Battambang

Battambang, city in western Cambodia that is the capital of Battambang province. It is the third largest city in Cambodia, after the national capital of Phnom Penh and the city of Siem Reap. Located in Cambodia’s “rice bowl” along the Sangkae River northwest of Phnom Penh, Battambang is a major agricultural center. Battambang is also known for producing many of Cambodia’s most distinguished musicians and artists and for its well-preserved French colonial architecture. It is connected by road and railway to both Phnom Penh and the Thai border, making it a hub of both domestic travel and international trade. There is a major airport nearby which has been closed since the early 1990s but is scheduled for renovation and reopening. Pop. (2019) 119,251.

History

Battambang was established in the 18th century as an important center of trade between Siam (modern Thailand) and Cambodia. In 1794 it was annexed by Siam, along with much of northwestern Cambodia. The region remained under Siamese control until it was ceded to the French in 1907, rejoining Cambodia as part of the French Indochina colony. During the French colonial era, Battambang was developed into Cambodia’s second most-advanced city after Phnom Penh. In 1941, during World War II, Thailand retook the area from a weakened France under Vichy rule but was forced to return it to France in 1946 following the war’s conclusion.

In 1953 Prince Norodom Sihanouk made Battambang his headquarters as he led Cambodia’s independence movement, preferring it to Phnom Penh because of the high concentration of French forces around the capital. After Cambodia gained independence that year, modernization of the city continued with the addition of factories, schools, the Battambang airport, and a rail line to the Thai border.

Cultural significance

For much of the 20th century, Battambang was considered Cambodia’s second city, until it was surpassed by the rapidly developing Siem Reap. During this time, it became known for producing Cambodia’s most popular and influential artists, including legendary musicians Ros Serey Sothea, Sinn Sisamouth, and Pen Ran—all three of whom perished during the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge regime—as well as painter Vann Nath, who survived only because he was kept alive to paint portraits of Pol Pot. Battambang’s reputation as a center of Cambodian art and culture continues with the success of painter and sculptor Sopheap Pich and the internationally recognized filmmaker Kalyanee Mam. Cultural assets in the area include the Buddhist temple Wat Po Veal and the 10th-century ruins of the Khmer empire, including several temples.