This brown-red tower is one of the capital's most iconic landmarks. It was designed in 1958 by Vann Molyvann, who is at the vanguard of the new Khmer architecture, to commemorate the end of the French Protectorate on 9 November 1953. The Independence Monument merges the nation's Angkorian heritage with Buddhist symbols: 100 naga snake heads adorn the corners of the 5-storeyed structure to form a lotus bud. The monument is surrounded by fountains that are lit up at night (on the weekend).