Riverfront with the Kazuma Bridge

Taken on: 13th February, 2009. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See travelfishery's page of Flickr

Read more about Kompong Cham

Visitors to sleepy Kompong Cham are surprised to hear it's the capital of Cambodia's most populous province. The province derives its name from the ethnic Cham, or Chinese Muslims, who inhabit many of its villages.

One of the many legends about the town's history explains that a fish swallowed a Cambodian boy whose father was bathing him in the river. The fish swam to China where fishermen caught him and sliced him open, revealing a live child. The emperor raised the boy as his own. Years later, the prince returned with ships full of Chinese sailors to populate the land that became known as Kompong Cham.

The Mekong River splits this fertile land, which is home to numerous cashew and rubber plantations.

Because the tourism hubs of Angkor Wat to the northwest and the coast to the southwest overshadow this region, it retains its original charm. Locals are quick to point out their city's merits, reminding visitors that Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen was born there and ... Read our complete Kompong Cham travel guide

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