by a tower-sanctuary hosting the statues of the ancestors.
Among the 16 stupas we can see two principal types : decorated (Chetei Trong Kreoung) and non-decorated (Chetei Moul / Cheteik Leat).
“Cheti Trong Kreoung” is a type of stupa that is decorated with a kind of silk textile motif. Distinctively, this type of stupa usually is built on a square plan and every corner is designed to have multiple levels. It has full decoration, starting from the bottom to the top. It is clear to see this type of design on the stupa of Preah Ang Doung. Particularly, the stupa of Preah Ang Doung has very beautiful motifs made of different glazed ceramics. Some of those patterns subseuently deteriorated or collapsed, but were restored continuously by the following kings. Another unique design is the figure of elephant heads surrounding the lower part of the stupa. This type of design is very rare in Cambodia. Such decoration of elephant heads on stupas were firstly found in Sri Lanka and later adopted by many Buddhist countries in Southeast Asia.
“Chetei Moul” or rounded stupa can be called a bell-shaped stupa. It has a bell shape at the bottom part and gets smaller when coming to the top. It has minimal design, and is known to be the earliest type of stupa, invented in Sri-Lanka, and corresponding to the shape of the alms bowl of the Buddha Gotama
Another significant point is the worship of Cham (Java) people who are living around Longvek city (Tra Lengkeng area). Every year, Cham people who live in the area of the former Longvek city come to worship on Oudong mountain. Significantly, their offerings closely resembled to Cambodian.