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Gallery|Arts and Culture

Cambodia’s water festival returns with a bang

The annual event takes place in November for three nights during the full moon.

Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
Contestants prepare to race at this year's water festival. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
By Gareth Bright
Published On 16 Nov 201616 Nov 2016
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Bon Om Touk is an annual water festival in Cambodia, marking the end of the rainy season and the reversal of flow of the Tonle Sap river.

For three nights during November’s full moon, villages send teams with their dragon boats to compete from around noon until sunset.

Pairs of boats race from the Japanese Friendship Bridge down the river to the finish line in front of the Royal Palace.

The history of the festival can be traced back to the 12th century when the naval forces of the Angkorian king Jayavarman VII defeated his Cham rivals.

In recent years, the festival has been through various ups and downs.

In 2010, a stampede on an overcrowded bridge resulted in the death of almost 350 people.

In 2011 and 2013, flooding caused the boat races to be cancelled.

In 2012, the races were cancelled owing to the death of King Norodom Sihanouk. 

Last year, the water levels were too low.

This year, however, the festival returned to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, with a bang. Despite what appeared to be a quiet turnout on the the first day, locals and tourists showed up en masse in the following days.

There were 259 boats racing during the festival this year, including 76 special racing boats, 170 paddle boats, 26 rowing boats and 63 international standard boats.

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Teams and onlookers watch the dragon boat races from a vantage point underneath the Japanese Friendship bridge. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
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Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
A crew gets out of its racing boat after training on the waters of the Tonle Sap river. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
Contestants prepare for racing on the festival's first day. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
Team members check paddles and prepare themselves before climbing into their dragon boat. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
Locals were delighted to see the return of the festival in Phnom Penh, flooding the streets to enjoy the races and the food. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
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A man dressed as the God Hanuman performs a traditional monkey dance to ensure good luck for the contestants before the start of the races. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
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Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
A group of Chams, an ethnic Muslim community in Cambodia with strong ties to the water, watch the races from Chroy Changvar on the banks on the Tonle Sap. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
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Novice monks ceremonially shave their heads on the banks of the Tonle Sap as contestants prepare their boats. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
Tourists and locals flood the streets to enjoy the festivities. [Gareth Bright/ Al Jazeera]
Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
Traditional drums are played before race participants take to the water. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
Contestants celebrate on the banks of the Tonle Sap river. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
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Brahman priests dressed in all-white make their way to the Royal Pavilion on the first day of the water festival. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
The King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni, followed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, First Lady Bun Rany and other high ranking officials, arrives at the Royal Pavilion on the banks of the Tonle Sap river to watch the races. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]
Cambodian water Festival / Please Do Not Use
The King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni, greets racers from the Royal Pavilion on the first day of the festival. [Gareth Bright/Al Jazeera]


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