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Prime Minister Hun Sen has signed a sub-decree to establish a new city in Bokor National Park, Kampot province.
According to the sub-decree, the new city will be named “Bokor City”, and will include three communes – Boeng Touk, Koh Touch and Prek Tnoat.
In the Master Plan of Bokor City Development Project until 2035” stated that the new city will occupy about five percent of land in Bokor National Park, approx. 9,000 hectares.
The master plan addresses eight areas – residential (3,390 hectares), commercial (821 hectares), mixed-use zones (380 hectares), physical infrastructure (644 hectares), tourism, administration and public service (856 hectares), public and green spaces (995 hectares), technical infrastructure (1,102 hectares) and sewage and wastewater treatment systems (637 hectares).
Ministry of Interior secretary of state Sak Setha released to the source that Bokor will officially become a city in next five to six months. The current population of Bokor is around 23,000 with around 5,000 families.
“The reasons for transforming the city are three-fold: to restore the history of the former ‘Bokor City’ during the 1960s; to execute the land border being modified in the annex of the sub-decree, and due to the current development of the area,” Setha said.
Bokor National Park, also known as Preah Monivong Bokor National Park, which straddles the provinces of Kampot, Preah Sihanouk and Kampong Speu, is home to many threatened animals and plants as well as being a popular tourist site.
The park which gained official protected status in 1993, covers 1,423.17 square kilometers and is designated as an Asean Heritage Park.
Bokor National Park reaches 1,075 metres above sea level, the foot of the mountain is about 11 kilometres from Kampot city and there are about 32 kilometres from the foot to the peak.
Bokor Mountain was founded by the French in 1917 and developed into a resort in 1921. It was a famous summer escape for the French elites and royal family. It is one of Cambodia’s most beautiful and most mystical national parks. Popular for its cool mountain climate and remains a year-round favorite amongst locals and foreigners. It offers a breathtaking view from the hilltop overlooking Cambodia’s coastline and many beautiful offshore islands. The park consists of misty tropical jungles sprawling over mountains teeming with wildlife, fresh mountains streams and waterfalls.
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