Cambodia prepares for Chinese Spring Festival celebration

(Photo: AP)

By Nguon Sovan

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- As the Chinese New Year is getting close, Chinese blood Cambodians have been busy decorating their houses with plum blossoms, red color paper-cuts and Chinese couplets hung on doors and walls, hoping to receive a good fortune and happiness in the upcoming year.

Shops selling decoration materials and praying stuff are bustling.

"A lot of customers come and purchase Chinese New Year decorations from my shop," said Hak Senghong, the owner of a shop near Phnom Penh's Orussei Market.

"For usual days, sales are not high, but ahead of the Chinese New Year, sales are very high and we almost have no time to have meals," he said.

Hak said all the decoration materials in his shop have been directly purchased from China.

In Cambodia, plum blossoms are also popularly used to decorate houses during the Chinese New Year. These flowers are symbolic of trustworthiness, determination, bond in a relationship.

Chan Srey Vy, a seller of plum blossom saplings in Phnom Penh, said year on year, more Chinese blood Cambodians come and buy the trees.

"Every year, I sell out between 100 to 200 plum blossom trees. A tree sells between 70 U.S. dollars to 100 U.S. dollars," she said.

One of the customers Kim Ly believed that the well decoration of house during the Spring Festival would bring good luck and fortune throughout the upcoming year.

"Every year, I decorate my house with red color paper-cuts, couplets and Chinese plum blossom saplings," he said.

"It (plum blossom sapling) is expensive, but according to Chinese belief, the flower can predict business future -- if the tree blooms on the first day of the Chinese New Year, it's believed that one's business throughout the year will make good earnings," he said, adding "the more the tree gives flowers, the more the earnings from business."

As for the security during the occasion, the Phnom Penh Municipality issued a directive on Tuesday, ordering all levels of authorities to strengthen security and public order during the celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year.

Under the directive signed by the governor of Phnom Penh Municipality Kep Chuk Tema, fire-crackers, fireworks, and all types of explosives will be banned during celebrations of the Chinese New Year from Jan. 22 to 25 to ensure safety, security and public order. Also banned is gambling.

The Chinese New Year is one of the most important festivals in Cambodia, up to 80 percent of Cambodian people celebrate it every year, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a public speech in last January.

Cambodia celebrates three new year festivals in a year -- the Universal New Year, the Chinese New Year and the Khmer New Year, the prime minister said.