Chinese dynastic histories give us a great deal of information about sixth-century Funan, describing a prosperous, hierarchical society with a rich slave-owning nobility headed by a powerful king who rode on an elephant. Buildings were almost all made of wood, and so we have no direct evidence of what they looked like, but the Chinese histories describe richly ornate palaces. Law was through trial by ordeal and both Hinduism and Buddhism were popular in the kingdom.
A large and prosperous port city, Oc-eo, lay in the southwest of the kingdom. A great deal of trade passed through this city which had a good system of waterways and canals. The wealth of the kingdom was based on trade, as it was conveniently placed between India and China with easy access by sea and river. The capital of Funan, in [M 001 / Prey Veng] province, was inland near the city which is called Banam today.
