Map - Cheung Prey District (Cheung Prey)

Cheung Prey (ស្រុកជើងព្រៃ) is a district (srok) of Kampong Cham province, Cambodia. The district capital is Skuon town. This busy market town has grown up around the intersection of National Highway 6 and National Highway 7. Skun is around 49 kilometres east of the provincial capital at Kampong Cham city and 75 kilometres north of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. The district capital of Skuon is also known as "Spiderville." The town has become famous with both locals and international visitors to Cambodia for its fried spiders. The spiders are either captured in their burrows or bred for sale. First the venom is removed and then the spider is killed by squeezing the thorax. The spiders are then fried whole with garlic and salt. The practice of eating spiders in Cheung Prey began under the Democratic Kampuchea regime in Cambodia. Eating spiders and other insects helped locals starving from the harsh policies of the Khmer Rouge. Now that local residents have acquired the taste, the fame of the crunchy spiders has spread and people travel from Phnom Penh just to sample the deep fried arachnae. International visitors also travel to Skun to see the spiders, but most are content to take photographs rather than sample this unusual delicacy.

Cheung Prey district is in eastern Kampong Cham Province. Reading from the north clockwise, Cheung Prey shares a border with Baray district of Kampong Thom province to the north and the district of Prey Chhor to the east. To the south of Batheay is Kang Meas district and Batheay district forms the western border.