Wat Damnak Pagoda is a quiet place with a pond, frangipani trees, Buddhist sculptures, quote signs and Khmer-style buildings. A retreat from the hustle and bustle of the town where you can also interact with monks and get to know about Buddhism.
As a complement to deepen into Khmer culture you can visit the Center for Khmer Studies library (CKS) managed by an international Research Consortium and integrated to the temple complex at Wat Bo Road. The second-largest public academic library in the country outside Phnom Pehn was created in 2010. It has over 20.000 documents including books, journals, encyclopedias, maps, guidebooks and daily national newspapers in English, French and Khmer languages.
The CKS is a pink building with plain columns and capitals decorated with floral motifs. A detailed carved pediment shows Apsara dancers surrounded by two naga (the multi-headed king cobra from the Hindu and Buddhist mythology), lotus flowers and other symbolic details like the chatra (umbrella).
The library is a rectangular-shaped building with one room. Natural light is abundant thanks to a large number of windows. The front desk is at the entrance, long tables and shelves are distributed on each side. On your right-hand side, a big mural of the Pure Land is exposed. On your left, you can find tablets with an app donated by the Bophana Foundation explaining the history of the Khmer Rouge. In addition, you can have access to a multimedia station to listen to Khmer music or watch videos. A variety of locals and foreigners visit the library, including monks, children, researchers and tourists. It is not allowed to borrow materials from the library unless you have a special purpose and permission.
The library promotes educational, research programs and a catalog online. Last but not least, you can buy a book from the book sales table or contribute with a donation at the box next to the exit door.
According to khmerstudies.org and libraryplanet.net
