New Years at Angkor Wat

For Cambodians, Angkor Wat is much more than a historical structure. It represents national pride, spiritual haven, and cultural center point. Which is why the entrance fee is $20 for tourists but entirely free to Cambodians. All throughout the year Cambodians come to visit this colossal structure as a pilgramage but no other time would they visit more than during new years. It's good luck plus there's many events going on throughout the entire grounds of the Angkor Wat landscape. 

My colleague's friend Thanney suggested that we go see the events during this grand festivity and we bravely venture out in our bicycles to the grounds. We wondered why Thanney suggested we take bicycles when we had enough motorcycles. But sure enough the place was jam packed with cars and motorbikes, resulting in a huge congestion. We weaved our way through in the front of the Angkor Wat were crowds of people enjoying picnics, playing traditional new years games, and dancing. 

Since we were just staying outside of the temple, the guards permit us in to stay given that we will not enter into the buildings. 

Hoards of buses, cars, motorbike on the way to Angkor Wat

Traditional game playing time

Cambodian boxing

Traditional peacock dancing

picnic time!

procession

TONS of delicious vendors

Last views of Angkor Wat before leaving

It was amazing to see this many locals in one place and at the same time it really makes you realize how special Angkor Wat is and what it means to them.

This also happened to be my last day in Cambodia so what a way to finish up this great journey! Now time to get ready to pack up.

New Years Game Day

One of the highlights of the New Years is the various events that go on all over the city. Wat Damnak, aka my office also hosted a few traditional games day in which a variety were played and MC-ed by the monks. It's a great way to bring the community together both locals and tourists. And of course, there's lots of dancing in between!

Cambodian version of a piñata! Instead of a paper mache, they're clay pots!

Money and candy inside :)

French guy being suave

Fruit offerings

Special New Years Buddha altar

Ceremonial mounds. Believe it of not, it took the monks 3 days to make! It's made with extreme precision

Participants have to suck in water from a bucket and fill the water bottles up!

The monks are not allowed to participate in the games but they were having a blast as MCs!

Apple eating game

Bean bag race

Boys vs girls, traditional rock throwing game

New Production Center

Sometimes the unlikely similarities between Japan and Cambodia surprises me in a good way.  In Japan, before any new business starts or opens on new property, a Shinto priest is brought into do a purification ceremony. There is a religious component of warding off evil spirits and bringing good luck in for the business to prosper; but there's also a component of community in which the neighborhood comes to welcome the newcomer and for employees to celebrate their new start of the business in unison. 

LHA is expanding in every direction and with the Sewing School we've opened a new production center about 1km away from Wat Damnak. Here the girls would come into work on mass orders from clients where as the Sewing School itself would be used to train the girls and do small customized orders. 

Of course, no Cambodian celebration can be absent from large stereos and set-up had been going underway since sunrise. The girls have also been preparing food for 60 people including 10 monks. Everyone was gathered into the hall which faced a row of monks chanting and spraying holy water with flowers. The business managers, Clive and Laura came up to offer incense and get purified and given good luck prayers from the monks. 

The production center have been a long aspiration of Clive and Laura's and it's a bit step towards self-sustaining the sewing business in LHA (the sewing school is sponsored by the Park Hyatt but not the sewing business itself). Hopefully with the production center up and running, we are able to get more global customer orders as well as provide paid jobs for gradating girls from the school. 

After the ceremony and food offering to the monks are finished, now it's our time to party. With music blasting away and food going around, we all definitely had a good time.