Feature: Thousands of Cambodians flock to capital for Water Festival

Hundreds of thousands of people from rural Cambodia have traveled to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, to enjoy the 3-day Water Festival, which began on Sunday.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen as well as other notable figures and foreign diplomats watched the Water Festival boat races over the Tonle Sap River in front of the Royal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

A total of 259 dragon boats with about 15,000 racers from across the kingdom have taken part in the competition over the distance of 1.7 km, according to the Boat Racing Technical Control Committee.

The Water Festival is the biggest annual festival in the Southeast Asian nation. Besides viewing the regatta in the daytime, festival-goers can also enjoy processions of illuminated floats and fireworks over the river at nighttime.

Visitors can also see trade exhibitions and concerts, which will be performed by the country's superstars and comedians.

Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Pa Socheatvong said on Tuesday that around two million Cambodians, especially rural dwellers, are expected to flock to Phnom Penh for the festival.

He said more than 10,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure security and safety, as tankers, cargo trucks, and buses are banned from entering the capital during the event.

Chhil Chhum, 70, a team minder of a boat from southern Kandal province, said his boat had 57 oarsmen, who had spent about 10 days to train together before joining the race.

"Most of us are farmers and construction workers, so we don't have much time for training," he told Xinhua, adding that their participation was mainly aimed to preserve the traditional Water Festival.

He said all boaters have been allowed to stay in makeshift shelters along the riverfront and provided a daily per diem of about 15,000 riel (3.75 U.S. dollars).

Chheang Lang, a 29-year-old boat racer from southeastern Kampong Cham province, said the festival was an opportunity for the people in the provinces to see Phnom Penh.

"This is the second time I have joined the race," he told Xinhua, adding that his boat had 72 crew members. "Our participation is only for fun because we trained just two weeks before participating in the competition."

Lang said he is a construction worker and will return to work after the festival.

Hang Nob, 65, a farmer from the western Pursat province, said she came to visit the event for the first time with her relatives.

"Previously, I just heard from my neighbors that visiting the Water Festival was really fun," she told Xinhua. "Now, I have come to see it with my own eyes and I see that it is indeed really a happy event!"

Another festival-goer, Tek Sam, 70, from southeastern Tboung Khmum province, said that he would regret it if he could not see the regatta with his own eyes.

"I like boat racing very much. This is the third time I've been to Phnom Penh to enjoy the festival," he said, adding that he visited the event with his two nephews.

The Water Festival is a traditional event that marks the end of the rainy season and the reversing course of the Tonle Sap River that connects the Tonle Sap Lake with the Mekong Rive.

"The festival is seen as a thanksgiving to the Mekong River for providing the country with fertile land and abundant fish," the website said. "Boat racing marks the strength of the powerful Khmer marine forces during the ancient Khmer Empire."

This year is the second celebration held in six years, following a tragedy on the final day of the 2010 festival in which 353 people were trampled to death or suffocated in a stampede on a bridge connecting the mainland to the Diamond Island. Endit