Cambodia national clothes. Clothing from Cambodia

Cambodia has 654 factories producing branded clothing. Knitwear, jeans, sportswear and underwear of famous brands Adidas, Nike, Puma, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Forever21, Abercombi&Fitch, Aeropostal, GAP, Benetton, Esprit, Mango, H&M, F&F, Jenifer Lopes, Lacoste, Van`s, Nautica, Celio, Marks&Spenser etc. with label Made in Cambodia in a large assortment is presented in special collection warehouses in Phnom Penh.

Note.

The article was written in 2012 and many people ask: “Are we still wholesale clothing from Cambodia at the present time (more than 7 years have passed since the publication of this article in 2012).

Yes, we are still selling clothes. It is clear that the assortment has changed many times since 2012, but the system for buying clothes from Cambodia, which is described in this article, has not changed.

There are wholesale commodity exchanges in Cambodia, where distributors from all over the world buy stock from clothing manufacturers. We help wholesale buyers to organize the supply of stocks of branded clothing to different countries.

Stocks of manufacturers are batches of original clothes that are not shipped to retail chains, the so-called pre-season stock. The reasons may be different.

For example, surpluses: after sewing a batch of products, fabric remains so that it does not stale, the enterprise sews the same things from it and sells them through wholesale clothing companies that buy such goods directly from factories in large quantities.

Another reason it may be in the failure of retail chains (a large supply of goods failed) and many others. In order not to occupy huge warehouses and not to look for new customers, the factory tries to get rid of the goods as quickly as possible.

The fastest way is to sell clothes to companies that sell stock in bulk.

The stock also includes B-Grade Cambodian clothing lots (lots with up to 20% manufacturing defects) priced under 1USD.

Our company offers you services for the search, selection and supply of new women's and men's clothing from Cambodia, and sorting and selection of B-Grade clothing, brands Adidas, Nike, Puma, Old Navy, Abercombi&Fitch,Aeropostal, GAP, Benetton, Esprit, Mango, H&M, F&F, TU, Vera Wang, Jenifer Lopes, Lacoste, Van`s, Nautica, Celio, Marks&Spenser and others in bulk from a collection warehouse that processes the stock of companies producing export clothing for the United States and European countries.

Production – Made in Cambodia. The range includes sports and casual, men's, women's and children's clothing. Brands of children's clothing that we supply: GAP Kids, Gerber, Place, Osh Kosh, Chaps, Joe Boxer, Nickelodeon, H&M.

Our specialization: sports and casual men's, women's, children's clothing, jeans, knitted underwear.

All clothes from Cambodia, for European and US markets.

Catalog Clothes from Cambodia

The product catalog is conditionally divided into the following types:

1. Warm clothes (sweatshirts, hoodies, sweaters, fleeced knitwear, including jersey sports jackets and pants from Adidas, Puma, Nike) - cost 6 USD per unit.
2. T-shirts for men and women and children: Adidas, Puma, Nike, Benetton, Banana, Esprit, Next, Aeropostal, Benetton - cost 4USD per item.
3. Men's, women's and children's t-shirts: Old Navy, GAP, H&M, Easy, Arizona, Place, - 3USD per unit
4. Children's knitwear and fleece from 0 to 6 years old: Carter`s, Joe Boxer, Place, H&M, Old Navy, GAP Kids - 2.5 USD per unit
5. Marks&Spenser clothing (men's and women's sweaters, cardigans) - 4USD per unit
6. Warm clothes Nautica, Lacoste, Celio, Van`s, Aberkombie&Fitch — 6USD per item
7. Jeans and cargo pants for men and women and children: Levis, Banana, Esprit, Old Navy - 7USD per unit

Our services include demonstration of photos and provision of samples, selection of an assortment of clothes according to your requirements, selection of quality items from the “B-Grade” category, formation of a batch, size and color range, quality control, packaging, assistance in customs clearance, control over loading and shipping (sea container CIF Sihanoukvill, to the ports: St. Petersburg, Klaipeda, Vladivostok, Hamburg, Guangzhou, Beijing, Bangkok.

The cost of services for sampling, ordering - 10% of the cost of goods in the warehouse-collector. The minimum order is 100 kg. When ordering a batch of more than 50,000 USD - the cost of our services - 5%. When ordering a batch from 25,000 to 50,000USD - 7%.

