Koh Chen (Silversmith Village)
Family Workshops Forging Silver and Copper for Generations
Koh Chen (Silversmith Village) — Quick Facts
- What is it?
- village — Family Workshops Forging Silver and Copper for Generations
- Where?
- Kandal , Cambodia
- Entry Fee
- Free to visit workshops; purchases support artisans directly
- Opening Hours
- Daytime, workshop-dependent — mornings are most active
- Time Needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Best Time
- Morning, when more workshops are actively forging
- Don't Miss
- Watching the division of labour up close — men forging the raw shape, women engraving the fine detail
What to See at Koh Chen
The Silver and Copper Workshops
Small family workshops line the village, each typically run as a household business. Visitors can watch raw metal hammered into shape and then engraved with intricate traditional patterns — bowls, serving trays, and small animal and fruit figurines used in Cambodian ceremonial offerings.
A Tradition Passed Down
The craft has been kept alive within families across generations, including through the Khmer Rouge era when much of Cambodia’s artisan class was targeted — a continuity that gives the work here particular weight. The Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Tourism have more recently partnered to promote the village to visitors.
Buying Direct
Workshops typically sell finished pieces on site — engraved trays, bowls, and ceremonial ornaments make distinctive souvenirs not found in Phnom Penh’s general craft markets.
How to Get to Koh Chen
Koh Chen is in Ponhea Leu district, about 35km north of Phnom Penh.
- Private car or tuk-tuk: The standard way to visit, often combined with nearby Oudong (the former royal capital) as a half- or full-day trip from Phnom Penh
- Organised tour: Several Phnom Penh operators run combined Oudong + Koh Chen day trips
Practical Tips
- Visitor numbers dropped after the pandemic, so a quiet visit is likely — workshops welcome the trade
- Buying directly from artisans is the most meaningful way to support the craft’s survival
- Pair with Phnom Oudong, Cambodia’s former royal capital, on the same route from Phnom Penh
Nearby Attractions
- Phnom Oudong — the former royal capital and hilltop stupa complex, on the same road from Phnom Penh
- Koh Dach (Silk Island) — another Kandal craft village, across the Mekong
Useful Links
Practical Info
- Entry Fee
- Free to visit workshops; purchases support artisans directly
- Opening Hours
- Daytime, workshop-dependent — mornings are most active
- Time Needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Best Time
- Morning, when more workshops are actively forging