Customs and traditions of Cambodia. Cambodia: sights, culture and recreation

First of all, it is worth noting the fact that modern Cambodian culture contains quite a lot of elements related to the religious views of the Khmers on the construction of the world around us and society as a whole from the point of view of Hinduism and the ancient teachings of Buddha. And in this regard, the geographical location of Cambodia played a significant role. After all, having direct access to the South China Sea and the waters of the Gulf of Thailand, Cambodia is quite long time was, and remains, a traditional center of international trade. And taking this into account in modern culture In Cambodia you can find elements of the national traditions of the peoples inhabiting China, Japan, Thailand and India.

Khmer sculpture, architecture and music. Coming to Cambodia on vacation, whether we like it or not, we come into contact with the fact that culture Cambodia is filled with precisely these international traditions. And this is manifested in the same architecture of cities and fishing villages of Cambodia, in the Khmer national traditions of stone carving, with its Buddhist motifs, which we come into contact with when purchasing the same small stone figurines of Buddha as a souvenir. Not to mention the fact that Cambodia is simply overflowing with motifs from the Indian musical and song heritage, which is present not only in the performances of street musicians, but also in recordings broadcast on national radio and television in Cambodia.

Religion of Cambodia

Like almost all countries South-East Asia is represented by a fairly wide range of religious and religious views, which, on the basis of constitutional rights and personal freedoms written in the Constitution of Cambodia, are guaranteed not only to all Cambodians, but also to any foreigner temporarily or permanently residing in the territory of this country. Taking this into account, when traveling around Cambodia, you can see not only Buddhist temples, which are visited by almost 90 percent of Cambodians, but religious buildings of adherents of Hinduism, Islam and Christian beliefs.

Economy of Cambodia

By its nature it has a pronounced agrarian orientation, in which not only geography of Cambodia, but also her historical path development of the last few decades due to both internal and external armed conflicts. Based on this, today, with the support of the international community, two main directions are developing at an accelerated pace in the country. First of all, this is the agricultural sector, designed to provide food for the country's population, and the tourism industry, which provides Cambodia with the largest foreign exchange earnings to the budget.

Science of Cambodia

Like most southeastern countries Asia, which gained independence in the second half of the twentieth century, Cambodia experiences a significant shortage of national scientific and technical personnel. Based on this, it is currently developing in two main directions. The first direction includes work to create a national base for training scientific and technical personnel. For this purpose, not only numerous secondary schools and colleges, but with the help of foreign scientists and specialists they open national universities. At the same time, with the support of the state, the second direction of solving the problem of training national scientific personnel has become widespread. Namely, the delegation of Cambodian students to leading European and American universities.

Cambodian art

When traveling around Cambodia, it is not difficult to notice that today it is developing in two main directions, which to one degree or another reflect the historical path of development of this country. In this regard, it is necessary to take into account the fact that in the seventies of the last century, during the reign of the so-called “Khmer Rouge” and their criminal leader Pol Pot in Cambodia, not only manifestations of modern art and culture, but also the best examples of historical heritage. So the art of Cambodia today mainly represented by works of architecture and religious art.

Cambodian cuisine

Surprisingly, today it is not distinguished by any special gastronomic and culinary delights, despite the fact that for a long time the same French and Chinese dominated the territory of Cambodia. After all, in any case, representatives of these nations could teach Cambodian chefs their wisdom. However, this did not happen and today the gastronomic and culinary market of Cambodia is mainly represented by classic fast food mediocre, richly flavored with numerous spices.

Customs and traditions of Cambodia

The clothing and behavior of Cambodians in society are mainly based on traditions associated with the traditions of Buddhism, a religion that is the prevailing belief of the majority of Cambodians. Based on this, both everyday and festive clothing of Cambodians is quite modest, if not ascetic. And the behavior pattern is characterized by restraint and lack of vivid expression of one’s emotions. At the same time, in the same restrained manner the traditional holidays Cambodians, such as the same wedding or celebrating the birth of a child. So, they are somewhat different from what can be seen in its neighboring countries.

