WATER FESTIVAL IN PHNOM PENH 2016

WATER FESTIVAL IN PHNOM PENH 2016



After the tragic events on the last day of the festival in 2010, it was canceled the following three years.The Water Festival was restored in its former glory in 2014, although much less visitors than normal attended the festivities. In 2015, the government again pulled the plug on the festivities. The official reason was: the water level is too low.

Date in 2016: November 13-14-15 are the days that we turning back with Water Festival (well, if there’s not yet another reason to cancel it). When the calendar turns into November, many Cambodian people can no longer hold their excitement about the approaching Water Festival, BON OM TUK in Khmer, which takes place in early November annually. Besides Khmer New Year and Pchum Ben, Water Festival is also one among those big religious festivals in Cambodia. All schools and working places are obligedto take three days off so that everyone has time to enjoy the festival with their families The reason that November, at the time of the full moon,is chosen as the day of Water Festival is to celebrate the end of the rainy season. Also, it marks the changing of the flow of Tonle Sap River, the only river in the world to reverse directions.

It is the time when the river flow reverts to its normal down-stream direction. In a remarkable phenomenon, the Tonle Sap River earlier reverses its course as the rainy season progresses, with the river flowing "upstream" to Tonle Sap Lake. Then as the rainy season tapers off, the river changes direction​​ ​​​​​​​​once again as the swollen Tonle Sap Lake begins to empty back into the Mekong River, leaving behind vast quantities of fish. So this festival is also seen as thanksgiving to the Mekong River for providing the country with fertile land and abundant fish.



During the day, the boats race in pairs along a kilometerlong course to find the winners to compete against the other winners. The winners for all the three days are given a lot of prizes . All of those boats that can go to compete in this national level are selected by having their own village, district and provincial competition. So when a boat  wins, it is like a victory for the whole village,district, and province. The boat racing dates back to ancient times marking the strength of the powerful Khmer marine forces during the Khmer empire. In the evening, brightly decorated light latent boats along the river will be shown prior to an during the nightly fireworks displays. Some people would enjoy the boat race during the day, but it is no deny that more people love to see the beautiful light latent boats and the fireworks at night time, especially since they do not have to worry about the heat from the sun.



Million people from all walks of life and from all over the country flock to the banks of the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers in Phnom Penh to watch traditional boats racing on a huge scale. This has made the river banks become a hive of activity. Cambodian boat teams, spectators, supporters, street vendors and tourists come from far and wide to enjoy and capitalize on the event. Many types of products are on display. They offer really good price and promotion to attract all those tourists that are roaming on the road. Some people would go back home with hands full of shopping bags, but some would just go back with empty hand. Also, many concerts are held in different places to entertain people. Popular Cambodian singers and celebrities are asked to join and that makes the concerts event more exciting. If you’re planning a trip to Cambodia, time your travel to coincide with Water Festival . It gives a great insight into local life and you will not regret your choice of
going there during that time.