Siem Reap provincial officials said the planning for this year’s Angkor Sangkran event is about 80 per cent complete despite some inconveniences caused by the weather, with rain and strong winds being the primary source of the trouble.
Deputy provincial governor Prak Sophoan – who is also president of the local chapter of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) – told The Post on April 2 that the March 29 storm which claimed one life while also damaging some public property would not have a significant impact on the process of organising for the Sangkran holiday.
“So far, the work of decorating the four public locations for Angkor Sangkran is about 80 per cent complete,” he said.
According to Sophoan, this year’s event in Siem Reap will mainly be held at the Terrace of the Elephants – a large open space being decorated in a manner that reflects the culture, traditions and customs of the Cambodian people – and the opening and closing ceremonies will be held there.
The second location will be in front of Angkor Wat temple, the third will be along the Siem Reap River from Damnak Bridge to Angkor Trade Centre, and the fourth will be at Angkor Kyung Yu centre.
“This year’s Angkor Sangkran event will feature an exhibition of Cambodian arts in many forms and performances that reflect traditional Khmer culture. Because of these events, we expect that local and international tourists will visit Siem Reap for the holiday in increased numbers over previous years,” he said.
The APSARA National Authority (ANA) – a body tasked with managing the Angkor Archaeological Park – is in the process of organising a “cultural heritage village” to the north of the Hal Bridge on the banks of the moat in front of Angkor Wat as part of this year’s holiday celebrations, according to an ANA announcement.
An ANA team is currently busy preparing the site to showcase various forms of Cambodian cultural heritage for locals and tourists to enjoy as just one of the 44 events taking place this year for Angkor Sangkran.
“The public, local and international tourists will learn more about our tangible heritage, such as the … techniques for maintaining and repairing the temples and there will also be demonstrations of intangible heritage on how traditional manuscripts are created,” the notice said.
There will also be pottery, traditional tattoos, a concert by the Tbeng villagers, Khmer folk games as well as an exhibition celebrating the ANA’s achievements of the past 30 years in the conservation and sustainable development that has taken place within the Angkor park.
The ANA invites all Cambodians and visiting tourists to attend the events and learn more about Cambodian culture. This year’s celebrations are organised under the theme “Dreams and Hopes” and are scheduled to take place from April 14-16.