Sports of Cambodia

Despite the fact that Cambodia has been taking part in the Olympic Games since 1956 and exhibiting its athletes in such disciplines as boxing, cycling, freestyle wrestling and athletics, Cambodia has not won a single medal over the years. And although in nationally mainly develops in European direction and in Cambodia, national championships in football and basketball are held annually, the bulk of the country's sporting competitions are dedicated to national species wrestling is quite similar to Muay Thai.

Religion had a huge influence on its development and culture. IN unique culture Khmers are displayed religious beliefs the local population converted to animism, and elements of Hinduism and Buddhism also found their place. These two religions, along with Sanskrit and other elements of Indian culture, penetrated into mainland Southeast Asia in the first centuries of our era.

Thanks to his geographical location Port cities arose on the territory of Cambodia, which were transshipment points in the Gulf of Thailand for merchants conducting their trade along the entire coast from India to China. At that time, the territory of modern Cambodia was part of the first Khmer state of Bapnom.

A Khmer wedding consists of several ceremonies in a strict order, which are based on ancient Buddhist traditions.

Classical Khmer dance originates from Indian court dance, which in turn absorbed the features of the dance of demigoddesses in Hindu mythology - Apsaras.

At home local residents in the ancient Khmer state were similar to those that can now be found in the Cambodian outback.

The ancient Khmers adopted the unprecedented skill of stone carving from Indian civilization, but later they modified it, turning it into a unique Khmer style.

Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, which is followed by 90% of the country's population; a similar situation can be observed in Thailand and Sri Lanka.

In Khmer culture there are two main types of ensembles performing traditional music, one of them the locals call " Pinpeat"and the other" Mohori".

At different times, the Khmer culture was influenced by Javanese, Chinese and Thai cultures, That's why Cambodian culture contains their features. From the 9th to the 15th centuries, the powerful Angkor Empire, named after its capital of the same name, flourished in northwestern Cambodia. This Khmer Empire dominated all of Southeast Asia (Laos, Vietnam, Thailand). The religious and political views of India had a huge influence on the development of the culture of the state. The official literary language, the language of the royal court, was Sanskrit, in colloquial speech They used the Khmer language.

Amazing architectural structures of that time, which have survived to this day, namely the largest temple complexes "Angkor Wat" and "Bayon" in the center of Angkor Thom (Siem Reap province), are excellent a clear example and evidence of the power of the empire and the development of its culture. Already in those days impressive development was achieved applied arts, sculpture, music, dance and it was the models of those times that served as models for subsequent cultural development in modern Cambodia.

Angkor ceased to exist after it moved its capital deep into the peninsula in the 15th century - to Phnom Penh; historians suggest that the reason for this was the frequent devastating raids of the Thais. Phnom Penh will mark a new milestone in the history of Cambodia, and the jungle quickly grew on the site of the Angkor structures. In the following centuries, due to numerous wars, the Cambodian state decreased in territory and also lost its former power and wealth. However, it, with its capital Phnom Penh, existed until the 19th century. The most significant work Cambodian literature "Ram Ker" (the Khmer version of the ancient Indian epic "Ramayana") was written during this period.

Thanks to the efforts of France (Cambodia was a French protectorate from 1863 to 1953), the restoration of Angkor from the jungle began at the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, in the 70s and 90s of the XX century, many architectural monuments (including Angkor), like all traditional culture Cambodia found itself in danger due to the ongoing civil war. The Khmer Rouge regime that came to power caused enormous damage to the culture of Cambodia, in particular, all educational institutions, not only religious monuments were destroyed, but also people sharing any religious belief, art and writing were banned. When the extremist regime was overthrown in 1991 and the warring parties signed a peace agreement, international organizations helped the new Cambodian government restore Angkori and revive traditional crafts.

Cambodia was previously called Kampuchea (from the Sanskrit name "Kambujadesa"). Until relatively recently in Cambodia there was a long-term Civil War, which, fortunately, ended. Cambodia is now a peaceful country where you can have a great holiday. This country has magnificent mountains, beautiful natural scenery, green forests, rivers with waterfalls, numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries, traditional Khmer villages, beaches with palm groves, delicious cuisine and rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins.

Cambodia is located on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. In the east, Cambodia borders with Vietnam, in the northwest with Thailand, and in the northeast with Laos. In the southwest of the country is the Gulf of Thailand in the South China Sea. The total area of ​​Cambodia, including islands, is 181,040 square meters. km., and the total length state border– 2,572 km.

