Phnom Penh, November 17 (IANS). Cambodia’s three-day Traditional Water Festival attracted more than 6.2 million visitors. The Tourism Ministry said on Sunday that the festival, celebrated from Thursday to Saturday, is one of the most joyous festivals in the South-East Asian country. People from across the country flocked to the capital’s river banks to enjoy the boat race, the main attraction of the festival.
The ministry said that about 60 lakh local tourists and 52 thousand 498 foreign tourists came to the three-day festival.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Sunday that the Water Festival was celebrated smoothly and happily, preserving the kingdom’s unique tradition and culture, delighting both domestic and foreign tourists.
He said in a post on social media, “This success was possible because of the contribution of all the concerned working groups, especially all the security forces who dedicated their time to ensure safety and public order for all the guests of the festival. And devoted physical energy.”
According to the report of news agency Xinhua, about 22 thousand sailors with a total of 348 boats took part in this annual boat race, in which the participants raced with their boats in a 1.7 kilometer area of Tonle Sap River.
The festival is celebrated to honor the strength of the powerful Khmer maritime forces during the ancient Khmer Empire in the late 11th century, and marks the end of the annual rainy season and the unique flow of the Tonle Sap River connecting Tonle Sap Lake to the Mekong River. Also marks a reversal in manner.
–IANS
FZ/AKJ
