Wat Kampong Tralach Leu
Wat Kampong Tralach Leu, also called Wat Puthi Rokha Ram, is a historic Buddhist temple in the village of Kampong Tralach, Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia. It is one of the oldest pagodas in the province and is famous for its 17th‑century murals painted by Khmer artist Tep Nimit Mak of the Royal Palace.
The temple’s origins go back to 1672, during the Oudong Era, a time of political trouble in Cambodia. The site sits on older foundations, and large laterite blocks around the grounds suggest there was an earlier structure before the 17th century.
The current pagoda was built in the 1920s, replacing earlier buildings. During the Khmer Rouge era, the main sanctuary was used to store salt and medicine, which damaged the murals.
Wat Kampong Tralach Leu is surrounded by a moat, adding to its historic charm and significance. Preservation work from 2003 to 2011 helped protect the temple, including documentation of its architecture and a scale model kept in a nearby traditional building.
The temple combines traditional Cambodian design with the style from its 1920s reconstruction. It remains a center for Buddhist practice and local heritage. Historian Ian Harris notes its importance as one of the few surviving examples of Cambodian mural painting from that period.
The temple sits amid green rice fields and pink water lily ponds and is close to Wat Kampong Tralach Krom. For visitors, the Oxcart Association of Kampong Tralach Leu offers traditional ox-cart rides.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:24 (CET).