The number of tourists to arrive in Cambodia in 2012 was at least 200,000 higher than expectations, possibly reaching 3.5 million, officials said yesterday.
Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, told the Post yesterday that in the first 11 months of 2012, Cambodia received 3.2 million tourists, and that he assumed for the whole of December, Cambodia would receive an additional 300,000 tourists. He said the number of international tourists arriving in Cambodia reached nearly 2.8 million in 2011, so 2012 saw an increase of more than 20 per cent.
He pointed out that there are some key factors leading to the increases in tourist arrivals, such as political stability and security, as well as being the host country of ASEAN summits and other related meetings.
He said other reasons included Cambodia establishing new tourism products such as developments in the coastal areas and inland, under the “Green and Clean” slogan. He added that Cambodian services had also improved.
The numbers would be sure to increase even more with direct flights between Cambodia and Indonesia and the long-awaited ACMECS’ single visa implementation for Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
“In 2012, if there are not obstacles, and if we solve some problems, we can achieve higher numbers,” he said, adding: “If we push it fast, the increase is faster than what we receive now.”
Sinan Thourn, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, said he agreed that tourist arrivals increased in 2012. But he said at the same time some hurdles prevented a greater increase.
He said direct flights from Japan or India should be launched to push the increase in tourism, while direct flights from China are still limited.
“If Cambodia [launches more] direct flights with India, China and Japan, then we believe numbers will increase more,” he said. He added that “tourists in Asia Pacific are crucial for Cambodia because it is a huge market”.
Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said along with growth, there were some guests extending their stay in Cambodia as a result of the development of tourism products.
Preah Vihear Temple sees dramatic rise in tourists
Foreign tourist numbers to Preah Vihear Temple increased by 147 per cent over the first 11 months of the year, while local visitor numbers increased by 84 per cent.
Between January and November, a total of 6,396 foreign tourists visited the temple area, a 147.60 per cent increase over the same period last year, which only saw 2,582 visitors.
There were 86,953 local visitors this year, an increase of 84 per cent compared to last year, when the area welcomed only 47,163 visitors, according to Kong Vibol, a director of the Tourism Department in Preah Vihear province.
“Causes for the increase in visitor numbers are a result of good security along the border area making it easier to visit,” Vibol said.
“Another factor is that the national roads from Siem Reap and Phnom Penh have improved,” he said.
According to Vibol, the Pchum Ben holiday period attracted a lot of visitors because the area was not affected by flooding as it was in 2011.
In mid-August, officials from Preah Vihear province met with their counterparts from Thailand’s Ubon province to discuss opening a new border.
However, no progress has been made on the issue yet, according to previous reports by the Post.
“The gateway does not only serve economic and commercial purposes, but also serves the tourism sector,” Vibol said, adding: “We know Preah Vihear Temple is an attractive site and there are good link roads from Siem Reap and from Phnom Penh. There will be more visitors in 2013.”
Along with the increased tourist numbers to the region, some local residents have started to build new accommodation, increasing options for staying in Preah Vihear and Saem towns.
Tuy Chimsreoun, front office manager of Preah Vihear Boutique Hotel at Saem village in Choum Ksann district in Preah Vihear province, said the hotel, comprising 30 rooms, will begin operating in January next year.
“We see some newly finished guesthouses were full for every big holiday.”
“We see about 400 to 500 foreign visitors to Preah Vihear Temple along with about 2,000 Khmer visitors each month,” he said.
Cambodia’s second-largest earner of foreign income, tourism, is starting to feel the effects of a prolonged economic downturn and the unstable political situation in Thailand, tourism experts said Thursday.
The number of foreign visitors was down slightly for the first quarter of 2009, dropping 2.23 percent compared to the same period in 2008, but, officials said, those visitors who do come are spending less money.
“This decline has nothing to do with Cambodia’s performance,” said Ang Kim Eang, president of Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
The industry is facing a swath of problems, from the global downturn, a wobbly government in Bangkok, the spread of the H1N1 virus, and even oil price hikes, he said.