About 75% of Cambodia's territory is occupied by plains, which are surrounded by hills and low mountains. The Kravan Mountains stretch from the north-west of the country to the south-east. The most high peak in Cambodia - Mount Oral, whose height reaches 1,813 m.

The Mekong River, which is considered the longest river in this country, flows through eastern Cambodia to the south.

The capital of Cambodia is Phnom Penh, which is now home to more than 1.6 million people. Phnom Penh was built in 1372 and became the capital of Cambodia in 1431.

The official language of the Cambodian population is Khmer, which belongs to the Mon-Khmer languages ​​of the Austroasiatic language family.

More than 95% of the Cambodian population professes Buddhism (in particular, Theravada Buddhism is the most conservative branch of this religion).

According to the current Constitution, Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the King, who is elected by the Council of the Royal Throne. The King appoints the Prime Minister and ministers with the approval of the National Assembly.

Legislative power belongs to a bicameral parliament - the National Assembly, consisting of the Senate (61 people) and the National Assembly (122 deputies).

The main political parties are the Cambodian People's Party, the Sam Rainsy Party and the Buddhist Liberal Party.

Cambodia, like most other countries in Southeast Asia, has a hot climate with a strong monsoon influence. In fact, Cambodia has four annual climate seasons:

1. November-February is a cold and dry season.
2. March-May is a hot and dry season.
3. June-August is a hot and humid season.
4. September - early November is a cold and wet season.

Tourists are recommended to visit Cambodia from November to February, when the average air temperature exceeds +26C and when there is little rain. During this period, the weather in the beach resort of Sihanoukville is simply ideal, and the sea is very calm and warm.

In the southwest of Cambodia is the Gulf of Thailand in the South China Sea. Coastline is 443 km. The best time to visit beach resorts in Cambodia is during the dry season (November to April).

The Mekong River, which is considered the longest river in this country, flows through eastern Cambodia to the south. Cambodia is home to the Tonle Sap Lake (also called the “Great Lake”), one of the largest in Asia.

The history of Cambodia has centuries-old roots. It is believed that the state on the territory of modern Cambodia was formed in the 7th century AD. The Khmer Empire flourished in the 9th century when Jayavarman II declared independence from Java.

During the Middle Ages, the Khmers often fought with their neighbors (Vietnam and Siam claimed Cambodian territory).

In the end, in the 1860-80s, Cambodia, trying to find protection from Siam, fell under the protectorate of France.

It was not until 1953 that Cambodia's independence was declared. Until 1975, Cambodia experienced a bloody civil war, which ended with the victory of the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot. As a result, the state of Kampuchea was formed, which fell in 1979 under the attacks of the Vietnamese army.

Cambodia is now considered a constitutional monarchy headed by a King.

Cambodia is home to many different ethnic groups of people, making the country's culture very diverse and unique. Moreover ethnic groups Cambodia celebrates the same holidays in different time. So, the Khmers are lunar New Year It is celebrated in mid-April, and by the Vietnamese and Chinese, of whom there are many in Cambodia, in late February - early February.

By the way, the Khmers call the New Year “Chnam-Tmay”. During this holiday, it is necessary to build sand slides, which are considered a symbol of Buddha stupas. Moreover, every grain of sand in such a hill can save a person from sins.

Cambodia neighbors Thailand and Vietnam, which can be considered “heavyweights” of culinary traditions. Therefore, very often they forget about the cuisine of Cambodia, giving preference to dishes from Thailand and Vietnam. However, once you try Khmer cuisine, you will love it forever...

Of course, you need to get used to Cambodian cuisine - for Europeans it will seem too exotic at first (for example, they use fried grasshoppers and ants).

In Cambodia, tourists are recommended to try “Bai sach chrouk” (pork with rice), “amok” fish (served on a banana leaf), “Lap Khmer” salad (beef with vegetables and spices), “Nom banh chok” (“red noodles”) ), "Kdam chaa" (fried crab), red ants with beef and basil, "Ang dtray-meuk" (fried squid), "Cha houy teuk" (jelly).

