Pisak Bochear ceremony in Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville. More than 500 Buddhist monks joint the Pisak Bochear procession last Tuesday. The ceremony started at 13:00 at the Two Lions Square and went through the Eakereak Avenue to finish at the new Buddhist shrink on the Independence Park with the assistant of several faithfuls.

New Buddhist shrine opened in Sihanoukville

The Buddhist authorities of Sihanoukville opened a new shrine in the city near the Independence Monument in a program that lasted for three days (March 18 to 20.) A number of 560 Buddhist monks coming from provinces as Preah Sihanouk, Kompong Cham, Takeo, Siem Reap, Kratie and Svay Rieng assisted to the ceremonies leaded by Reverend Savoung Sarat, Buddhist authority in the province.

By Chhin Sieng

Christmas in Cambodia

Last week a friend of mine in US asked me how is a Christmas Day in Cambodia. Technically there is not a ‘Cambodian Christmas.’ The reason is simple: Cambodia is mostly a Buddhist country. As Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, something parallel to Christmas in the Cambodian culture would be Vesak, held in May or June.

Phnom Penh Riverside

Wat Ounalom in the Preah Sisowath Street as in the night.

If we have to start from a Point Zero in Phnom Penh, it is the riverside. Day or night it is busy and the proper Phnom Penh downtown. A recommendation to stay in the Cambodian capital is looking any hotel of that district and you have from back packers to five stars’ options. Another is to get a map of the city, since it is quit difficult to understand the city’s nomenclature plus it is easier to point out in a map the place you want to go to a moto-taxi, cycle or taxi than trying to explain it in English or any other language to your Cambodian driver.