For the 2025 Angkor Sangkranti event, there are no great things to say, and there are almost no things to say to encourage people and tourists, because it is known to be great and many people will participate. But don’t forget about logistics, as well as security, order, and program organization.
According to a recent statement from the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, after a one-year hiatus, the event, which has been in existence since 2013, will be even more grandiose, bigger, more unique, more attractive, and more exciting.
The 2025 Angkor Sangkranti event, which is scheduled to be held for 3 days from April 14 to 16, 2025, under the theme “Smiles to Celebrate the New Year’s Sangkranti”, is an opportunity for the Khmer family from all over the world, including international tourists, to gather in Siem Reap Province. To celebrate the traditional national New Year.
Last year, Angkor was missed, but citizens enjoyed the Songkran festival in all provinces, cities, and the capital. But this year, the organizing committee, especially the Union of Cambodian Youth Federations, which is the owner of this program, decided to organize it in Siem Reap again as an opportunity to encourage and attract citizens to come and enjoy the new smiles on the land of Angkor and to get to know the beauty of the new Angkor that the Royal Government has worked hard to create and develop continuously in the past.
The upcoming Angkor Sangkrant 2025 program will have 38 programs, 34 working groups, and approximately 5,000 young volunteers to ensure that the event runs smoothly and is attractive.
Organizing the Angkor Sangkrant event will help raise the economic value of the people in Siem Reap Province. In particular, Angkor Sangkrant has shown the intangible heritage, combined with the tangible heritage, to national and international tourists, who have a clearer understanding of the national identity.
This is a program that will increase the connection with the public who can participate in direct activities to increase direct connections as memories and memories. The event will also feature the “Heartbeat of Angkor” performing arts program, which offers a new experience and opportunity for the public to watch performances within the Angkor Wat complex. A chess competition program, the Food Village of Love, which features an 8-meter giant palm hat and an ancient Khmer house made of palm trees. A 1,000-meter krama exhibition, which broke the world record for the longest krama.
A 3-day Angkor Sangkranti parade program, and a traditional, folk, and traditional dance program. Angkor Smile Garden has added a Khmer kite display. The Let’s Play Water program has expanded its scope to two locations, in front of Angkor Wat and the Royal Palace Garden. For the Angkor Sangkrant folk games and friendship tug-of-war, there are also additional fat columns. Etc.
From year to year, from 2013 to the present, except for the Covid-19 and 2024, the organization of this event has been very attractive and successful. There are still some points that should be considered a little more, namely the logistics program as well as the security and traffic management issues. Because it attracts many people, citizens may have difficulty traveling, finding food, eating, and some places to stay. These issues are so serious that the host territorial authorities should pay attention and put forward additional action plans.
To ease congestion at the event site, the authorities should streamline the flow of people’s travel to the event sites in the province by creating public transportation circuits to reduce the number of people using their own vehicles to enter the event area. Strengthening traffic management and security is essential and must be closely monitored, and accommodation, food, and clothing are also essential. In addition, hygiene and safety issues, as well as the dignity of doing business, should also be managed properly and appropriately so that tourists do not come back to visit once and then become unruly.
In short, if the authorities and the committee can resolve the various shortcomings that have been encountered, the 2025 Angkor Sangkranti event program will be more vibrant and it will also contribute to keeping the intangible heritage on the site of the tangible heritage alive and benefiting from the increase in tourism.
