Royal Ploughing Ceremony (Preah Reach Pithi Chrot Preah Neanng Korl)

An ancient royal ceremony held each May at the Veal Men in front of the National Museum in Phnom Penh to mark the beginning of the rice-growing season. Sacred oxen are led to troughs containing various foods — rice, corn, sesame, grass, and water — and what they choose to eat is interpreted by royal astrologers to predict the harvest and fortune of the kingdom for the coming year. Attended by the King and senior royals, the ceremony blends Brahmin and Buddhist traditions and dates back to the Angkor era.