K HMER culture and cuisine will be on full display this New Years at the Hotel

Sofitel Cambodiana.

During the four day festival to run from April 10-13,

pottery, painting, wood carving and silk weaving displays will take place

nightly, as well as exhibitions of Khmer traditional and folk dances put on by

dance troupes from the National Theatre.

Organized by the Cambodiana's

recently-hired Public Relations Executive Queguiner Chantamony, an expatriate

Khmer who just returned home to Cambodia after 22 years in Europe, the

celebration of Khmer culture will also bring together 14 cooks from different

provinces around the Kingdom to demonstrate the varieties of Cambodian

cuisine.

"Its going to be great. I'm really excited," says

Chantamony.

Festivities will begin nightly at 6pm. The highlight of the

evenings may well be the demonstrations of two traditional Khmer games - Angkunh

and Chhoung - which, according to one accicionado, "give boys and girls an

opportunity to woo each other".

All those who attend will be invited to

participate in the subtle forms of flirtation practised for centuries throughout

the Kingdom.

The public is also invited to attend two lectures on "The

Angkor Civilisation" and "The Evolution of Khmer Architecture" to be delivered

by Under Secretary of State for Tourism H.E. Sam Promonea, which will take place

on April 10 (2pm) and April 11 (4PM) respectively.

Chantamony says that

on April 13 prizes will be given out including cash awards and free vacations.

Sponsors of the four-day extravaganza besides the Cambodiana Hotel

include Khaou Chuly MKK Co., Ltd., Khmer Consultant Engineering Corp., LBL

International and the Power Investment GroupCo., Ltd.