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Water and Moon Festival (Bon Om Tuk, Bondet Protit, Sam Peah Preah Khae)

The kingdom of Cambodia has a wealth of traditional and cultural festivals dated according to the Cambodian lunar calendar. All these festival are influenced by the concept of Buddhism, Hinduism, and royal cultures. The festivals, which serves as a source of great joy, merriment and Cambodian’s national colors, play a major role in influencing tourists’ opinions, behaviors, and options. Most of these are a time of replacing the predominantly urban and rural populace.

Orb Tror Lach or Bes Ov Loeuk Game (Pick Fruit Game)

There are many types of Khmer games. Some games are played only on the daytime or night time, some are played during Khmer Lunar new year, and some games are played indefinitely. Games that usually play only during the night time with moonlight and no need to have any festival such as Orb Tror Lach or Bes Ov Loeuk etc. This game is a fun game for girls and boys in every rural country in Cambodia.

Robam Kngork Pouthisat (Pursat Peacock Dance)

Folk dances are performed at religious ceremonies, festivities, and leisurely entertainment. Traditionally, all dances were performed in the village in large clearings or public areas at times of birth, marriage, death, during planting and harvesting, hunting, war, or at a feast. There are many dances related to Buddhist beliefs, one of them is Robam Kgnork Pouthisat.

Lakhaon Poul Srei (Female Masked Theatre)

Lakhaon Poul Srei is the female version of Lakhaon Khaol (classical male masked theater), which literally translates as ‘female narration’. Both forms combine classical theater and dance and are accompanied by the traditional pin peat orchestra. Unlike Lakhaon Khaol, which uses a separate group of narrators, Lakhaon Poul Srei dancers take turns narrating while other members continue to dance. The dancers often lift their masks and narrate directly to the audience.

Cambodia National Flag

There were different flags used as the national flag of Cambodia since 1863. The Cambodian flag has three stripes and the middle one is larger than the blue ones which are at the top and the bottom. However, the middle stripe is red with the Angkor Wat in the middle of the flag.

Romduol Flower (Mitralla mesnyi): The National Flower of Cambodia

Romduol, a small yellowish-white flower, is the national flower of the Kingdom of Cambodia via the proclamation of a royal decree by King Sihamoni of Cambodia in 2005. The Khmer common name is “Romduol” and […]

Cambodia Royal Ploughing

In Khmer so-called Preah Reach Pithi Chrot Preah Neangkoal, the Royal Plowing Day is traditionally held in May on the 4th day of the 6th Lunar month’s waning moon. To celebrate the arrival of the rainy season, people gather to eat and pray for a plentiful crop. The centerpiece of this festival day is a ritual in which representatives of our King plow and plant rice at the ceremonial when the rice growth period is upcoming.

Sdech Jang Game (King Game)

Sdech Jang or King Game is a game that boys, girls, or teenagers from every village all over Cambodia, always play during their free time at night time under the moonlight. Players have too many male and female players which unlimited. When playing, they are divided into two groups, one male, and one female. In both groups, they set up a male or a female as a king to sit in the center.

Krorb Moan or Chicken Hiding Game

Krob Moin game is an entertaining game for teenagers both male and female from all over Cambodia, often play in the free time at night. Players consist of male and female about 8 to 10 people on each side. For playing the game, they will choose one male and one female from both sides, covering them by skirt, scarf or blanket from hair to toe. But, do not let them know who they are and let the two face each other, man represent a male chick and woman represent a female chick.

Bet Paun or Hiding Game

Bet Paun is a game where young boys and girls always play on the night of the dawn. This game is played indefinitely in any season or month, as long as there is leisure time and no limit to the number of people. The measure of this game consists of the one who hides the others and the searcher. When the searcher catching the hide players and rounded their ears.

Chhoung Game

“Chol Chhoung”, known as “Chhoung”, is one of the most famous Khmer folk games. This game can ignite all players’ joy, bonding, and fascination. Moreover, this is the type of Khmer throwing game that everyone, especially teens and young adults, plays at the pagoda during Khmer New Year in April.

