Angkor Sankranta 2018 Attracts Over 1.8 Million Visitors

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Some 1.82 million national and international tourists joined the Angkor Sankranta 2018, the sixth of its kind, in Siem Reap cultural province, a 15.14 percent year-on-year increase, Minister of Tourism H.E. Thong Khon said.

National and International visitors flock to Siem Reap cultural province during the three-day Khmer Traditional New Year. P Thach Phanarong/AKP

Of the tourists, he pointed out, more than 1.78 millions are local visitors and 36,694 are foreign visitors, up 15.16 and 14.25 percent, respectively.

Angkor Sankranta, a major cultural and attractive event in Cambodia, was included in the Visit ASEAN@50 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN last year, he underlined.

In ASEAN, there are more than 50 cultural tourism events, of which five are in Cambodia – Water Festival, Angkor Sankranta, Sea Festival, River Festival, and Half Marathon.

Angkor Sankranta took place this year from April 13 to 16 in Siem Reap province, where the well-known Angkor Wat Temple is located, to celebrate the Khmer Traditional New Year.

It is aimed to show off the solidarity of the Cambodian family as a whole and to contribute to maintaining Cambodian tradition, culture and custom.

Various interesting programmes were organised during the four-day annual event such as art performances – Preah Reach Troap Dance (Royal Ballet), Lakhon Khol (masked theatre), etc. – Khmer popular games and an exhibition on Sambor Prey Kuk Temple, which was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 8, 2017, as well as the show of a giant Hanuman (monkey god in Hindu mythology) mask.

This article was originally published in the Khmer Times.

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