asialife HCMC 1 - AsiaLIFE Magazine

Phnom Penh Events & Openings
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Tourism Takes Off
For the second time in history,
the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF)
will take place in Phnom Penh
from January 15 to 21. The ATF
focuses on a regional effort to
promote tourism throughout
the 10 member countries of the
Associate of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN). More than
1,600 delegates are expected to
attend, including ASEAN ministers
and their counterparts from
China, Japan, South Korea, and
India. Venues will include the
Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra,
Diamond Island, NagaWorld,
the Peace Palace, Royal Palace,
Grand Phnom Penh Golf Club,
and Raffles Hotel Le Royal. As
the country is set to reach a
new record of tourist arrivals
in 2011, it is an apt time to
highlight the manifold holiday
opportunities in the Kingdom of
Wonder.
Starring Cambodia
If you happen to come across
lights, cameras, and action in
the streets of Phnom Penh,
you’ve stumbled upon the filming
of A Billion Star Hotel. Production
commenced at the end
of December and is expected
to wrap on January 20. French
director Quentin Clausin set out
to portray the joy of living, as
practiced the Cambodian way,
through the storyline of a New
York fashion photographer’s
week spent in the Kingdom of
Wonder. Produced by Cambodian
film companies Express Films
and 391 Films in cooperation
with American production company
Critical Density Media, the
film’s cast and crew are nearly
all Cambodian, a great achievement
for the local film industry.
Details of the grand premier in
Phnom Penh will be announced
at a future date.
A Tribute to the Masters
Next month will see a musical
tribute to the grand masters of
Cambodian music at the Bayon
Temple in the Angkor complex.
Led by teenage soprano bosbaPANH,
a host of Cambodian
and international performers will
put on a festival of music and
dance including Cambodian ballads,
jazz and Ramayana dance
on Febuary 25 and 26. The
first night will feature a gourmet
dinner prepared by leading
Cambodian chef Luu Meng (US
$80 to $100). Tickets for the
second night are US $20. Tickets
are available from Monument
Books and Lucky Stores in both
Phnom Penh and Siem Reap,
from the McDermott Galleries
in Siem Reap, and from T&C
Restaurant, Café Sentiment and
Malis and Yi Sang Restaurants
in Phnom Penh. Visit bosbapanh.com.
Giant Puppet Project
Preparations are underway for
this year’s Giant Puppet Project
Parade, which will take place
on Febuary 19 in Siem Reap.
The parade is a massive event
involving up to 600 children
from local NGOs in and around
Cambodia’s major tourist town.
Under guidance from artists
from the United Kindom and
Phare Ponleu Seplak in Battambang
the children construct the
puppets. The fifth annual parade
will feature giant animals,
insects and people. Themes are
based on educational, cultural
or ecological ideas such as road
safety, endangered species,
hygiene and environmental
awareness. The Parade is an
entirely non-profit event, and
anyone wishing to support it or
visiting the workshops can do
so by contacting info@giantpuppetproject.com.
VO VAN TAN
HO
CON RUA
PHAM NGOC
THACH
TRAN CAO VAN
DIAMOND
PLAZA
HAN THUYEN
LE DUAN
NOTRE DAME CATHEDVRAL
POST
OFFICE
LE DUAN
10 asialife HCMC