Kampong Cham Province, Provincial capital on the Mekong River in Cambodia
Kampong Cham Province is an administrative region in central Cambodia that stretches along the Mekong River with fertile agricultural land throughout. The landscape is defined by rice fields, plantations, and scattered villages that grow along the riverbanks and inland plains.
The region was established as an administrative entity in the late 1800s and has undergone significant structural changes throughout its existence. A major reshaping occurred in the 2010s when a portion of its eastern territory was separated to form a new province.
Buddhism shapes daily life here, with residents gathering at gleaming temples for worship and observing religious festivals throughout the year. In smaller villages, you can see monks collecting alms in the early morning, a practice that connects the spiritual and everyday rhythms of the community.
The best way to explore this region is to follow the river routes from the main town and visit villages along the water. Most visitors navigate easily by local boat and travel during the dry season, when the river is more accessible and water levels are lower.
Each dry season, local craftspeople rebuild a bamboo bridge by hand to connect Koh Pen island to the mainland, only to dismantle it again when water levels rise. This annual ritual shows how communities adapt simple materials and traditional skills to seasonal river changes.
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