Robam Nesat (Khmer Fishing Dance)

Khmer folk dances are highly spirited dances that follow popular themes with lively movements and gestures. Dance motifs are usually based on local legends and the everyday life of the people. Dancers dance with easy, improvised yet composed movements that are designed to invite humor and enthusiasm, with upbeat music and rhythm. Many dances are accompanied by drums and instruments from the Mahori and Pinn peat ensemble. One of many popular Khmer folk dances is Robam Nesat (Khmer Fishing Dance).

Robam Kngork Pailin (Pailin Peacock Dance)

Robam Kngork Pailin (Pailin Peacock Dance) is a long-standing legacy from the Kola ethnic group, who live in the region of Pailin in the west of Cambodia. The dance relates to a Pailinian legend about a magic peacock who goes to preach to the King. The lively dance is about commemorating this peacock which is a symbol of happiness. The dance imitates the peacock with lively colors of beautiful wings and suggests a courting scene between a peacock and a peahen. The dance is said to bring happiness and prosperity to villagers and is often performed during the New Year and ritual ceremonies in times of drought to pray for rain.

Robam Ken (Ken Dance)

Traditional Folk Dance Refers to all kinds of dances that are passed on from one generation to another and that are often linked to an ethnic group’s traditional’ ceremonies. In Cambodia, traditional dances mostly involve animism and express beliefs in the supernatural. When people have problems thought to have been caused by supernatural or spirits, they offer lively dances to appease them.

Robam Krama Khmer (Khmer Scarf Dance)

Sampeah

The Sampeah is a Cambodian traditionally greeting style or way of showing respect. While performing the salutation or mutual recognition “Sampeah”, people have to raise both hands, and place their palms together in the lotus-like fashion while bowing slightly. The word often spoken with the Sampeah when greeting somebody is Chumreap Suor, while Chumreap Lea is spoken when saying goodbye.

Robam Trot (Trot Dance)

Trot Dance (Robam Trot) is a popular Khmer folk dance presently performed during the Khmer New Year. If the Chinese have Dragon Dance, Cambodian has Robam Trot to ward off bad luck from the previous year and celebrate the coming of the New Year.

Hamok Trei or Amok Trei

Cambodians eat a lot of fish, given the country’s bountiful coastlines and one of the world’s greatest heartland fishing areas.

Nem – Raw Spiced Fish Khmer Snack

Nem is one of the well-known Khmer delicacies of raw spiced fish wrapped up in Banana leaves, mixed with many other ingredients. This Khmer snack is very popular among young people because it could have a robust spicy and sour flavor and makes you eat a lot of sweets to calm down the exotic aftertaste.

Khmer Ox Cart

When contemporary innovation takes control, it is common for old-school items to vanish gradually. Khmer Ox-carts, however, is more than simply old artifacts; they were the ‘Mercedes-Benz’ of Cambodia’s bygone civilizations. As a result, Cambodians should preserve such a deep-rooted tool for younger people who wish to appreciate it or for those who still use it.

Moni Mekhala Dance – One of the Repertory of Dances to the Royal Ballet of Cambodia

Being one of many repertories of Cambodian Classical dance, Robam Moni Mekhala (របាំមណីមេខលា), highlights the Cambodian mythology of thunder, lightning, and rain that is related with Buddhist and Hindu superstition.

The Rolling Rice Paper

Rice Paper in Cambodia is made in Battambang province located northwest of Cambodia. The province is known for the rice bowl of the Kingdom; therefore, the supply of rice is enough for the making of rice paper. Natives of Battambang cook the rice paper by using the steamer which is traditionally made of Cambodian buffalo skin while now villagers only use clothes steamer, where the rice bran is flattering over boiling water. The hard buffalo skin helps to protect the small grains of rice from getting burned.

Chapei Dang Veng

Chapei Dang Veng (A Cambodian long-necked guitar) is used in Arak and Pleng Ka orchestras. Moreover, it is also performed solo instruments accompaniment of poetry, narrated folk stories, vocal duets of an argumentative style and […]

Num Ansorm

Num Ansorm is a rice cake that most Khmer people always make the cakes every year, and never missed. When the Khmer New Year or Pchum Ben season, especially Pchum Ben season, Khmer people always make this cake in every home.

Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk Archaeological Site of Ancient Ishanapura

The archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk, “the temple in the richness of the forest” in the Khmer language, has been identified as Ishanapura, the capital of the Chenla Empire (Chenla Kingdom) that flourished in the late 6th and early 7th till 9th centuries CE.