The Legend of Lady Penh
History & Myth Reading Practice (B1)In the year 1372, there lived a wealthy and devoted woman named Daun Penh (Grandma Penh). Her home was built on a small rise near the banks of the mighty Mekong River.
One day, terrible rains caused the river to flood. When the waters finally receded, Lady Penh went down to the riverbank. There, she saw a massive Koki tree floating in the water, caught in a whirlpool near the shore.
Lady Penh called her neighbors to help pull the heavy tree onto dry land. While cleaning the mud from the tree, she found a hollow space inside the trunk.
To her amazement, inside the hollow were four bronze statues of the Buddha and one stone statue of a standing god. Lady Penh believed this was a miraculous omen. She told the villagers that the statues had traveled by river to bring them good fortune.
To honor these sacred items, Lady Penh asked the villagers to raise the small hill near her house to make it taller. It became a great mountain, or Phnom.
On top of this hill, they built a small shrine to house the statues. The people named the hill "Wat Phnom Daun Penh." Over hundreds of years, the name was shortened to simply Phnom Penh, which became the capital city of Cambodia.
The Koki Tree
Finding Statues
Building the Hill
Naming the City
Nature & Signs 🌊
Beliefs 🛕
Comprehension Check
Real World Tasks
Share your culture in English!