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Giant Puppet Parade, Siem Reap

February 11, 2016 by Sam Walker 8 Comments

The air was thick with excitement. Crowds were gathering and the usually quiet street hummed with energy and anticipation. Siem Reap’s Giant Puppet Parade was about to get underway.
Giant Puppet Parade, Siem Reap, 2016
The excited chatter of children increased as the lights flickered on inside each puppet. Further back drums pounded out a rhythm, building the excitement and ahead The Lion Sleeps tonight was on repeat. The atmosphere was thick with excitement and laughter.
Around me a giant caterpillar was glowing green and the shouts of zip zap, boing were getting louder.
And finally we were off. A huge red ant led the way past the busy Old Market and through the heart of Siem Reap’s streets.
Red ant, Giant Puppet Parade 2016, Siem REap
It was followed by an enormous lion – its tail twitching, and its testicles swaying as it moved – I kid you not.
Giant Puppet Parade, Siem Reap, 2016
And finally the caterpillar I was there to photograph, was on its way.
caterpillar puppet, Giant Puppet Parade 2016
It was easy to see why the Giant Puppet Parade has become one of Siem Reap’s annual highlights. The project is Cambodia’s largest children’s community arts project but they are not childish creations — rather they are clever artworks, whose size, colour and lighting achieve their effect of wowing the crowds.
The puppets are constructed from bamboo and rattan and covered in tissue paper and cellophane during three weeks of workshops in the lead-up to the parade. They are based on the ancient Chinese dragon puppets and vary in size from about 10 metres to 30 metres. Children from local schools and NGOs make them at Wat Damnak and the results are spectacular. They are made under the supervision of the Puppet Parade’s organisers and with help from members of the Phare Ponleu Seplak Arts School in Battambang.
Each year the puppet designs highlight issues of relevance for Cambodia, including educational, cultural and ecological themes, which include endangered species, hygiene, environmental awareness and important cultural themes. This year’s puppets included the giant ant, a lion, a caterpillar, a duck, a monitor lizard, a team of soccer players and a monkey, in honour of the Chinese Year of the Monkey.
The attention to detail was incredible. The lion’s eyelids closed and the lights in the monitor lizard’s eyes faded and glowed as if it was closing it’s second eyelid.
As we danced and paraded our way through the streets the crowds got thicker and we came to a halt under the bright lights of Pub Street.
Here, Phare circus performers joined the act, putting on a fire twirling, acrobatic and juggling show, while the lion periodically roared and the drums continued to beat in the background.
The crowds were thick and the excitement was plentiful — from participants and bystanders. The convoy of puppets meandered through the streets and over the bridge. As well as the giant creations many smaller motifs, lighter and easier for the young ones to manage were being waved through the air — small lions faces and butterflies among them.
Giant Puppet Parade, Siem Reap, 2016
The procession wound along the river. The excited squeals of teenage girls, almost deafening as they competed to be heard amidst all the other noise. Finally, we crossed the river again, winding up at the Royal Independence Gardens, where many members of the community joined in the festivities and got up close to the giant puppets.
Giant Puppet Parade, Siem Reap, 2016
The 10th puppet festival took place last Saturday night and is usually held every February.

 

 

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Filed Under: The Journo, travel Tagged With: festival, giant, giant puppet parade, parade, puppet parade, puppets, Siem Reap

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Comments

  1. charu says

    February 11, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    Wow what a beautiful and colourful festival. I am sure the kids who participate in this or are lucky enough to see this must be thrilled and inspired by this creativity

    Reply
    • Sam Walker says

      February 15, 2016 at 11:44 am

      Hi Charu. Thanks for checking it out. Yes, I had heard it was good but didn’t realise just how good until I saw it. It is a fantastic festival for Siem Reap.

      Reply
  2. Lani says

    February 20, 2016 at 6:05 pm

    I’m sorry to have missed it. I found out about it after I had booked my tix to Thailand for a little break. Thanks for the catch up though and all the information about the event!

    Reply
    • Sam Walker says

      February 20, 2016 at 9:33 pm

      Ah, what a shame Lani. Maybe you’ll be here for next year’s puppet parade. It seems to be getting bigger and better every year.

      Reply
  3. CHAPTERTRAVEL says

    February 20, 2016 at 8:21 pm

    Wow that looks amazing!! I would love to go there. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Sam Walker says

      February 20, 2016 at 9:24 pm

      Hi Chaptertravel. It was amazing. The place was buzzing and the kids involved were so excited to be a part of it.

      Reply
  4. Sam Walker says

    February 20, 2016 at 12:09 pm

    Thanks so much for including us The Travelinggals!

    Reply

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  1. Favorite Friday: A Weekly Round-Up - The Traveling Gals says:
    February 20, 2016 at 2:57 am

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Hi there! Thanks for stopping by.
We are Sam (the Journo) and Steve (the Joker). We have taken the plunge and opted out of the 9-5 routine in search of more - and less. We are living the expat life in Cambodia and enjoying slow travel through the region and after just a few months our lives are richer.
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