Some have blamed Cambodia’s lack of a national airline for the decline, he said, and are hoping for a new tourism law and an open-sky policy, as well visas on arrival and an expansion of attractions.
Even with the slight decline, the number of tourists from the region has risen. Visitors from the Philippines, Laos Malaysia and Vietnam have boosted business for small hotels, he said.
“Therefore, big and luxurious hotels have faced some difficulties in losing their customers...as tourists now spend less money,” Ang Kim Eang said.
To stay competitive in the downturn and to keep numbers up, tourism professionals should target specific countries, said Ho Vandy, co-chairman of the Tourism Working Group, who was also a guest on Thursday’s show.
“What we have advised for the government is related to the promotion of targeting specific tourist groups, Japan or Korea, for instance”
In a rare acknowledgement of deforestation concerns, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, chairman of the National Commission for UNESCO, said the widespread clearing of forests around Angkor Wat was harming views of the historic temple complex.
Sok An made the remarks in Siem Reap at a Plenary Session of the International Co-ordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor) on Wednesday, and stressed that the forest, known as Phnom Kulen, was degraded and needed immediate attention.
“I’ve known that Phnom Kulen is endangered now, thus this plateau region needs urgent protection,” he said, calling for a halt to all forest clearing which “affects our view of our national park”.
Sok An also called on Siem Reap provincial governor Sou Phirin to co-operate with the APSARA Authority and UNESCO to protect the national park.
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said that the Phnom Kulen issue was on the government’s radar.
“In the meeting, we’re paying attention to Phnom Kulen,” he said. “It’s becoming an endangered place.”
According to Siphan, talks are ongoing about problems posed by both flooding and groundwater fluctuations, which are thought to be causing some temples to sink, which in turn causes structural damage.
“We are still discussing surface water, and we have to make sure that there’s no flooding in the temples and Siem Reap city,” he said.
In September the Italian government donated $200,000 to repair an embankment and stairway in the temple’s moat that were damaged by floods.
Angkor marks its 20th year on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites this year, but, due to the national mourning for King Father Norodom Sihanouk, who played a key role in Angkor’s addition to the list, anniversary celebrations will be postponed until the World Heritage Committee meeting in June.
US President Barack Obama arrives in Cambodia for the Asean-US Meeting Monday 19 November 2012.
The meetings come as Asean nations are displaying a rare show of unity against China's sweeping maritime claim, calling for the first formal talks with Beijing over a sea duspute that has raised tensions and exposeed deep divisions in the region.
President Obama meets with prime minister Hun Sen of Cambodia before the official Asean-US Meeting.
Trade between Cambodia and Thailand increased by about 40 per cent to US$3 billion in the first nine months of this year in comparison with the same period last year, according to figures provided by the Royal Embassy of Thailand in Cambodia.
According to Nat Vimonchandra, a counsellor for the Thai embassy, factors influencing the increase in trade include greater consumption within Cambodia due to the ASEAN summit, increased tourist numbers and the growing economy.
“Cambodia’s economy has improved in every sector including agriculture, real estate, garments and tourism,” he said.
“That means the country needs to import materials, food, goods and fuel and energy a lot and Thailand is one of the major countries exporting to Cambodia.”
Nat also said the better political relationship between the two countries is another cause and more specifically, the commitment made in May this year to see a 100 per cent increase in trade between the two countries by 2015.
Economic land concessions have also prompted an increase in demand for machinery and vehicles, according to Praivan Limpanboon from the Thai Business Council of Cambodia.
“I would not rule out the factors in the country such as increases in ELCs which increased demand on vehicles, heavy-duty tractors, bulldozers and other agricultural equipment,” she said.
Praivan also noted that the increase in trade between Thailand and Cambodia was interesting because a report in Thailand showed the country’s exports in general are quite low.
