The city is a major hub for tourism in Cambodia due to its close proximity to the ancient temples of Angkor constructed during the Khmer Empire.

[4] The traditional tale claims that King Ang Chan of Cambodia tried to assert greater independence from Siam, which was then struggling internally.

The Thai nobility lured them outside the city on a royal procession by barge to inspect a newly discovered white elephant.

After killing the usurper, along with Sudachan and their new-born daughter, they invited Prince Thianracha to leave the monkhood and assume the throne as King Maha Chakkraphat (1548–1569).

Not only had Ang Chan attacked and looted Prachinburi, turning its people into slaves, but he also refused to give Maha Chakkraphat a white elephant he had requested, rejecting even this token of submission to Siam.

[5] Maha Chakkraphat ordered Prince Ong, the governor of Sawankhalok, to lead an expedition to punish Ang Chan and recover the Thai captives.

The rival armies met, and Ang Chan killed Prince Ong with a lucky musket shot from an elephant's back.

To celebrate his great victory, King Ang Chan supposedly named the battleground "Siem Reap", meaning 'the total defeat of Siam'.

[7] From the 16th to the 19th centuries, infighting among the Khmer nobility led to periodic intervention and domination by both of Cambodia's more powerful neighbors, Vietnam and Siam.

[9] In 1901, the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO) ('French School of the Far East') began a long association with Angkor by funding an expedition into Siam to the Bayon.

The Grand Hotel d'Angkor opened in 1929 and the temples of Angkor became one of Asia's leading draws until the late-1960s, when civil war kept tourists away.

In 1975, the population of Siem Reap, like all other Cambodian cities and towns, was driven into the countryside by the communist Khmer Rouge.

Since Pol Pot's death in 1998, however, relative stability and a rejuvenated tourist industry have revived the city and province.

Siem Reap now serves as a small gateway town to the world heritage site of Angkor Wat.

In recent years, the city has regularly ranked in the top ten for "Best Destination" lists produced by entities such as TripAdvisor, Wanderlust Magazine, and Travel+Leisure.

Angkor Thom is an inner royal city built by Jayavarman VII, the Empire's famed 'Warrior King', at the end of the 12th century and is renowned for its temples, in particular the Bayon.

[15] Some two dozen at-risk Khmer children are educated and live, along with staff, at the Relief Center on the museum property.

Visitors can learn about the eco-friendly production methods, witness skilled artisans at work, and even participate in workshops.

[20] The Old Market or Psah Chas is between Pub Street and the Siem Reap River, and offers a mixture of souvenirs for tourists and a variety of food produce and other items meant for locals.

Opened on 24 September 2003, the Cambodian Cultural Village assembles all the miniatures of famous historical buildings and structures of Cambodia.

[29][30] Phnom Kulen National Park is about 48 km from Siem Reap and contains a number of attractions such as its two waterfalls and the Kbal Spean's 'river of 1000 lingas'.

The lake and its villages have many unique features and attractions, making Tonle Sap tours popular with tourists.

The Sombai workshop and tasting parlour[38] set up in the artist's Leang Seckon's house have also become a tourist attraction.

[50] A high-speed rail connection between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh is, As of 2022[update], in the planning stages, with feasibility studies being conducted by the China Railway Engineering Corporation.