Traditional markets Phnom Penh

Traditional markets

Phsar means ‘market’ and a visit to at least one traditional
phsar is a must. A typical traditional market is a
sprawling ground level affair, open-air but covered,
crowded with rows of booths and stalls. If you visit only
one or two markets in Phnom Penh, begin with the
Phsar Tuol Thom Poung (Russian Market) and Phsar
Thmey (Central Market.) Both offer curios, souvenirs
and a cultural shopping adventure. Other traditional
markets such have fewer items for tourists but can still
be culturally and photographically interesting. The
markets open and close with the sun.

Central Market
Intersection of Street 130
and 63
This distinctive building is
a city landmark - a unique
Art Deco interpretation of
a traditional market. Four
arms of the market converge
in a soaring dome at
the hub, perhaps reflecting
the four arms of the
chaktomuk (the convergence
of the Mekong
River.) Prior to 1935 the market area was a swampy
lake known as Beng Decho that received the runoff
during the rainy season. The lake was drained and the
market constructed in 1935-37 during the French
colonial period, and originally dubbed the ‘Grand
Market.’
The central section of the market building displays an
amazing collection of gems and jewelry. Souvenir vendors
along the central entrance walk offer curios, statuary,
handicrafts, silks, t-shirts, postcards, etc. (‘Phsar
Thmey’ is properly translated ‘New Market’, but
‘Central Market’ has caught on in English.)

Russian Market
Phsar Toul Tom Poung
Street 450, between Streets
155 and 163
The Russian Market
became the foreigner’s
market during the 1980’s
when most of the foreigners
in Cambodia were
Russians, hence the name
‘Russian Market.’ Unlike the
Central Market this is a
classic traditional market - a
sprawling, single level collection
of stalls - and offers a larger, more varied selection
of souvenirs, curios and silks. It is also one of the
best markets in town for fabrics and has the largest
selection of DVDs of all the traditional markets. Most of
the DVD vendors are on the south side as are most of
the visitor-oriented places, but the rest of the market is
well worth exploring. There are some good local food
and drink stands in the middle of the market.

Phsar Kandal
Street 13, between Street
144 and 154
A typical, sprawling, low-slung
local market similar to Phsar
Chas. Meat, vegetables, fruits
and tailors fill the north half
while jewelers and electronics
stalls are located in the building
next door. It’s a very local
scene but as the market is
only a couple of blocks off the
riverfront tourists occasionally
find their way to the coffee
stalls and noodle shops. There is a comparatively large
Vietnamese population living in the area around Phsar
Kandal that is reflected in the character of the market, most
apparent in the food, the dress and the language.

Old Market
Phsar Chas
IStreet 13, between Streets
108 and 110
Phsar Chas is a typical traditional
market not geared
for tourists, carrying such
items as fruits and vegetables,
hardware, second
hand clothes, motorcycle
parts and religious items.
The late afternoon shopping
hour along Street 110
and Street 108 makes for a
confusing, dirty, potentially photogenic scene. There
has been a market near this site since at the earliest
days of the French colonial period (and probably much
longer) when it sat next to a now reclaimed river inlet.