The number of foreign tourists arriving in Cambodia increased 23 per cent in the third quarter of the year compared to the same period last year, according to new statistics from the Ministry of Tourism.
The ministry’s figures show the number of international tourists in the Kingdom reached 2,577,540 – an increase of 23.6 per cent compared to 2,084,789 in the same period last year.
The data show the number of tourists who arrived in the Kingdom by land was up 33.3 per cent to 1,299,804 tourists or 50.4 per cent of total arrivals. Those arriving by air were up 16.4 per cent.
Teth Chantha, general director of the Ministry of Tourism, said the numbers are a good sign for the country’s tourism industry.
“Visitors still increase, we have good growth, and we have the ASEAN meetings this year so Cambodia’s tourism gets better and better,” he said.
Tourists visiting Siem Reap province increased 27.4 per cent to 1,487,213, while tourists to Phnom Penh increased 18 per cent, to 1,090,327. Coastal areas saw an increase of 50.3 per cent, or 206,129 visitors, the figures showed. Tourists to Preah Vihear temple increased the most, with 13,140 foreign visitors, equal to a rise of 77.39 per cent, while there were 142,910 local visitors there, up 57.7 per cent.
Siem Reap remains the most important tourist destination in Cambodia, while most of foreign arrivals at Phnom Penh airport are businessmen, Teth Chantha said.
Data show visitors from Vietnamese increased 25.4 per cent, for a total of 22.55 per cent of foreign arrivals. Vietnam is followed by South Korea, China, Laos, Thailand, Japan, the US, France, Australia, and Malaysia.
Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodia Tourism Association, said tourism in Cambodia is increasing because of its wide array of offerings. He said Cambodia needs more flights to other destinations for more growth.
Ministry officials said they expected more German or European tourists to visit Cambodia after a German airline agreed to directly fly to Siem Reap once a week, starting later this month.
Sunrise at the top middle of Angkor Wat at 12:00AM midnight on 22 September 2012
It is amazing news according to the leading Cambodian Kohsantepheap Daily Newspaper, saying that the rare sunrise will appear, at 12:00PM on 22 September 2012, on the middle top of Angkor Wat archeological park, the World Wonder, located in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. The news attract thousands of local and international tourists coming flocking to the site to take photo of this fantastic view as well as to experience the great thing in life.
That's very fantastic picture! I have ever seen in my life! The first ever to see this kind time happened at Angkor Wat, Kingdom of Wonder!!!
See Photo below:
Sunrise at the top middle of Angkor Wat at 12:00AM midnight on 22 September 2012
Watch a video of Sunrise of Angkor Wat in day time..
International tourist arrivals in Siem Reap province soared considerably in an eight month period this year compared to previous years, according to an official.
Chhoeuy Chhan, Deputy Director of Siem Reap Provincial Tourism Department, said they in Siem Reap increased by more than 30 per cent.
According to official statistics, foreign tourists arriving totaled more than 1,365,000 in the last eight months, a 30.27 per cent increase compared with more than 1,048,000 the previous year.
Chhoeuy Chhan said at least 85 per cent among these tourists bought tickets to visit the Angkor Wat compound.
He said South Korean tourists, who score highest in the tourist arrivals, increased by 41.06 per cent, from more than 16,000 to over 23,000. Vietnamese tourists came in second, followed by Chinese, Japanese and Thai tourists.
Despite huge increases in numbers, the historical tourism site could still accommodate them because the province has 152 hotels consisting of more than 10,000 rooms, along with 220 guesthouses with more than 3,000 rooms.
“There are not enough rooms during the big national festivals,” he said, but generally there are enough.
There has been an increase in Vietnamese tourists arriving in Cambodia but their benefit is not as great as other foreign tourists, according to a tourism-related service provider.
Seng Phalkun, Managing Director of Travel Loops tour company and owner of Siem Reap-based Noon Night Market, said Vietnamese tourists spent little on souveniers and other service packages.
“Vietnamese are not good for business because their budget is still low," said Seng Phalkun.
“Service packages for Vietnamese are really cheap,” he said. “For example, the cost of a hotel room could be US$30, but for Vietnamese customers, it is $22 per night,” said Seng Phalkun.
On World Tourism Day 2012, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that in 2011 Cambodia received approximately 2.8 million international tourists, an increase of 16 per cent compared with last year.
For the first seven months of 2012, international tourist arrivals to Cambodia totaled about 2 million, an increase of 25 per cent.
World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012 is being held under the theme Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development. Official celebrations will take place in Maspalomas, Spain (Sept 27).
This year’s theme aims to highlight tourism’s role in a brighter energy future; a future in which the world’s entire population has access to modern, efficient and affordable energy services.
Tourism, one of the world’s largest economic sectors, has already taken important steps towards this future – improving energy efficiency and increasingly using renewable energy technologies in its operations. These steps are creating jobs, lifting people out of poverty and helping to protect the planet.
Be part of World Tourism Day 2012! Take part in the photo competition, go to online energy school, let us know how you will be celebrating and keep checking back for more information on WTD activities and celebrations.
Tourism & Sustainable Energy: gearing up for World Tourism Day 2012
PR No.: PR12042,Madrid,27 Jun 12
Launching the World Tourism Day 2012 (27 September) campaign, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, has called on all tourism stakeholders to “play their part in reaching the United Nations goal of achieving sustainable energy for all by 2030”.
World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012 will be celebrated under the theme ‘Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development’, inviting everyone involved in tourism – from governments to businesses and tourists themselves – to learn more about the sustainable energy initiatives in place in the tourism sector, debate what more should be done and advance the use of sustainable energy in tourism.
“Tourism is leading the way in some of the world’s most innovative sustainable energy initiatives,” says Mr. Rifai in his official WTD message. “Energy efficient upgrades to aircraft, the shift to renewable fuel for aviation and cruise liners, energy technology solutions in hotels, as well as countless other initiatives are placing tourism at the forefront of the clean energy transformation.”
These initiatives are crucial for sustainable development, continues Mr. Rifai, helping to cut tourism’s carbon emissions, enabling businesses to grow and create jobs, and bringing modern and affordable energy services to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities – goals in line with the 2012 UN International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.
The Secretary-General’s message is part of the WTD 2012 campaign, which also includes the annual WTD photo competition, the upcoming Twitter competition and access to resources on the relationship between tourism and energy. This year, UNWTO is also inviting everyone to visit the ‘online energy school’, as part of Hotel Energy Solutions, a UNWTO-initiated project designed to help hoteliers cut their carbon emissions and costs. The launch of the WTD campaign comes one week after governments, the private sector, civil society and other groups meeting at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) committed US$ 323 billion to achieving sustainable energy for all by 2030.
Official WTD celebrations will take place on 27 September in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain, and include a Think Tank on the 2012 theme with the participation of top experts and policy makers in the field of tourism and energy. The Think Tank will be one of hundreds of events taking place around the world in celebration of WTD.
About World Tourism Day
World Tourism Day (WTD) is held annually on 27 September.
Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to highlight the contribution the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.
International Traval Expo, Hong Kong (ITE) 2012 on 14th-17th June, at Hong Kong, China
Substantial and continuing expansions by past exhibitors, and new exhibitors enable ITE & MICE expanding from 2 halls in 2004 to 5 halls since 2008. With nearly 80% of exhibitors and 26% of buyers / trade visitors from outside Hong Kong, ITE & MICE gains wide recognition as effective platform for international travel trade to cover the fast growing Asian markets.
ITE & MICE integrates successfully leisure and MICE travel, highlights themes like cruise and wellness, and maintains separate trade days and public days. Our exhibitors can have access, each in good numbers, to the travel trade, corporations, the event industry, trade and public media, and also quality public visitors who more and more select traveling in FIT.
Regional trade & corporate visitors – 26% from mainland China & Asia;
International exhibitors – 30 plus pavilions by tourism boards from different continents; 80% exhibitors from outside Hong Kong;
Well attended by both trade & public media from Asia;
Public days drew quality visitors – over 80% travel in FIT / tailor made groups;
Extensive supports by tourism authorities & trade associations in Asia;
Free assistance to stage seminars and in publicity;
Mainland China & Hong Kong are respectively Asia’s first and fourth source markets.
ITE & ITE MICE are among the few travel fairs in Asia offering two full professional days for trade and corporate visitors. Also, a unique arrangement of holding leisure and MICE travel concurrently for synergy since 2005 resulted in the number of corporate visitors grew by times. ITE & MICE are supported by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) and Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO). Official Air, Cathay and Dragonair sponsor our hosted buyer program. Supports also come from event industry associations and international chambers of commerce in Hong Kong and neighbouring cities, and travel agent associations in different parts of Asia.
Under the scorching sun, an English tourist wearing a pair of loose trousers and wet T-shirt plants a seedling in the fertile soil of Koh Trong, a small island in the middle of the Mekong River opposite Kratie provincial town.
While his dirty hands were covering the root of the sapling with black soil, 32-year-old Sam Roberts said with a broad smile: “I’ve never planted a tree with my own hands before. This is the first time in my entire life.”
Roberts found out about the tree-planting campaign throught the tourist information centre in the town, while following his itinerary to view the province’s symbol: the endangered Irawaddy dolphins. “I learned that we can help the local community raise money by planting trees. It was a memorable trip and my name will always remain next to the tree, perhaps it will grow quite tall when I visit next.”
Roberts was one of a few dozen tourists participating in the “one tourist, one tree” campaign launched by the Ministry of Tourism after a Green Tourism Meeting in Siem Reap two weeks ago. The nationwide campaign has since been advertised on TV and travel websites, encouraging tourists to help revive forests while enjoying their vacations.
The campaign also aims to encourage tourists to revisit Cambodia, and to bring family members and friends with them to see the growth of the tree they planted. More than 4,000 trees have been planted by local and international tourists since the campaign’s launch on Koh Trong.
Ron Pheara, Kratie’s tourism department director, puts its success down to close co-operation among tourist venues and businesses, NGOs and community residents.
“We’ve been working with the Koh Trong tourism community to gather small trees for tourists who love the environment. To participate in the campaign, they pay US$5 for a seedling, small shovel and a piece of land to plant their own tree or a ‘family tree’, as well as a wooden name plaque to put next to their seedling. After they plant it, people from the community will taking care of the tree. They will receive a photo of the growing progress of their tree with their name bearing on the wooden plaque by email in three or six months.”
Ron Pheara believes that the campaign attracts groups and families who are likely to return, resulting in more income flowing into the local community. Residents living near the newly planted trees also receive a fee from the tourists to take care of the trees. Farmer Chun Samean said helping tourists plant trees not only provides him with more income to run his farm, but also brings a more festive spirit to the island.
“It’s an easy and happy job. I just bring seedlings and the wooden plaque to them and they plant by themselves. I also received some money as a gift from them when they ask me to take care of their trees while they’re away,” he said.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation has said that responsible tourism is becoming increasingly popular. Thirty four per cent of tourists would choose to stay in the environmentally-friendly hotel even they cost more than other accomondations, and 55 per cent would carry their booking via travel agents that help benefit local communities and the environment, according to the organisation.
During the Green Tourism Meeting, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said that the ministry is encouraging responsible tourism and local businesses to use resources that can mitigate negative impacts on culture and the environment.
“The ‘one tourist, one tree’ campaign will help protect the environment, and reduce climate change, global warming and other natural disasters,” he said. “It also can promote Cambodia as a green tourism destination. If one tourist plants a tree, he or she might bring the whole family and friends for the next visit, which will boost the number of tourists coming to Cambodia.”
