If traveling from Phnom Penh along National Road No. 7, continue until kilometer marker 116, then turn northeast. About 1 kilometer from the national road, on the left-hand side, you will see two mountains standing side by side. The taller mountain is Phnom Srei, meaning “Woman Mountain,” while the lower one is Phnom Bros, meaning “Man Mountain.” Both mountains offer beautiful scenery and are popular cultural and natural attractions.
On Phnom Bros stands a pagoda called Wat Sovannakiri Ratanak Phnom Bros. Approximately 400 meters east of Phnom Bros is another mountain with a pointed peak, Phnom Srei. Covered in lush green vegetation, Phnom Srei is particularly beautiful and eye-catching.
Phnom Bros has a hill-like shape and is only about 30 meters high, making it lower than Phnom Srei. A road leads up to the top of the mountain, where a temple is built in the style of Banteay Srei Temple. From the top of Phnom Bros, visitors can enjoy beautiful views, breathe fresh air, and even feed the monkeys in the area.
Phnom Srei, meanwhile, is higher than Phnom Bros and has a staircase with 217 steps leading to the top. At the summit, visitors can see an old temple and several sacred sites.
The two mountains are connected to a fascinating legend and an important Khmer tradition that continues to be practiced today.
The Legend Behind Phnom Bros and Phnom Srei
According to the legend, in ancient times, Khmer tradition required women to propose marriage to men. To encourage men to propose to women instead, the women challenged the men to a competition. Both sides agreed to build a mountain by piling up earth. Whoever built the higher mountain would be declared the winner, while the losing side would have to follow the agreed-upon terms and propose marriage to the other side.
The women eventually used a clever strategy and won the competition by building their mountain higher than the men's mountain. The men lost the challenge and therefore had to propose marriage to the women.
According to the legend, this is why the traditional Khmer custom developed in which the man's family traditionally approaches the woman's family to ask for her hand in marriage.
Today, Phnom Bros (Man Hill) and Phnom Srei (Woman Hill) are not only scenic tourist destinations but also places associated with a fascinating Khmer legend and the history of traditional Cambodian marriage customs. The story of these two mountains continues to be passed down from generation to generation as an important part of Khmer cultural heritage.