According to official data, Cambodia now has several thousand historical, architectural and archaeological monuments. The Top 10 best attractions in Cambodia, in our opinion, may include the following:

1. Diamond Buddha Pagoda in Phnom Penh
2. Angkor Thom Citadel
3. Royal Palace in Phnom Penh
4. Wat Phnom Temple in Phnom Penh
5. Pre-Kan Monastery
6. "Temple of the Eyebrow" in Phnom Penh
7. Temple complex Wat Banan in Battambang
8. Wat Lang Ka Pagoda in Phnom Penh
9. Angkor Wat Temple
10. Bayon Temple in Angkor

The largest Cambodian cities are Kamponchgthom, Battambang, Sihanoukville, and, of course, Phnom Penh.

There are several beach resorts in Cambodia for tourists. The most popular of them are Sihanoukville and Kampot.

The former king of Cambodia, Sihanouk, loved to relax on one of the islands near Kampot. By the way, it is believed that the best seafood dishes are served in Kampot restaurants.

However, the most popular beach resort In Cambodia, Sihanoukville is considered. Two of its beaches are particularly popular - Ochatial Beach and Sokha Beach. On an island near Sihanoukville there is excellent conditions for diving and fishing (there are very beautiful corals with a lot of exotic fish).

Tourists from Cambodia usually bring handicrafts, scarves, shawls, jewelry, palm sugar, Cambodian spices, tea, bamboo napkins, Cambodian musical instruments(bamboo flute, tro-kmae - a unique three-string violin).

Banks:
Mon-Fri: 08:00-15:00

The shops:
From 08:00-20:00 seven days a week

A few words about the local way of life.
When you look at the housing of Cambodians, firstly, you are surprised at the poverty. Secondly, you notice that the houses are on stilts, in case of flooding and for arranging a recreation area in the shade, and have 2 floors. They sleep on the top floor during the cold season, then, depending on the temperature, they first go down to the 1st floor, and in the hottest weather they go outside to the ground (some houses have flooring on the ground). Inside the house there is practically no furniture; the Khmers sleep right on the floor on a mat. They live very, very poorly! This is partly why, but largely because of their own laziness, they eat everything that runs, jumps and crawls. Moreover, they came up with a lazy way to catch insects - they install neon lamps, and buckets under them. Insects hit the lamp and fall into the bucket. The contents of the bucket then fall into the frying pan. We didn’t try local delicacies; for me it’s wild.

Cambodians' laziness is determined by their faith. I didn't go into detail, but the gist is that they believe in reincarnation. And it's very good to be born poor, because it means that earthly path is coming to an end. And therefore no one strives to change anything in their life. They are happy with everything anyway. Since it was given to them to be born poor, that means it must be so, and they have no right to change it. This is the philosophy.

However, when I returned to Cambodia three years later, I noticed that the standard of living in the country had risen noticeably. A lot of its residents have acquired cars, and most of of which - Lexus. Prices for everything have also risen noticeably. Cambodia can no longer be called a “one dollar” country))

In the previous part I already mentioned the goddess of dance Apsara. Her images are in almost everyone. The legend says: “The water surface parted, and girls of the most tender beauty came out onto the earth’s shore.” This is just about them. During the heyday of the Angkor Empire, these amazing nymphs danced for the nobility. Apsara performances have become an integral part of the royal ballet. The dancers were brought up and lived in royal palace. Being an apsara was very prestigious and they were treated with respect and honor. After the defeat of the empire by the Siamese, the art of dance was lost. And it is not known what his fate would have been if Cambodia had not been colonized by France. The French liked the tradition of the dance, and it was restored from the temple frescoes with minor changes. Initially, apsaras were dressed only in silk skirts and massive jewelry, the chest remained bare. The French changed the outfit to a more modest one, more like a sari. And the dance itself has lost its sacred meaning and became more of an entertainment for residents and guests of Cambodia. Although there is another version, which is that after the defeat of Angkor, the dancers were sent to work in the rice fields, but some of them later returned and began to secretly teach the girls the art of this dance. That is, it was not forgotten or lost. But, in any case, the Apsara dance owes its revival to the French.

