Cambodia will hold this year’s celebration of Royal Ploughing ceremony, which marks the beginning of the crop planting season in the country, in Chbar Mon city, Kampong Speu province on May 26.
His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, will preside over the annual celebration.
Senior officials from the government and parliament, as well as foreign ambassadors accredited to Cambodia will attend the ceremony, to be followed by a photo exhibition and an agricultural fair.
Generally, the governor of the host province will play the role of ‘King Meak’ by guiding the royal oxen and plowing around the Royal Field, while his spouse will be ‘Queen Mehua’ by walking behind scattering seeds on the furrowed ground.
Usually held in May, the celebration, mainly intends to flag up the commencement of rainy season among Cambodian farmers so that they are prepared for their farming, and to pray for bountiful harvest for the year.
The Royal Ploughing ceremony is generally organised
at the public square of Veal Preah Merhu in front of the National Museum in Phnom Penh, but since 2013, the celebration has taken place in province.
According to the tradition, the ceremony is annually celebrated to predict the upcoming distribution of rainfall, thus rice harvesting, in the country through the oxen’s appetite of paddy, corn, bean, grass, sesame, water, and wine.
In 2023, this traditional event was held in Kampong Svay district of Kampong Thom province under the royal presidency of His Majesty the King.
Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse