Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre: A Visitor's Guide to the Killing Fields
A visit to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre is a sobering and essential experience for understanding the brutal history of the Khmer Rouge regime. Located just outside Phnom Penh, this former orchard was one of the infamous "Killing Fields," where thousands of innocent Cambodians were executed. Today, it stands as a peaceful yet powerful memorial to all who were lost.
Visitor Information & Code of Conduct
Approx. 17 km south of Phnom Penh.
$6 per person (includes an excellent audio guide).
Please dress respectfully. Shoulders and knees must be covered.
Maintain a quiet and respectful demeanor throughout your visit.
The Journey Through History: The Audio Tour
Upon arrival, you will receive an audio guide, which is available in many languages. This guide is your narrator, leading you through the site with deeply moving stories from survivors, former Khmer Rouge guards, and historians. The audio tour allows you to walk the grounds at your own pace, creating a personal and profoundly impactful experience.
You will learn how prisoners were brought here by truck from prisons like Tuol Sleng (S-21) to be brutally executed and buried in mass graves. To save ammunition, they were often killed with simple, cruel implements like iron bars and farming tools.
Sites of Remembrance Within Choeung Ek
The Memorial Stupa
The most iconic structure is the towering white stupa, built in 1988 to honor the victims. Its multiple levels house over 8,000 skulls, exhumed from the mass graves and arranged by age and gender. It is a haunting and unforgettable testament to the scale of the tragedy.
The Mass Graves
As you walk the quiet, leafy paths, you will pass the excavated pits where the mass graves were discovered. Each one is marked with a sign detailing how many victims were found and who they were. One of the most heartbreaking graves contained the bodies of over 100 women and children.
The Killing Tree
Perhaps the most disturbing site is the Killing Tree. The audio guide explains that executioners used this tree to kill babies and young children. Though a place of immense sorrow, it is now adorned with thousands of colorful bracelets, left by visitors from around the world as a gesture of peace and remembrance.
A Final Reflection: Why You Should Visit
A trip to Choeung Ek is not a "tourist attraction" in the traditional sense; it is a pilgrimage and a history lesson. It is emotionally challenging but vital for understanding the resilience of the Cambodian people and ensuring that such atrocities are never forgotten.
For a complete understanding of the Khmer Rouge's methodology, it is highly recommended to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21 Prison) in Phnom Penh before or after your visit to Choeung Ek. Together, they tell the full, heartbreaking story from unjust imprisonment to tragic execution.
