Phnom Penh, 19 November 2021 (TDI): This year Cambodia is celebrating the Water Festival on 18, 19, and 20 November. The native name of the Cambodian Water Festival is Bon Om Touk; meaning Boat Racing Festival. The event marks the age-old tradition of the country.
Cambodian Water Festival
Every year the festival is celebrated on the full moon in November. It is a three-day-long festival. It commemorates the end of the monsoon in the country as well as the reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap River. Tonlé Sap is a seasonally inundated freshwater river in central Cambodia.
🚣Happy Water Festival! pic.twitter.com/vcvaz39Abj
— Office of Cambodian PM 🇰🇭 (@PeacePalaceKH) November 18, 2021
Dragon Boat Races
Bon Om Touk is the largest and the most popular festival in Cambodia. All the towns and villages of Cambodia take part in the festivities. However, the most popular place for celebration is Sisowath Quay in Phnom Penh where millions of people gather to see the dragon boat races.
The event commemorates the strength of the powerful Khmer marine forces of the ancient 11th century Khmer Empire. It is also to honor the Mekong River for providing fertile land, water, and abundant fish.
Sisowath Quay
Sisowath Quay is a stunning 3-km-long boulevard. It is located along the intersection of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. The Quay is the busiest area in Phnom Penh. It has rows of boutiques, cafes, bars, luxury hotels, and restaurants.
During the festival, national and international tourists flock to famous tourist spots like the Angkor wat temple.
National and international tourists flock to visit the famous #AngkorWat Temple, a World Heritage Site, the second day of the three-day Water Festival pic.twitter.com/esPfPxhNNX
— Office of Cambodian PM 🇰🇭 (@PeacePalaceKH) November 19, 2021
The celebrations continue consecutively for the three days of the festival. During the festival, the fireworks and various brightly-lit boats beneath the full moon, illuminate the river.
Earlier this month, Cambodia also celebrated 60 years of independence on 9th November with national zeal and fervor.
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