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Bom Chaul Chnam Festival is one of the highlights of the year for many Cambodians when not only the locals but also foreign tourists engage in a joyful and cohesive activity. Let's travel to Cambodia and experience this unique water festival which will definitely bring you unforgettable memories.
The annual Bom Chaul Chnam Festival in Cambodia (known as the Water Splash Festival) falls during the middle of April and takes place on April 13-15 of the Solar calendar. It is held at the same time as Cambodia's traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year Festival.
April is the time of the Buddhist New Year in Southeast Asia. Cambodia and some other countries such as Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand hold massive water festivals as a way to celebrate the welcoming of New Year following the Buddhist calendar, but also as a means to cool down in the hottest weather month.
Bom Chaul Chnam Festival is a part of Chol Chnam Thmay New Year Festival (Source: Asia Color Travel)
As a national holiday, the festival is held from every corner of the country from the bustling crowded cities and streets to the remote villages, but the largest and most prominent is in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The festival is also held in many other provinces such as Siem Reap, Battambang,... and riverside areas where agriculture thrives.
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The festival is held in many countries in Asia (Source: Vietkieu.com)
The festival is also widely celebrated across South and Southeast Asia. You can even encounter this festival when you go to other countries such as Thailand, Bangladesh, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of the Southwestern region in Vietnam, and parts of the Northeastern region in India where a large Khmer community settles and has a long-standing agricultural civilization.
The Bom Chaul Chnam Festival was formed in ancient times to celebrate a successful rice harvest. People splashed water on each other to hope for a successful new crop.
On these days, Cambodian people bring fresh flowers and offerings to the pagoda, listen to sutras, perform the Buddha bathing ritual, put flower flags on stupas covered with sand, and pour water onto the street to splash each other as a New Year greeting.
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The streets during the festival pulsate with vibrant decorations (Source: BaoSon Travel)
Water is seen as a way to cleanse the body, the mind, and the spirit. Especially, the Cambodians believe that the wetter they are, the luckier they will be, so everyone tries harder to throw water on each other, making the atmosphere in the country these days become more bustling and exciting than ever.
This is also an opportunity for families to reunite, or go on vacation together. The Bom Chaul Chnam Festival marks a time when someone can cast away the previous year's bad luck and sins – to lighten the load, or any undue burdens.
What is the Aspara dance?
The Apsara dance (Robam Tep Apsara) is a traditional Cambodian dance depicting heavenly female spirits known as “apsaras”. It is considered the royal ballet of Cambodia, having been performed at the royal court for centuries. But now, the dance is widely performed at holidays, and festivals,...
The brief history of the Aspara dance
According to folklore, Apsara is used to call fairies of clouds and water. When they play, sing, and dance, plants and animals multiply and flourish. Learning from the mysterious dance movements of fairies, Cambodian people created the Apsara fairy dance to perform on special occasions.
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The Cambodian Aspara dance originated from fairies dance in folklore (Source: Medium)
Through the dance, they want to express their wishes for a peaceful and prosperous life, praising the beauty of the country's nature, the Gods, and the merits of the ancients.
Apsara dance combines elaborate movements and gestures with traditional Khmer music to showcase the richness of Cambodian culture.
The Dancers and movements
An Apsara dance performance includes the main character and a group of dancers acting like fairies walking in the rose garden. Different from the traditional dances of other countries in the world, Apsara requires slow but delicate movements to fully exude the beauty of the dancer and the uniqueness of the artistic dance.
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Apsara dancer's hand movements (Source: Best Price Travel)
Aspara dance in Bom Chaul Chnam Festival
Coming to the Bom Chaul Chnam Festival, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the traditional Apsara dance performance, admire beautiful girls with bright makeup performing classical, gentle dances famous for their elegance, nobility, and gentle gestures. and can better understand the cultural life of Cambodian people.
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Despite time and place, the Aspara dance never loses its charm whenever it is performed (Source: Kampa Tour)
During the festival, you have a chance to marvel at the spellbinding Apsara dance, where every graceful movement and intricate step captivates your senses. This tour promises an exhilarating immersion into Cambodian culture, creating thrilling memories that will last a lifetime.
Read more: 5 reasons to visit Cambodia at least once in your life
The water festival has a cheerful and comfortable appearance, expressing friendliness and closeness between people. Therefore, not only local people but also international tourists are extremely attracted to this activity.
Every Bom Chaul Chnam festival season, the number of tourists coming to Cambodia skyrockets. In a sociable atmosphere, everyone, regardless of old or young, male or female, close friends or strangers, has fun together and wishes each other good things.
You will have a relaxing trip and lots of laughter when participating in the festival. And from individual to individual, they can increase their affection and tighten their friendship.
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Water splashing activity is the highlight of the festival (Source: Viet Travel)
Everyone will have to prepare their own tools to participate in the water splashing activity such as buckets, basins, nozzles, etc. There is also a support service providing water to participants, therefore increasing the attractiveness and encouragement.
In addition to admiring beautiful girls with bright makeup performing classical, gentle dances or playing with water, another highlight of the festival that cannot be ignored is enjoying delicious traditional Cambodian food.
Known for its uniqueness and diversity, Cambodia's traditional foods provide you with a harmonious combination of different taste profiles for your palate including saltiness, bitterness, acidity, and pungency.
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A taste of Cambodian traditional food at the festival (Source: Agoda)
Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy traditional dishes with rich Khmer flavors such as Amok, Khmer red curry, sausage, fried crab, and stir-fried beef with ants,... served with fragrant, sturdy palm wine.
For Cambodians, temples and Buddha statues are sacred and revered places. Therefore, during the Bom Chaul Chnam Festival, you mustn’t throw water at temples and Buddha statues to avoid offending the beliefs and religion of local people.
Although Bom Chaul Chnam is a day for fun and relaxation, you also need to respect the opinions of those who do not want to participate. If you want to spray water on them, make sure they agree and only spray a small amount of water to avoid causing discomfort to others.
During the festival, the streets will become places for Cambodian people and tourists to participate in water fun activities. However, remember that vehicles are still operating and you should not throw water at vehicles to avoid endangering yourself and others.
Do not wear shoes, pants, sweaters, or thick clothes when joining the festival because you don’t want them to be soaked and become extremely heavy. Shorts, shirts, and sandals are your best choice.
If you are a non-participant and you don’t want to get wet while traveling through the streets during the festival, a taxi with closed doors is your best option. Even if you wear clean clothes, take a tuk-tuk, or just walk, no one will spare you. And try to avoid crowded streets as much as possible.
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Use a taxi during your travel (Source: Cambodia Creative)
The Bom Chaul Chnam Festival is truly an explosion of color, music, and joy as the Khmer New Year is celebrated with unparalleled enthusiasm. If you wish to travel to Cambodia and want to indulge in this delightful and unforgettable experience at the festival, contact Asia King Travel to get access to our support!
Read more: Cambodia travel guide
