Oudong

Former capital of Cambodia

Oudong (; also romanized as Udong or Odong) is a former town of the post Angkorian period (1618–1863) situated in present day Phsar Daek Commune, Ponhea Lueu District, Kandal Province, Cambodia.

The city's name is derived from the Sanskrit word "uttuṅga" , meaning tall, which probably refers to the mountain. As it had gained religious merit and significance it might have undergone extension towards: "great" or "supreme".

Oudong was founded by King Srei Soryapor in 1601, after the abandonment of Longvek in 1594. Under the reign of King Ang Duong (1841–1850), he constructed canals, terraces, bridges and erected hundreds of pagodas in this region. From 1618 until 1866 it was formally called Oudong Meanchey, the royal capital of Cambodia for 250 years. In 1866, it was abandoned by King Norodom, taking his royal court along with him to the current capital, Phnom Penh, a dozen miles downstream from the former capital at Oudong. During the Cambodian Civil War the town was captured by the Khmer Rouge in March 1974, who marched the citizens into the countryside, as well as executing a large number of prisoners. This proved to be a trial run for the evacuation of Phnom Penh a year later. The Government retook the town in August the same year, but evidence of atrocities was widely discarded by international journalists. It was extensively damaged by the Khmer Rouge in 1977, along with the other temples, monuments and religious structures there.

This site was originally added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 1 September 1992, in the Cultural category. The submission has been renewed on 27 March 2020.