Pursat

Pursat lies between the Tonle Sap and the forested Cardamom Mountains. Rivers descending from the hills cross the plain toward the great lake, while the mountains yield the aromatic cardamom that gave the range its name. In the early nineteenth century merchants carried Cambodian cardamom through Pursat and Battambang for sale to Siam. The spice was prized in trade with China as well as in the markets of mainland Southeast Asia.