The campaign’s success hinges on collaboration among all those who have a stake in the industry, he said. “This campaign is not only being implemented in Kratie and Siem Reap provinces. Tourists can plant trees everywhere they go. The campaign is not only targetting international tourists. Cambodian people who love environment can also plant trees at the destinations they visit,” the minister said.
His ministry is working with a host of governmental agencies to raise the profile of the campaign on National Tree day on July 9 in Seam Reap province with a public tree-planting event.
Welcome to Cambodia: Cambodian Culture: Royal Ballet of Cambodia Dance
The Royal Ballet of Cambodia (Khmer: ល្ខោនព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ) is a form of performing arts established in the royal courts of Cambodia for the purpose of entertainment as well as ceremonial propitiation. It is the dominant genre of dance theatre in Cambodia that features the classical dance style (របាំក្បាច់បូរាណ) and is analogous to Thai dance theatre of the inner court, the lakhon nai.
Wikipedia:The Royal Ballet of Cambodia at curtain call (Paris, France 2010)
It is performed during public occasions and ceremonies in Cambodia as well as among Cambodians in other countries. Performances entails elaborately dressed dancers performing a slow and figurative set of gestures and poses meant to entrance the viewer. The repertoire includes dances of tribute or invocation and the enactment of traditional stories and epic poems such as the Ramayana. The music is played by an ensemble of xylophones, metallophones, woodwind instruments, drums, and gong chimes accompanied by a chorus.
Western names for this dance tradition often make reference to the royal court; including Cambodian court dance as it was performed and maintained by the attendants of the royal palaces. As a performing art, it is formally referred to as the Royal Ballet of Cambodia (and as Le ballet royal du Cambodge in French) by UNESCO, Cravath, Brandon, and others in the academic field; although this term may also refer to the royal ballet as a corps, the National Dance Company of Cambodia. The term "Khmer classical dance" is also used alongside "Royal Ballet of Cambodia" in the publications by UNESCO and mentioned authors.
In Khmer, it is formally known as Robam Preah Reach Trop (របាំព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ, lit. dances of royal wealth) or Lakhon Preah Reach Trop (ល្ខោនព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ, lit. theatre of royal wealth). It is also referred to as Lakhon Luong (ល្ខោនហ្លួង, lit. the king's theatre). During the Lon Nol regime of Cambodia, the dance tradition was referred to as Lakhon Kbach Boran Khmer (ល្ខោនក្បាច់បូរាណខ្មែរ, lit. Khmer theatre of the ancient style), a term alienating it from its royal legacy.
Khmer classical dancers, as a whole, are frequently referred to as apsara dancers by laymen; in the modern sense, this usage would be incorrect in the present-form of the dance as the apsara is just one type of character among others in the repertoire. Regardless, the romanticized affiliation of Royal Ballet of Cambodia with the apsaras and devatas of the ruins of Angkor still persists.
History of Royal Ballet of Cambodia
The origins of Khmer classical dance in the style seen today are disputed. Cambodian scholars, such as Pech Tum Kravel, and French scholar George Groslier have claimed Khmer classical dance as a tradition maintained since the Angkor period. Other scholars theorize that Khmer classical dance, as seen today, developed from, or was at least highly influenced by, Siamese classical dance innovations during the 19th century and precedent forms of Cambodian dance were different from the present form. According to James R. Brandon, the lakhon nai of Siam was the main influence on Cambodian court dance in the 1800s. Martin Banham also mentions performers from Thailand were brought to restructure the dance tradition for the royal court of Cambodia during the same period. Indeed, there were Siamese performers in the royal court of Cambodia during the 19th century according to most renown sources on the royal ballet, Groslier included; this suggests a strong connection to the court dances of Siam and it's influences. Sasagawa mentions Groslier's acknowledgement of Siamese performers in the royal dance troupe and also mentions Norodom Sihanouk claim that the Siamese 'taught Cambodia it's lost art form which they had preserved after sacking Angkor,' however, Sasagawa notes that the Siamese innovations (such as the story of Inao, an adaptation of the Malay version of Panji) were not present in the Angkorian dance tradition.
