Siem Reap : Kulen Mountains

The Kulen Mountains are a mountain range in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. The Preah Jayavarman Norodom Kulen National Park was established and designated by Royal Decree on 1 November 1993 with a total area of ​​37,500 hectares, covering three mountains: Phnom Hop, Phnom Kulen, and Phnom Kbal Spean. Each mountain not only plays an important role in helping to maintain the environmental balance of the Angkor region through its rich natural resources of forests, water sources, and biodiversity, but also has a deep meaning and historical value for the Kingdom of Cambodia due to the many historical structures and ancient sites found there. Previously, Phnom Kulen was granted the title of national park by Royal Decree in 1969, becoming the second national park after the first Angkor National Park to be protected and designated by Royal Decree in 1925. Phnom Kulen National Park is a nature reserve on this mountain. It is officially named "Preah Jayavarman-Norodom Kulen National Park" and is located in Svay Leang and Warin districts. Kulen Mountain is covered with dense forests, which are an important source of rainfall. A French researcher named Jean Boubet, who studied the geography of Kulen Mountain in the mid-20th century, stated that rain begins to fall in the Kulen Mountain area before the Siem Reap plain, starting between March and April. The above study confirmed that the Kulen Mountain area receives a lot of rainfall each year. The average annual rainfall in the Kulen Mountain area is 2,000 mm. Therefore, Kulen Mountain is an important natural water source for feeding the plains below. According to a study by Van Lier in 2012, the southern part of the Kulen Mountain has a basin-shaped structure, like a large reservoir that opens to the northwest. The rain is held for a while in this natural basin, which the locals call anlong. Then it flows down through a system of small natural waterways on the mountain, which collect water and fill the larger waterways below before flowing into Tonle Sap Lake. In addition, the water flowing from the above waterway system has gathered to form a beautiful waterfall area that attracts national and international tourists. The natural waterway system from Mount Kulen brings water flowing down in accordance with the topography, which is characterized by a high slope from the northeast and a low slope in the southwest to Lake Tonle Sap, including the Siem Reap River, the Puok River, and the Roluos River. The lower part of Mount Kulen is a wide plain that is suitable for agriculture and settlement. Since ancient times, the Khmer people have settled in large numbers in the lowland areas near Lake Tonle Sap. By relying on the above waterway system, which originates from Mount Kulen. Mount Kulen is located in Svay Leu District (east and north), Banteay Srei District (south) and Warin District (west), and covers two communes, Khun Phnom Commune of Svay Leu District and Khun Ream Commune of Banteay Srei District. The park is also surrounded by four communes: Beng Mae La, Kantuot, and Ta Som communes of Svay Leu district, and Tbeng commune of Banteay Srei district. The park is 60 km from Siem Reap city and about 25 km from Banteay Srei temple. Phnom Kulen is a small mountain range of moderate height located south of the Dangrek mountain range. Phnom Kulen extends for about 40 km from northwest to southeast, and is about 48 km north of Siem Reap city. All peaks are of similar height, with an average height of 400 m. The highest peak is 487 m. Geologically, a large part of Phnom Kulen is sandstone. As a result, it was very important in the Khmer Empire, providing raw materials for various constructions, including many temples in the Angkor region. The main source is located in the southeast of the mountain.[1] Phnom Kulen is the largest of the small mountains, as mentioned above. French naturalist Henri Mouhot, who arrived at Mount Kulen in the mid-19th century, considered the mountain to be a plateau because the back of the mountain is a flat plain, with a wide expanse stretching along the mountain range and covered with dense forest, with an altitude ranging from 300 to 400 meters and a length of 38 kilometers. Mount Kulen is an important historical site, which has left behind many ancient temples and ancient stations, as well as human communities. In addition, the mountain has become an important subject for researchers from the late 19th century to the present, in which we see research and analysis of ancient structures, art objects, inscriptions, forests and natural waterways. About 20 temples have been discovered on the mountain. Mount Kulen is considered a sacred mountain in Cambodia by the Khmer people and is a popular place for pilgrimage during the festival weekends. It is a place of important role in the history of the Khmer Empire. On the top of the mountain is a small pagoda with a statue of a Buddha carved from the mountain rock. Nearby is a waterfall that is a tourist attraction for diving. At the foot of the mountain is a small shrine called Teuk Chup, where water gushes out of the rock and is considered divine water, which is why it flows from the mountain as a sacred place.