Cambodians celebrate annual water festival amid pandemic

Phnom Penh, Oct 31 (IANS) Cambodians marked the annual water festival, also known as Bon Om Touk, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.The annual event, which takes place this year from October 30 to November 1, is one of the country's most important celebrations and usually attracts more than one million Cambodians across the country to the capital city of Phnom Penh to watch boat races, reports Xinhua news agncy.The government had earlier cancelled the traditional festival gatherings in Phnom Penh in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19. However, it allowed some provinces to organize the festivities as they have always done in the past. The festival, which marks the reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap River and corresponds to the lunar Mid-Autumn Festival, is marked by dragon boat races.Besides the boat races, there are also fireworks and free concerts in the evenings.
--IANS ksk/