Choeung Ek Killing Fields

Overview

Choeung Ek is the most prominent of the more than 300 Killing Fields sites across Cambodia. Between 1975 and 1979, approximately 17,000 men, women, and children were transported from S-21 prison and executed here. A commemorative stupa containing over 8,000 skulls stands at the centre of the site.

Highlights

• Memorial Stupa: A glass-walled structure 17 stories tall filled with skulls arranged by age and gender.
• Mass Graves: Sunken depressions across the grounds mark the locations of excavated burial pits.
• Audio Tour: A deeply personal narrated guide featuring testimony from survivors and a former Khmer Rouge guard.

History

Choeung Ek was a Chinese cemetery before the Khmer Rouge repurposed it as an execution site in 1975. After the fall of the regime in 1979, mass graves were discovered containing the remains of more than 8,000 victims. The memorial stupa was erected in 1988.

Visitor Tips

• Location: About 15 km south of central Phnom Penh; a tuk-tuk ride takes 30–40 minutes.
• Combine with S-21: Visit Tuol Sleng first for historical context, then Choeung Ek.
• Duration: 2–2.5 hours including travel.