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| By
: H.P. Raingsy. |
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Mooncakes
on the rise
Cambodia defied one worldwide downward trend this
year. Mooncake sales are on the rise in the Kingdom,
according to local manufacturers.
Mooncakes heavy round cakes in the shape of an
ice hockey puck, filled with sesame, lotus or nut
pastes are the traditional celebratory fare of
the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, a lunar festival
which fell on October 1 this year.
The festival is a traditional dedication to the
moon goddess.
But while manufacturers in most other countries
including China reported a drop in sales as observance
of the festival drops and modern tastes rule the
cakes out as too heavy and too sweet, Cambodian
sales were up.
"Sales were good and they are getting better
every time. I've seen an increase of 20 per cent
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Mooncake sales were on
the rise in Cambodia this season.
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annually since
1996," said Mr Chan Bunthan, owner of Apsara Bakery.
"There were less than a dozen bakeries producing
them in Cambodia this year though," he added.
An average mooncake costs about US$1. They are also sometimes
kept and given as gifts for Christmas and Khmer New Year.
Many consumers believe the rise in mooncake sales here
represents the willingness of Cambodians to embrace the
holidays and customs of all cultures.
Cambodia, which is officially Buddhist, has around a month
of every year designated as official holidays.
About four per cent of 12 million Cambodians, belong to
ethnic minorities, including people of Chinese, Vietnamese,
Cham (ethnic Muslims) and Khmer Leu (hill tribe) origins.
Despite the Chinese population suffering heavily under
the Khmer Rouge, with nearly half the ethnic Chinese population
killed, the culture is still an important one in Cambodia,
with some 70 Chinese schools, for instance. Many Khmers
also claim Sino-Khmer family origins.
claim Sino-Khmer family origins.
Phnom Penh's party
Phnom Penh celebrated its 567th anniversary on October
27 - a celebration municipal authorities say was just a
taste of things to come when all scheduled renovation
work is completed.
Authorities are beautifying the city in an effort to attract
more tourists to the capital and encourage them to stay
longer. |
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Wat Phnom, the focus of Phnom
Penh’s anniversary celebrations.
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A pagoda was first built
at Wat Phnom as early as 1373, but Phnom Penh dates
its foundation as a city from 1434 when King Preah
Bat Ponhea Yat made the city his base after Angkor
had been abandoned.
Special concerts and events were held around the
city including a photographic exhibition about Phnom
Penh at Wat Phnom and a religious ceremony when
567 Buddhist monks will be offered food.
Current ongoing beautification and development projects
include work on the Chroy Changvar Peninsula to
turn it into a promenade and tourist area, construction
of a convention center in the same area in time
to host the Visit Cambodia Year tourism conference
in 2003 and a facelift for the Tonle Bassac riverside
area. |
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Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
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