Siem Reap is gearing up to host the 2023 “Angkor Sankranta” event as part of the Khmer New Year (KNY). The KNY was first celebrated in the 13th century, and today, it is one of the most monumental holidays in Cambodia.
Running from April 14-16, the Khmer New Year marks the traditional solar new year in Cambodia and signals the end of the harvest season. Similar celebrations are held in other countries across South Asia including Thailand, Bangladesh, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Before the pandemic, KNY drew around one million visitors, and this year, the historic celebration is expected to be larger than ever.
Siem Reap hosts Angkor Sankranta
Siem Reap, Cambodia’s main tourist hub, began hosting the Angkor Sankranta annual event in 2013. It was the province’s first large-scale cultural spectacle, designed to install happiness amongst the public and bring everyone together as one Khmer family.
Locals and tourists alike are invited to explore Cambodia’s unique heritage and culture, whilst delving into the traditions and achievements of the nation’s ancestry.
Many of the festivities will take place around UNESCO heritage sites like Angkor Wat—one of the world’s largest temples and a symbol of the historic Khmer empire.
The festivities will include dance bands, fireworks and cultural arts performances, alongside folk games, activities, and the famous baby-powder street battles.
Revellers can also dip in and out of the stalls, restaurants and bars lining the majestic Siem Reap River which runs through the city.
Just shy of 10,000 LED and decorative lights will illuminate the streets of Siem Reap. As well as creating a spectacular display, the lights are designed to maximise safety during the celebrations.
This year, the event aspires to break two amusing and off-the-wall Guinness World Records, including the largest performance of the Madison dance, and the most people making paper heart shapes.
Hotels and guest houses fully booked
Siem Reap is home to 237 hotels with 15,538 rooms, yet 144 hotels of those are still yet to reopen after the Covid-19 pandemic. The province also boasts 286 guest houses with 5,149 rooms and 243 restaurants with a seating capacity of over 20,000.
Siem Reap tourism department director, Ngov Sengkak, said:
Guesthouses and hotels are preparing to open to serve visitors during Khmer New Year 2023.
Last year, establishments open for the KYN celebratory period were fully booked by 11 April. This year’s event is set to welcome an even greater number of visitors from across Cambodia and around the world.
As well as consolidating Siem Reap’s position as Cambodia’s main tourist hub, Angkor Sankranta will no doubt provide a huge boost to the nation’s tourism sector and economy in 2023.
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