In Angkor, we were so impressed by the images of the Apsaras that we decided to definitely see the dance itself. There were two options for this - either go to a restaurant where they give dance performances, or go to a real apsara ballet - Laser show"The Smile of Angkor" We chose the second option, since, according to the locals, restaurants show only a pitiful semblance of apsaras, and real dance can only be seen in the ballet theater. And we, naturally, wanted the impressions of a real apsara))
It was impossible to take photographs, and I didn’t want to be distracted from seeing such beauty) Therefore, photos from the Internet:

Of course, we received a lot of impressions! The dance with the candlesticks alone was worth it! It was the most grandiose number I have ever seen in my life. Honestly, you can't dance like that! A common person It definitely can’t! The demigoddess Apsara was definitely on stage! It’s a pity that I couldn’t find any photos or videos of this dance on the Internet, but it was unforgettable!

When I attended this show in 2014, the ticket included dinner at the theater buffet. Now it is possible to buy a ticket without dinner, but cheaper than the regular price. In January 2018, depending on the sector, a visit to the theater cost $40 and $30 without dinner and $8 more with dinner. You can view current prices and book tickets on the official website.

If you have time, be sure to walk around Siem Reap and visit it. This way you can better understand the culture and traditions of this amazing country. And, I’m sure, you will love it and want to come back more than once.

P.S. More information about our travels and photos in my

The Khmers and a number of Cambodian hill tribes speak closely related languages ​​that belong to the Mon-Khmer group. The Austroasiatic family of languages ​​includes the Senoi and Semang languages ​​of Malacca, Vietnamese, the Munda languages ​​of India, and the Mon language of Thailand.

The Khmae language is characterized by monotonality with traces of tonal stress. Vocabulary is characterized by the use of one- and two-syllable words. The language has no cases, no number and no time. Words are difficult for foreign speakers to pronounce, they are very different from European ones, so if you decide to learn the Khmer language, you will need months and months of hard practice just on pronunciation. There is a myth actively promoted by those people who, through long torment, mastered a written language, but do not really understand why they did it. These people everywhere, in personal communication and on various forums, foaming at the mouth, prove to everyone that mastering the Khmer language without learning the alphabet is IMPOSSIBLE. Of course, this is, to put it mildly, incorrect. Khmer, thanks to its simplified grammar compared to many languages, is quite easy to master for everyday (everyday) communication, to the point that speaking this language and understanding the locals is not difficult at all. The Khmer language can (and sometimes is necessary to get the fastest results) to master, bypassing the tedious study of the longest alphabet in the world.

Anthropology.

The Khmers, like the Vietnamese, Laotians, and Thais, are classified as Thai-Malay anthropological type Southern Mongoloid race. Cambodian hair color is dark to blue-black. Images of people of this type can be found on the bas-reliefs of the temples of Angkor.
The mountain Khmers and Cham tribes have features characteristic of the Australoid race. It can be concluded that they belong to the remnant of the ancient australoid population of Southeast Asia.
The mountain Khmers in the north and slightly to the east include the Kui, Brao, Stiengi, and in the west and central part of the country - Anrak, Por, Chon, Samre. The mountain Khmers in Cambodia are considered part of the Khmer nation.
In the northeast live the Chams, who are close to the mountain Khmers in culture and development: the Jarai and the Rade. The Cham language belongs to the Austronesian family of languages.
Cambodians from Angkor have darker skin color, straight and high nose, wavy and soft hair.
Some Khmer tribes have characteristics of the Samre and Por Negroes living in the western part of Cambodia.

Origin.

The Khmers can be classified as the most ancient inhabitants region, confirmation of this is the peculiarities of language and anthropology.
Legends say that the ancestor of the people was a naga snake. IN Indian mythology snakes - nagas were the rulers of the earth and lived in the region of the extreme south.

According to Khmer legend, many centuries ago, the king of Indraprastha, now Delhi, expelled his own son Preh Thogng from his home. Prekh Thogng, after much ordeal, found himself on the island of Tkhlok. The island was located in a quiet but fairly large sea bay. In this very place, the prince met his charming beloved, who was the daughter of a sea serpent, perhaps the one who paved the course of the Mekong.
The girl’s father was not against the marriage and even drained all the water from the bay so that a new powerful state could be formed in this place.

