Choeung Ek: 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 15km south of Phnom Penh, this former orchard was the execution ground for the prisoners of S-21. Today, it stands as a peaceful yet powerful memorial to the millions lost.

Visitor Essentials

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Distance

40-min Tuk-tuk ride from city center.

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Entrance

$6 USD (Audio Guide Included).

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Audio Guide

Available in 15+ languages. Do not skip this.

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Dress Code

Modest dress required (Cover shoulders/knees).

The Journey Through History

The experience at Choeung Ek is driven by the Audio Tour. It is narrated by survivors and historians, guiding you through the site stop-by-stop. It allows you to walk at your own pace, creating a deeply personal space for reflection.

Sites of Remembrance

The Memorial Stupa

The centerpiece of the site is a tall Buddhist stupa built in 1988. It houses over 8,000 human skulls, arranged by age and gender behind clear glass panels. It is a haunting confrontation with the scale of the genocide.

The Magic Tree

Look for a large tree draped in spirit houses. This was the "Magic Tree," where the Khmer Rouge hung loudspeakers to blast revolutionary music. The noise was used to mask the screams of the victims being executed, so the nearby villagers wouldn't know what was happening.

⚠️ Watch Your Step

As you walk the paths, you may notice fragments of bone, teeth, or cloth emerging from the dirt. Heavy rains constantly wash away the topsoil, revealing new remains from the mass graves below. Please do not touch or remove them. If you see something significant, notify a caretaker.

The Connection to S-21

We highly recommend visiting Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) in the city center before coming here. S-21 tells the story of the imprisonment and torture; Choeung Ek tells the story of the final execution. Visiting them in that order follows the prisoners' final journey.