Angkor and Pre-Angkor Era
One of the earliest records of dance in Cambodia is from the 7th century, where performances were used as a funeral rite for kings. In the 20th century, the use of dancers is also attested in funerary processions, such as that for King Sisowath Monivong. During the Angkor period, dance was ritually performed at temples. The temple dancers came to be considered as apsaras, who served as entertainers and messengers to divinities. Ancient stone inscriptions, describe thousands of apsara dancers assigned to temples and performing divine rites as well as for the public. The tradition of temple dancers declined during the 15th century, as the Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya raided Angkor. When Angkor fell, its artisans, Brahmins, and dancers were taken captive to Ayutthaya.
Post-Angkor Era
In the 19th century, King Ang Duong, who had spent 27 years as a captive prince in the Siamese court in Bangkok (i.e. the Grand Palace), restructured his royal court in Cambodia with Siamese innovations from the Rattanakosin period. Court dancers under the patronage of the royal court of Siam were sent to the royal court in Cambodia during this period.
French Colonial Era
Dancers of the court of King Sisowath were exhibited at the 1906 Colonial Exposition in Marseilles at the suggestion of George Bois, a French representative in the Cambodian court. Auguste Rodin was captivated by the Cambodian dancers and painted a series of water colors of the dancers.
Movement and gestures Royal Ballet of Cambodia
Khmer classical dancers use stylized movements and gestures to convey meaning and tell a story. These gestures are often vague and abstract while some may be easily understood. Dancers do not sing or generally speak except for some dance dramas where there are brief instances of speech by the dancers.
Hand gestures in Khmer classical dance are called kbach (meaning style). These hand gestures form a sort of alphabet and represent various things from nature such as fruit, flowers, and leaves. They are used in different combinations and transitions with accompanying movement of the legs and feet, to convey different thoughts and concepts. The way in which they are presented, the position of the arm, and the position of the hand relative to the arm can also affect their meaning. Gestures are performed in different manners depending on the character type.
Characters:
Four main types of roles exist in Khmer classical dance; neay rong (male), neang (female), yeak (ogres or asuras), and the sva (monkeys). These four basic roles contain sub-classes to indicate character rank; a neay rong ek, for example, would be a leading male role and a neang kamnan (or philieng) would be a maiden-servant. The sub-classes of the four main roles all perform in the same type of dancing style of the class they belong to. However, the yeakheney, or female ogre, is performed with a feminized dancing style of the male counterpart. Other female character types, such as the apsara, kinnari, or mermaid, follow the same dancing style as the neang role but with subtle differences in gestures; the main difference being costume. The ngoh character type, although male, is presented with a different dancing style than the neay rong.
In the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, most roles are performed by female dancers, but the role of monkeys was transferred to men under the guidance of Queen Sisowath Kosssamak. Other roles performed by men include hermits and animals such as horses and mythical lions.
Costume Royal Ballet of Cambodia
Classical dance costumes are highly ornate and heavily embroidered, sometimes including sequins and even semi-precious gems. Most of the costumes is thought to be what is representative of what divinities wear, this is reflected in the art style of the post-Angkor period. Various pieces of the costume (such as shirts) have to be sewn onto the dancers for a tight fit.
Female costume
The typical female, or neang costume consists of a sampot sarabap (or charabap); a type of woven fabric with two contrasting silk threads along with a metallic thread (gold or silver in color). The sampot is wrapped around the lower body in a sarong-like fashion, then pleated into a band in the front and secured with a gold or brass belt. In the current style, part of the pleated brocade band hangs over the belt on the left side of the belt buckle, which is a clear distinction from Thai classical dance costumes where this pleated band is tucked into the belt to the right of the belt buckle. Worn over the left shoulder is a shawl-like garment called a sbai (also known as the robang khnang, literally 'back cover'), it is the most decorative part of the female costume, embroidered extensively with tiny beads and sequins; the usual embroidery pattern for the sbai these days is a diamond-shaped floral pattern, but in the past there were more variations of floral patterns. Under the sbai is a silk undershirt or bodice worn with a short sleeve exposed on the left arm. Around the neck is an embroidered collar called a srang kar.
