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Cambodia: The Water Festival
The three-day water festival is celebrated each year in October
or November, at the time of the full moon. This most exuberant fête
marks the reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap and is seen as thanksgiving
to the Mekong River for providing the country with fertile land
and abundant fish. The event is celebrated with three days of boat
races, fairs, shows, parades, fireworks, music, and dancing. The
boat races held on the Tonle Sap River are the largest part of the festival.
The photographs are reproduced by kind permission of Patrick Mercier. He can be contacted at patricklotus@gmail.com
The origins of the water festival hark back to the powerful navy of King Jayavarman II, the 9th century founder of the Angkorian Empire, and the main purpose is to make the god of the river happy so he will provide many fish and the rice crop will be plentiful. |
Light-boats floating on the Tonle Sap River during the water festival. |
The boats race along a one-kilometer course that ends near the juncture of the Tonle Sap River with the Mekong River in front of the royal palace. |
Multitudes of people arrive from the provinces by bus, car, bike, cyclo, bicycle, and even truck. |
Thousands walk to Phnom Penh from the outlying provinces and sleep in the open. |
The boats can be up to 20 meters long and contain up to 65 oarsmen. |
To do well in the races brings glory to the village and riches to the local pagoda. The loss of a boat causes damage to finances, as well as morale. |
View of the Tonle Sap River. |
The boats are works of art. Many have intricate designs painted from bow to stern. |
Children bounce through the crowds with origami-style paper birds wind-borne on sticks. |
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