KOH KONG
Khun Chhang’s Stupa
We had driven over the Koh Kong Bridge a couple of times and somehow hadn’t even noticed the little island beside it. It blends so well into the water that it’s surprisingly easy to miss. But after a quick double take, I could see it was a shrine of some kind, and there were people on it. A shrine, on a tiny island, next to a bridge. Well of course we had to take a closer look.
On arrival, we did indeed find that it was a shrine. Well, a stupa in fact, connected to a local legend about Khun Chhang, Khun Phen and their tragic love story.
According to the legend, Thim was first married to Khun Phen, but while he was away at war, Khun Chhang used his influence to spread rumours that Khun Phen had died. Thim, believing she was a widow, married Khun Chhang instead.
When Khun Phen returned, Thim was torn between the two men. Unable to choose, the situation was taken to the King, who, rather than deciding, ordered her execution instead.
According to the story, a distraught Khun Chhang built a stupa in her memory after her death, hoping for her rebirth. Today, it’s a popular place to make offerings and pray.
Visiting Khun Chhang’s Stupa
If you’re coming from Khemarak Phoumin, the turn-off is just after you cross the bridge, on the left. Follow the road towards the river, turning left at the fork. There’s no sign, so it’s best to follow Google Maps.
To reach the stupa, you’ll need to walk across a small causeway that connects the rocky island to the land. We were there during high tide and the water was lapping over the causeway, so we followed everyone else’s lead and left our shoes with a shop owner for a 1,000៛ tip. It was rather entertaining wading through the water to reach the tiny island.
The stupa itself is pretty small and only takes a few minutes to walk around. We spent about 15 minutes on the island, watching families taking photos and people leaving their offerings. We also enjoyed seeing the whole Koh Kong Bridge stretching across the water and looking back towards Khemarak Phoumin.
Back on the mainland, they were doing some renovations while we were there, which looked like it could become a larger car park at some stage. There were also a few stalls selling dried seafood and drinks.
I wouldn’t say it’s a must-see, but we’re really glad we stopped. Even if it was just to satisfy my curiosity after seeing it from the bridge. And it was nice to look back at it from the bridge and think that we were just out there.
We visited Koh Kong in December 2025
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