Jewelry of the female role includes a large, filigree square pendant of which is hung by the corner, various types of ankle and wrists bracelets and bangles, an armlet on the right arm, and body chains of various styles.
Male costume
Male characters wear costumes that are more intricate than the females, as it requires pieces, like sleeves, to be sewn together while being put on. They are dressed in a sampot sarabap like their female counterpart, however it is worn differently. For the male, or neay rong, the sampot is worn in the chang kben fashion, where the front is pleated and pulled under, between the legs, then tucked in the back and the remaining length of the pleat is stitched to the sampot itself to form a draping 'fan' in the back. Knee-length pants are worn underneath displaying a wide, embroidered hem around the knees. For the top, they wear long sleeved shirts with rich embroidering, along with a collar, or srang kar, around their neck. On the end of their shoulders are a sort of epaulette that is arching upwards like Indra's bow (known as inthanu). Another component of the male costumes are three richly embroidered banners worn around the front waist. The center piece is known as a robang muk while the two side pieces are known as a cheay kraeng, while for monkeys and yaksha characters, they wear another piece in the back called a robang kraoy.
Male characters also wear an x-like strap around the body called a sangvar, often it is made of gold-colored silk and sometimes it is made from chains of gold with square ornaments, in which case the latter is reserved for more important characters. The males also wear the same ankle and wrist jewelry as the female, but with the addition of an extra set of bangles on the wrist and no armlets. They also wear a kite-shaped ornament called a sloek po (named after the Bo tree leaf) which serves as center point for their sangvar.
Headdress
There are several types crowns which denote the ranks of the character. Commonly worn by female characters of the lowest rank is the kbang; it is also worn by Brahmin characters with ornaments around a bun of hair. Divinities and royal characters of the highest ranks wear a tall single-spire crown called a mokot ksat for male characters and a mokot ksatrey for female characters. The panchuret (Groslier romanizes this as panntiereth), reserved for princes and generals (sena), is a circlet-like crown with a faux knot in the back. The rat klao is worn by princess' and, often, maidens of significance in a dance if they happen to not be of royal rank. Some characters' headdressings include ear ornaments as well as earrings. Characters such as ogres and monkeys wear masks. Ogres and monkeys of royal rank wear masks with a mokot attached.
Floral adornments
Dancers are traditionally adorned with fragrant flowers, although sometimes, fresh flowers are substituted with faux flowers. The floral tassel is traditionally made of Jasminum sambac strung together with Michelia flowers, being either Michelia × alba or Michelia champaca. The neang (female) role wears a rose above the right ear and a floral tassel attached to the left side of the crown while the neay rong (male) role wears a rose on the left ear and a floral tassel to the right side. Sometimes, dancers will wear jasmine garlands fit for the wrists. The apsara role is most often adorned with the flowers of either Plumeria obtusa or white cultivars of Plumeria rubra; sometimes plumerias are tied along the back of their hair.
To see more details about the way of the Royal Ballet dance, style of dancing, please watch video of the Khmer dancing below...
Cambodian Temple Dance 1945
You welcome to the Cambodian Dance!
This is the Form of the Cambodian Royal Classical Ballet. All Khmer people have the blood of Art and the Talent of Dance. They had performed in the Year 1945 of the Province Siem Reap - Angkor Wat.
VorbThor Rolort Cheat RoLeary!
We love the Khmer Culture and all Khmer people ought to keep and defend the Cultural heritage of Our Khmer Nation.
