Promoting the Cultural Festival and Sport of Khmer Boat Racing

In a legend called the Buddha of the Lake or "Prah Tropaing," long ago villagers were so excited to find a Prah (Buddha) sculpture in a lake. However, they were unable to lift the sculpture from the lake because it was not an ordinary Buddha image. So a mysterious man tied seven pieces long of thread to the sculpture and pulled the Prah sculpture out of the lake.

They subsequently built a shrine for the Buddha of the Lake, and named it Prah Tropaing. This shrine still exists today. Also, one province in Cambodia was named Prah Tropaing as well.

Prah Tropaing Province later was taken as part of Vietnam after French colonialization of Cambodia during World War II. The Vietnamese call this province Tra Vinh, but it is still known to most Khmer as Prah Tropaing.

Cambodian people in former Prah Tropaing are now a minority population, as with many other former Khmer provinces ursurped by Vietnam. The Cambodian people in these provinces still retain their unique identity and pride, making strong efforts to keep their Khmer culture and traditions alive.

Long-tail boat racing is an ancient Cambodian sport that is accompanied by a wondrous yearly festival. Cambodian youth and adult farmers in Prah Tropaing province, take time from their farms every year during the month of September and October to practice and perfect their art of boat racing.

They are proud to be champions of this ancient sport, and retain their passion and pride for continuing this tradition as a means to preserve Khmer identity and culture. By being the best boat racing team, they strive to show the world that Cambodians can excel in this ancient sport no matter where they live or what their circumstances.

Unfortunately, living as a minority group, few outsiders are aware their talent and perseverance, let alone of their existence. Their struggle to be a champion of this sport is symbolic of the challenging world they quietly face each day. Our project will support this important boat racing tradition while also bringing awareness and recognition to silent efforts of these farmers.