The floating village of Kampong Chhnang has been selected this year to host, from March 15–17, a festival that merges sports, environmental concerns, culture, tourism, and Khmer traditions. The festival's core mission, since 2015, has been to highlight in a playful and celebratory way the pivotal role that the Mekong has played throughout the centuries in shaping the daily lives of people living along its banks. Beyond Cambodge, approximately 70 million people reside within its watershed.

After the city of Takmao last year, the floating village of Kampong Chhnang, situated roughly 100 kilometers from Phnom Penh, will now host the 5th Mekong Festival. This event, resplendent in its atmosphere, energy, and traditional market, co-organized by the Cambodge National Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Tourism among others, aims primarily to promote the Mekong as an inseparable element in the evolution of the Khmer people across centuries. The country is considered the most dependent on this river, which flows through China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodge, and Vietnam. It is indeed used for agriculture, food, and river commerce. It provides water in arid seasons and cyclically replenishes Tonlé Sap Lake, Southeast Asia's largest body of water, which in turn sustains thousands of households along and within its shores with vital resources. Minister Thong Khon spoke this week to outline the main points of this 5th edition. "The river connects peace, people, and tourism" will be this year's theme. The Kampong Chhnang festival will aim to enhance public awareness of green and sustainable tourism, promote quality, and diversify tourism offerings."

Notable Eclecticism

Numerous fleeting yet equally captivating activities will mark the festival. Three days during which visitors can participate in or witness sporting events such as boat races, football, volleyball, and other sand sports like wrestling. Cambodge and Vietnam had in fact faced off in a friendly match at Takmao in these two team sports last year. A major market will also be deployed to allow Kampong Chhnang residents to sell traditional, region-specific products to tourists—both local and international. Finally, seminars and conferences will be organized on the theme of the Mekong and environmental and tourism issues surrounding the river.

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