KAMPONG CHHNANG, Cambodia: Cambodia on Thursday (May 15) celebrated its ancient royal ploughing ceremony here in the country's central part under the auspices of the nation's King Norodom Sihamoni.
The event, marking the annual beginning of rice-growing season, was also attended by Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, National Assembly President Khuon Sudary, and Prime Minister Hun Manet, as well as foreign diplomats to the Southeast Asian country.
Hundreds of farmers and local tourists also enjoyed the age-old event, which was held at a field in the province's Kampong Chhnang town.
At this year's ceremony, King Sihamoni designated Kampong Chhnang Provincial Governor Sun Sovannarith as the king of the ploughing ceremony and the governor's wife Phat Sophanny as the queen of the sowing ceremony.
The designated king ploughed the rice field by using royal oxen, and the designated queen sowed seeds in the furrow as a symbol of planting.
After three rounds of ploughing across the field, the oxen were offered seven plates of food: rice, corn, green beans, sesame, water, fresh-cut grass, and wine.
If the oxen eat a lot of agricultural items, it is predicted that agricultural crops will give good output in the year, but if they eat little, it is thought that the yields will be low.
If the oxen eat grass and wine, it is believed that cattle will be plagued by epidemics, and if they drink a lot of water, floods will be expected.
At the ceremony, the oxen ate 95 percent of rice, 95 percent of corn and 80 percent of green beans, said Kang Keng, chief of the soothsayers at the Royal Palace.
"This is just the prediction based on the custom of the royal ploughing ceremony held in ancient times," he said. "This royal rite is to announce that the farming season has come." Enditem
