©
Aleksandr Zykov
Cambodia Travel Guide
©
Aleksandr Zykov
Buddhism is a life philosophy which is woven into Cambodian life. Many traditions endure even if the teaching of them loses its value over the course of generations.
Cambodia is a country with traditional customs, and religion plays an integral part of everyday life there. The country's motto is 'Nation, King, Religion'.
Cambodians are very attached to their religion and the pagodas are full every day. It is good form to leave lotus flowers at the entrance to these pagodas, or set free caged birds to absolve yourself from sin. It is for this reason that you will see them everywhere close to places of worship during your trip to Cambodia, in particular at Wat Phnom, the large pagoda situated in the centre of Phnom Penh.
Nevertheless, even as the religion of the state, buddhism is not taught a lot at school and it is instead considered more a tradition than a real religion or life philosophy.
You will find pagodas on every street corner, these impressive temples, where Cambodians come to pray at least once per week. A visit to these places, particularly Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, is obligatory during your trip to Cambodia. Among the most beautiful, in my opinion, at Siem Reap, is the Wat Bo pagoda - the oldest in the city. It dates from the 18th Century.
In fact the majority of pagodas were built not that long ago and therefore do not hold the same amount of intrigue for visitors. For the locals, however, it is essential to live near a pagoda. The grandeur and beauty of pagodas reflect the wealth of the nearby village.
Even if the buddhist tradition is losing its value, the monks are well respected in Cambodia: each morning they pray and go to find their meals from the citizens of the town, who give them food, cigarettes and a bit of money. Young men are expected to spend a few days or weeks in a pagoda as a monk as a way of showing their respect for their parents who have raised them. The difficulty of monastic life allows them to prove their devotion to their family.
It is important to note also the not inconsiderable amount of Muslims and Christians living in Cambodia: you will also often see mosques and churches, in particular in the larger cities and especially in Battambang.
On the banks of the Tonlé Sap lake, villages are divided by religion or nationality, so you can visit floating Vietnamese, Muslim or Cham (a South-East Asian ethnic group) villages.
