Battambang Museum

Two elegant – though as yet nameless – avenues, with parkland down the middle, grace the city centre. One goes by the Centre Culturel Français (one block north of NH5), while the other stretches west from the worthwhile Battambang Museum.

Highlights include fine Angkorian lintels and statuary from all over Battambang Province, including Phnom Banan and Sneng. Signs are in Khmer, English and French.

Battambang’s Museum is not as well blessed with exhibits as its counterparts in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, however it still houses a treasure trove of beautifully sculpted lintels and other substantial artifacts from all over Battambang Province, including pieces from Phnom Banan and Sneng, as such it should be a definite stop on anyone’s visit to Battambang. Two particularly interesting pieces are a 13th century statue of a Bodhisattva ‘tattooed’ with a thousand Buddhas, and a well worn depiction of Yama on a buffalo. Next door to the Museum is a small exhibition area that often has interesting displays featuring information on local agriculture and fishing practices, and local legends and folk tales.