Cambodian game of tug-of-war

December 2, 2021 marks the 6th anniversary of the inscription of the “Cambodian game of tug-of-war” on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List on December 2, 2015 in Windhoek, Namibia.

The game of tug-of-war is a popular game that has been associated with Khmer culture and tradition since ancient times, based on historical evidence such as carvings on temples, especially on the walls. The National Museum of Cambodia has an Angkor-era artifact from Romdoul District, Svay Rieng Province, showing gods and demons, seeking nectar, churning the ocean of milk for about a thousand years, and countless treasures, including Princess Lakshmi, emerging. The event is similar to the Khmer game of tug-of-war. The game of tug-of-war is a fun game played by young Cambodians, both men and women, young men and women. This game is played using physical strength and is only played during the Khmer New Year, the month of Chet and Visakha. This tug-of-war game is not only fun and challenging, but it also shows solidarity, similar to the story of churning the sea of milk. To win, each party must unite and use their strength as one, and unleash their full potential to win. This tug-of-war game has a story from our ancient Khmer story of churning the sea of milk. The tug-of-war game is a game that is commonly played all over the world. In some countries, it is just a game of strength between two groups of people for fun. However, in some agricultural countries in Asia, tug-of-war is played only on special occasions that have a special meaning and are strongly connected to religious society. Cambodia is among the agricultural countries that play tug-of-war for fun and instill faith in it. Currently, Cambodian people tend to preserve and preserve this game by playing it during the traditional Khmer New Year festival, as well as during religious ceremonies at temples.

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