The white-and-yellow statue stands in a large reflecting pool in Wat Botum Park, just a few minutes walk from Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace. It includes lifesize renderings of Vietnamese and Cambodian soldiers and a woman and baby representing Cambodian civilians. Built in the Soviet Union’s popular socialist-realist style, its communist ties are not subtle.
Most of the time, the statue and its peaceful surroundings are a popular spot for exercise, relaxation, and people-watching. That being said, the sculpture—to some, a symbol of a friendship that does not exist—has been a site of violence and protest, though you’d never know it today.
With fountains and benches, the park is a popular spot with locals. Expect crowds.
Wat Phnom, the Royal Palace, and Sisowath Quay are all just a few blocks away.
The park’s public restrooms are just steps from the monument, to the west.
Smack-dab in Phnom Penh’s city center, get there via car, taxi, tuk-tuk, or your own two feet from Samdash Sothearos Blvd or other connecting streets. You’ll likely want to pair a stop with a visit to all the other walkable attractions, namely Silver Pagoda, the Royal Palace, and the National Museum of Cambodia.
There’s no bad time to visit the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument and the surrounding Wat Botum Park, but for the best people-watching, head here in the morning—you’ll catch locals jogging, practicing their tai-chi, and getting ready for their day. Seeing the park’s various statues and monuments in the early morning light also makes for great photos.
At first, the Khmer Rouge and communist Vietnam were allies. But as the Khmer Rouge—the party responsible for the deaths of some 1.3 million Cambodians—feared Vietnam’s rise, that alliance crumbled. Ultimately, it would be the Vietnamese military that toppled the oppressive regime. As such, the countries’ “friendship” is multi-faceted and worth your contemplation while visiting the statue.