Phnom Santuk
Phnom Santok is a cultural and natural site located in Ko Koh village, Ko Koh commune, Santuk district, about 17 kilometers south of Kampong Thom provincial town. The site include four mountains: Phnom Srah Kmao or Phnom Tbeng, Phnom Penhum or Phnom Kraper, Phnom Champa and Phnom Santuk.
Since the ancient time to the present, Phnom Santuk Mountain has been called in many names as below:
- Phnom Thom (in history)
- Phnom Arth Santuk (In history)
- Phnom Chorm Chong Kiri
- Phnom Krop Tuk
- Phnom Preah Bat Chann Tuk
The ancient heritages on the top of the mountain:
- Many Buddha statues were carved from great mountain rock including three big Buddha statues reaching Nirvana, each has more than 10-meter length.
- Prasat Touch of pyramid shape, made of sandstone, has three stories and three-meter height, and is located next to the ancient wooden temple (presently, it is made of cement) with a rectangular pond (10m x 4m).
- Preah Bat Chann Tuk statue was carved on the stone shaped as food of a sacred human, and there are many other small sculptures. By the stories, the construction and the statues were erected during the reign of Preah Ponhea Dharma Reacha (1474-1494) and have been maintained until now.
Phnom Santuk has changed names to Chorn Chong Kiri and Phnom Krop Tuk. Chan Dare or Chan Chare are called two pieces of stone by local people that join all together in marked symbol and made in small hole, the passenger arrived there, they always dropped cash coins (ancient coins) into this small hole. When cash coins was dropped in, it make soft weak voice like a voice of the birds sing or music with happiness. So they did that since ancient period.
