15 Nov. 2018On November 12th, Pravin Patel, representative of the Guinness Book of Records, sealed Cambodia's 9th world record. That of the world's largest dragon boat! The pirogue, measuring 87.3 meters in length and 1.94 meters in width, will be presented to the Khmer people on Wednesday, November 21st in Phnom Penh at the launch of the Water Festival.

A dragon's head as the bow, a phoenix tail at the stern. With the final details completed, the vessel is ready. It took 192 days for the 14,000 boatbuilders from Prey Vèng province to complete this monumental feat. The inauguration ceremony of the "super-pirogue," capable of accommodating 174 boatmen, took place on Monday in Neak Loeung in the presence of Pravin Patel and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Samdech Kralahorm Sâr Khéng.

"Kambojikaputtakhemaratari"

Literally "the pirogue of the Khmers on Cambodian territory." Each boat carries a name. It is a maritime tradition. The Kambojikaputtakhemaratari, the name given to this wooden dragon boat, represents the long history of construction and navigation of this means of transport perpetuated for many generations in Cambodia. It will be symbolically presented to the public on the opening day of Om Touk, the Water Festival, which begins in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, November 21st. For three days, a multitude of Khmer towns and villages converge on the capital to compete on the Tonlé Sap River during epic boat races. The timing is thus perfectly suited to unveil this masterpiece to the public.

A Record That Joins Eight Others

The Kambojikaputtakhemaratari thus dethrones the previous record held by a Chinese pirogue measuring 87 meters long. This is not the first distinction awarded to Cambodia in the famous Guinness Book of Records. The eight previous records inscribed in the volume include the largest gathering of Madison dancers (2,015 people), the world's heaviest rice cake (4 tons), the most comprehensive alphabet (74 letters), the highest number of mandates held by a head of state (10), the fastest water flow: in the Mekong at the border with Laos (10 million liters of water per second), the laziest turtle on Earth, the most expansive religious construction that is Angkor Wat (1,626 m²), and the krama woven scarf, a typical Cambodian wrap, the longest on the planet (1,149 meters).

Thibault Bourru

Thibault BourruA passionate lover of literature and Asia, Thibault shares his experiences through his writing.