They say that the spirit of the nine-headed Naga, who is the guardian of the state, lived in the Heavenly Tower. Every evening she was reincarnated as a woman and spent the night with the king. If the sovereign did not come on a date, various misfortunes befell the kingdom, but if the snake itself did not appear at the appointed hour, everyone knew that the king was destined near death. The tower still exists today on the territory of the Angkorian complex.

The Khmer culture is closely intertwined with the culture of neighboring peoples, and although the linguistic difference is obvious, the connection between the peoples is quite strong.

In the area of ​​Lake Tonle Sap, the brightest Neolithic culture of Southeast Asia arose - Somrong Saen. She had connections with India and other regions of Asia, and was familiar with bronze processing.

Indian culture influenced the formation of the first Cambodian states. In the 1st century AD, the state of Bapnom was formed, with its capital at Vyadhapura. The economy relied on rice cultivation, crafts, trade and navigation, as well as plowing with buffaloes. The construction of cities and the construction of temples was carried out. Culture and religion combined elements of Hindu and Buddhist culture South India.

Khmer culture and art.

The heyday of Khmer culture occurred during the Angkorian period (9th-13th centuries). The influence of Hinduism was strong until the 19th century. At court, the Brahman caste who performed Hindu rituals was given special honor. In modern times, the Khmer still have Hindu elements in their marriage, death and birth ceremonies.
Gradually, the religion underwent changes; Hinduism was replaced by Theravada Buddhism, which combines the spiritual cult of “neak ta” and elements of Brahmanism.
Class division for a long time preserved among the Khmer peoples. In ancient times, the Kui tribe were elephant trainers and hunters for their king.
The traditional Khmer clothing is the sarong. Hairstyle characteristic of the people - short haircut both men and women.

Kitchen.

The basis of nutrition in Indochina is rice without additives, and even without salt; the Khmers are no exception in this matter.
Rice is eaten with salted fish, prahok sauce and nyok mam sauce, consisting of pepper, fruits, onions, garlic and herbs.
All dishes, unlike Thai cuisine, are not spicy. Soups are seasoned with lime. In addition, the diet includes grasshoppers, frogs, shrimp and turtle meat.
Meat is consumed only on holidays. The favorite Khmer drink is green tea.
As in many Southeast Asian countries, there is a habit of betel nut consumption.

Marriage.

The Khmer family is traditionally small, polygamy occurring only among wealthy people in wealthy urban families. Marriages are concluded at the request of young people. If a girl accepted a gift from a boy in the form of a box of betel nuts and areca nuts, it means that she agrees to be a couple with him.
Not getting married for a long time is considered bad manners among the Khmers. Men enter into marriage at the age of 20-25, women from 16 years.

Khmer literature and writing.

The development of national writing, literature, and traditions took place in churches and monasteries. In the 7th century, the Khmer script was born based on the Grantha alphabet. The alphabet has 33 characters and another 16 symbols for vowels, which are not used independently. The Khmer interpretation of the Ramayana, Ram Ker, is widely known.

Khmer theater and dance.

Dance has had a high level since ancient times. Khmer dances are distinguished by their harmony, sense of proportion and classical order. Cambodian Ballet is widely known throughout the world. The Nang Sbek shadow theater is also popular. Khmer drama combines dance, mime and singing. It is based on mythology and epic stories.

Khmer music.

The music is based on the pentatonic scale. Its structure is determined by rhythm, so the main instruments are percussion: double timpani (sko-thom), drums (sampho, chhayam), cymbals and gongs. Stringed instruments came to the Khmers in the 12th century, these are violins (tro-che, tro-sao, tro-kmae), lutes (ta dieu, chapey and ta khe). The melody is played by an oboe (pei o, pei-pok, pra pei) or a reed flute (khloi).
The classical orchestra is accompanied by the Royal Ballet. Number of instruments in classical and folk orchestra the same.
Not a single celebration would be complete without musical accompaniment. Many Cambodian songs have been lost due to lack of musical notation.
Since 1966, the institute has been operating in Phnom Penh fine arts. It trains dancers, actors and musicians. The Institute collects folklore, which is then processed and presented to the general public directly under open air. Phnom Penh has its own concert hall.
Cambodia's musical traditions remained unchanged until recent times, when Western television invaded this country, instilling a cult of consumption and destructive individualism. As a result folk roots are gradually blurring, and the place of authentic performers is being replaced by painted pop stars, clumsily copying the habits of Western pop idols. At the moment, modern music still contains real Khmer melodies, and clear and strong voices are not replaced by the pathetic attempts of mediocrities raised by producer money, passed through a computer. But some 5-10 years will pass and we will see the same thing that is happening everywhere - the dominance of bad taste, mixed with advertising money.

