Wat Phnom is a Buddhist temple (wat), a pagoda, that symbolizes the name of Phnom Penh, and a historical site that is part of the Khmer national identity. Built in 1372, the temple of Wat Phnom stands on the only hill in Phnom Penh, which lent the Cambodian capital its name. According to legend, the temple was originally built to house four statues of the Buddha found in a tree floating in the nearby river.