Date updated: 30 August 2005
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Cambodia Cultural Profiles ProjectCultural Profile
 
                                                                               
 
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OVERVIEW:
Kite making
Kites 1 (MCFA)Cambodia boasts a kite making and kite flying tradition which dates back many centuries. It was revived in the early 1990s, largely thanks to the efforts of Chan San, former Director of Cultural Development at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, who led Cambodian delegations to the 8th and 9th International Kite Festivals, held in France in 1994 and 1996 respectively.
Traditionally flown at night during the north east monsoon season, the traditional Cambodian kite or khleng ek has one of the most beautiful of all kite shapes. Uniquely, the khleng ek is equipped with a bow made from rattan, bamboo or palm leaf which vibrates in the wind, producing a distinctive musical sound of four or five different notes.
Kite Festival 1 (MCFA)Kite making and kite flying remains extremely popular all around the country and a National Festival of Kite Flying is held every December.
A Khmer Kite Museum was opened within the National Cultural Centre complex in 2004.
 
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The Cambodia Cultural Profile was created in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia with financial support from the Rockefeller Foundation
 
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