Phnom Penh
Cambodia on Sunday began the three-day Pchum Ben festival, also known as Ancestor’s Day, a major traditional celebration for the country. Prime Minister Hun Manet highlighted the festival as a time for alms-giving, merit-making, and remembering deceased relatives, while also serving as an occasion for joyful family reunions.
Pchum Ben is the second-largest festival in Cambodia after the Lunar New Year. During the celebrations, Cambodian Buddhists visit pagodas to offer food and other items to monks, believing that their offerings will reach departed ancestors, who in turn will bless them with good fortune. Buddhism is practiced by roughly 95 percent of the kingdom’s 17 million people.
The festival also triggers mass travel, as hundreds of thousands of workers leave the capital, Phnom Penh, to return to their hometowns. To facilitate this, the Phnom Penh City Bus Authority has arranged 597 buses to provide free transport between September 20 and September 25. The initiative aims to reduce travel costs and make journeys easier for festival-goers.
Hun Manet noted that similar measures were implemented in 2024, when 653 buses were provided to transport residents to their hometowns during the celebrations. Authorities emphasise that these services help maintain the cultural and spiritual significance of the festival while supporting citizens’ mobility.
The Pchum Ben festival remains a deeply cherished tradition in Cambodia, reinforcing family bonds, spiritual values, and cultural continuity across generations. It showcases the country’s commitment to preserving its heritage while ensuring citizens can celebrate safely and comfortably.
