Cambodia: Pirogue boat races on the Mekong River, illustrated by French expeditioner Louis Delaporte in 1866-68.

French colonists witnessed boat races which are thought to be the forerunners of today's dragon boat and naga serpent boat racing. Nowadays, every November, millions of Cambodians descend on Phnom Penh for the three-day Bon Om Tuk Water Festival where the highlight is the dramatic pirogue boat races, which are supposedly held to commemorate the great Angkorian period when the Khmers under King Jayavarman VII triumphed over the Chams of Champa after a prolonged naval war (1177-81).

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Pictures From History