Battambang, Commercial city in northwestern Cambodia.
Battambang is a commercial hub on the Sangkae River in northwestern Cambodia, known for its French colonial architecture and central location halfway between Phnom Penh and the Thai border. The city spreads across both riverbanks with wide streets in the center, residential neighborhoods behind them, and open rice fields on the outskirts.
The city expanded during the French protectorate in the late 19th century when colonial officials built administrative buildings and wide boulevards. Between 1941 and 1946 it came under Thai control before returning to Cambodian administration again.
The city name comes from Khmer legend about a king's lost stick, though locals call it simply "Bat" in daily conversation. Around the old colonial core, shophouses remain family businesses where residents spend afternoons playing board games on the ground floor while living upstairs.
Multiple bus lines connect the city daily with Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and the Thai border, with journeys taking between three and six hours depending on the destination. The city center can be explored on foot comfortably, while tuk-tuks are available for trips to the outlying temples or rural villages.
An old bamboo train track that once transported travelers across the fields became a local tourist attraction before being shut down in 2017. The area around the city holds some of the best-preserved Angkor temples outside Siem Reap, including Banon on a hilltop overlooking rice fields.
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