Water Festival - definitely it is not a festival playing with water :) So what is it?
Water Festival is a very big traditional festival for 3 days where people from all around Cambodia come to Phnom Penh to compete and see traditional boat racing on the Chaktomuk River. It is not just about boat competition but the festival also celebrates decorated lighting boats and honouring the moon as well as big concerts with firework displays at night.
When and Where is it celebrated?
The festival is celebrated each year in November. There is no fixed date because the festival follows the lunar calendar. This year the festival starts from 16-18 November. During daytime, there are traditional boat racings in front of the Royal Palace. In the evening, there are also displays of decorated lighting boats in the river along with fireworks in front of the Royal Palace. Concerts are organized in parks around the Royal Palace and Koh Pich area. The night when the moon is at its fullest size, people honour the moon in pagodas (Buddhist temples) with fruits and Ambok (a traditional rice for the festival).
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| Fireworks displays |
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| Decorated lighting boats displays |
The festival is to celebrated for the thanks giving of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers that have provided fertile soil for growing rice, an important agricultural sector of the country. It is also marked the change of the water flow direction of the rivers. More importantly, the festival is to honoured the Cambodian navy during the Angkorian period (during the 12th century) who won the wars with the neighbouring countries during that time. Such success is enshrined in the walls of the 12th-century Bayon Temple.
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| Navy wars on the Bayon temple |
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| Crowds during the water festival |
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| Boat racing in front of the Royal Palace |
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