THE LEGEND OF THE FOUNDATION OF FUNAN:
A charming story and an element of truth and have produced the legend of the foundation of Funan which has been handed down from generation to generation in Cambodian folklore.

The story centers around an Indian youth called Kaundinya or Kambu, who travels from India across the sea to the Indo-Chinese coast. As he explores the new country, he comes across a beautiful fairy queen named Willowleaf, who rules a tiny kingdom. She initially challenges him but quickly capitulates and becomes his wife, and together they found the Kingdom of Funan.

Undoubtedly, the legend was based on some fact. We know that one of the earliest kings of Funan was an Indian brahmin, possibly named Kambu, who gave his name to the kingdom, which later became known as Kambuja. Fou Nan (or Funan) was the name given to the kingdom by the Chinese, derived from the Cambodian word `phnom.'