Customs and traditions of Cambodia.

The character of the Khmers is calm, slightly melancholic. The people love their king and country and truly practice Buddhism. The Khmers are tolerant of people of other religions and ignorance of the laws of their country. They are categorically against the use of alcoholic drinks and drugs, but mainly against European ones. Women constantly chew betel nut, and men chew special tobacco and mildly narcotic herbs.
The Khmers have a sense of collectivism similar to the Japanese. But some clannishness still remains. Family and religion are high on the list of values, which is why the temple is the center of any Cambodian settlement.
"Wat" or "Wot" ("temple") is usually represented in the form of a pagoda. The holy place is surrounded by walls, with Buddha statues, ponds and a quarter where monks live. The temple takes responsibility for educating the village children at its own expense.
When a young man reaches the age of sixteen, he goes to the temple and lives there for several years in a row. A young man works for the benefit of the temple, prays, studies and reflects on the eternity of existence. The purpose of leaving the world is to study Buddhism, raising human status after reincarnation. In addition, a close connection with religion remains throughout life.

When entering the temple, you should leave your hats and shoes in front of the door and express your respect to the clergy and images of Buddha. Donations to temples are encouraged. You can only walk around the temple clockwise.

The traditional Cambodian greeting is a bow and handshake, similar to the Thai "wai" gesture. But in currently Khmers prefer to simply shake hands. Women greet both men and women the same way. When visiting an office, organization, or when going on a visit, it is customary to give gifts.

Khmers are reserved in expressing emotions such as anger and anger, since to behave in this way means to behave in an unworthy manner. You should not touch someone else’s head, especially a child’s, or point your finger at a person. It is also ugly to accept and give an object in both hands; this action can only be performed right hand, put your feet on the table and show everyone your feet (feet are considered unclean due to touching the ground). And rising up thumb hands is considered a sexual gesture.

Khmer everyday clothing is quite ordinary. Both men and women wear a sarong made of a blended fabric or cotton material. Silk sarongs are worn during the festival, although rich people can afford to wear them daily. In cities, trousers and dresses of wide styles are popular, covering the body and not restricting movement. During religious festivals, women wear “khoi” (specially cut shirts), but ordinary life they look more than modest.

Tourists are advised to avoid provocative shorts and miniskirts when visiting temples, so as not to offend the religious feelings of Cambodians. It is better to wear lightweight trousers and closed shirts. In other cases, shorter and lighter clothing is acceptable.

The basis of traditions and cultural heritage Khmer is an interweaving of two world religions (Hinduism and Buddhism). In ancient times, even before the advent of our era, Cambodian territory was entirely under the influence of Hinduism. This religion was brought with them by sailors from India. Khmer temples and pagodas are built in accordance with Hindu canons, although they have features of an architectural style characteristic of Southeast Asia.
Folk and state creativity consisted of dances, songs, painting and oral tales. Then it was replenished with such world masterpieces as Indian epics"Ramayana" and "Mahabharata". The walls of many Hindu temples are decorated with scenes from these works.

At the end of the first millennium AD, Buddhism completely took over the country.
Cambodian kings accept new faith and they begin to reconstruct old Hindu temples. Now they worship Buddha and the religious buildings built during this period look completely different. Significant changes are taking place both in folk and original creativity. However, the Hindu foundation has settled quite firmly, which is reflected in national songs, dances, paintings, and shadow theater. In culture, one way or another, Hindu motifs are used and reflected. There is a layering of two religions on top of each other. Some ancient Hindu traditions have never faded into oblivion. For example, Cambodian Buddhists on the Brook of Thousands of Lingams undergo the sacrament of asking male power from the Hindu god Shiva, and take it for granted.