There are several clothing wholesalers in Cambodia. Our company stands out from other wholesale clothing suppliers in Phnom Penh. Working with us, you get the opportunity to buy not only lots, but also choose models by the piece in the right size, color, etc., and we also have the following undeniable advantages:

• Always the availability of an assortment of brands Adidas, Nike, Puma, at competitive prices
• Many models are presented in a full size grid, including 2XXL, 3XXL, 4XXL.
• The possibility of an exchange upon detection of a marriage

Our clients:

Companies and individual entrepreneurs from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, supplying goods manufactured in Cambodia to the CIS countries.

In addition to the wholesale supply of clothing, we provide our customers with the following services:

1. We can act as a sales agent (intermediary), helping our clients find the right product, suppliers, factories in Cambodia and negotiate cooperation.

Our services include: searching for interested suppliers, conducting preliminary negotiations, ensuring business processes, document translation services, logistics, etc.

Terms of cooperation - 10% of the total amount of the invoice, but not less than 300USD.

2. We can represent your business and interests between manufacturers, suppliers and you. For example: to manage the production of clothes from Cambodia at a local factory, commissioned by your company.

Our services include: search for partners, assistance in the design of business processes, conclusion of contracts, search for the optimal cooperation scheme, product quality control, building a logistics scheme, etc.

Terms of cooperation from 15-12-10% of the total invoice price, but not less than 300USD.

3. We can provide storage and shipping services for your goods

Responsibilities include.

One of the most significant sights of Cambodia is the building of the National Museum of Art. Built in 1917-1920, the museum is located in the capital of Cambodia - the city of Phnom Penh, located north of the Royal Palace. The red building of the museum, made in the Khmer style, consists of four galleries surrounding a cozy courtyard. The courtyard is a wonderful place to relax, has many trees, flowers and several lotus ponds.

The museum has a great historical, cultural and ethnographic value. The exposition includes more than 5,000 objects, including works of art dating back to the 7th-13th centuries, as well as sculptures, folk dance costumes from the 19th century, and much more. The museum has a unique collection of ancient sculptures, ceramics and bronzes, a magnificent collection of Buddha statues is constantly on display here, many of which were saved from the temples of Anggor Wat after the start of the civil war.

For example, the original statue of the god Yama (or the Leper King) - it adorns the garden on the territory of the museum; statue of the god Vishnu; part of the pediment of Banteay Srey. There is also a collection of Buddha statues of the post-Angkorian period, ceramic dishes and household items of the kings of Cambodia, national clothes. Among the most famous exhibits are the statue of King Jayavarman, the armed statue of the god Vishnu and the sculpture of Shiva. The most significant figures of the museum are the Khmer Gods of various ages. An impressive statue of an elephant-like Ganesha holding a bowl of water. Next to the statue of Shiva is the many-armed god Vishnu with three pairs of hands.

In the National Museum you can get acquainted with the unique architecture of the city of Angkor, learn about the origin and construction of the city, get acquainted with the relics found during the excavations of Angkor.

In the garden of the museum you can also see the statue of Ganesha - the elephant-headed son of Shiva. Ganesha - in Hinduism, the god of wisdom and prosperity; the son of Shiva with the head of an elephant. According to legend, Shiva beheaded his son in anger, but repenting, he put the first thing that came to hand to his body.

You can learn more about the famous temple of Angkor Thom in one of the galleries of the museum. The great Khmer kings are given special attention in the Museum of Art. Cambodians distinguish four kings who, in their opinion, made the greatest contribution to the development of the Khmer empire - King Jayavarman II, King Yashovarman I, King Suryavarman II, King Jayavarman VII.
The museum will surprise you with an abundance of all kinds of ancient Khmer costumes. Clothing and jewelry are a significant part of Khmer art.
It is unlikely that anyone will remain indifferent to the computer reconstruction of Angkor. Thanks to talented animators, visitors will have the opportunity to travel back to the 12th-13th centuries, get acquainted with the life, traditions, and holidays of the ancient Khmers.
The small streets around the National Museum deserve special attention. They are very colorful and abound with all kinds of art shops, the so-called language schools, souvenir shops.
The National Museum has another attraction - a colony of bats lives under its roof. It is believed that this colony is one of the largest in Cambodia.

Everything in the museum is done for the convenience of visitors. Each exhibit is provided with a special sign with a description in English; visitors can take maps with them for a more comfortable orientation in the museum. You can also resort to the services of professional guides for a more complete and interesting tour. The doors of the museum are open to visitors every day from 8.00 to 11.00 in the morning and from 14.00 to 17.00 in the evening.

In the evenings, the National Museum becomes a real home to a huge colony of bats, which are usually visited by a large number of tourists.

ToKhmer. Wanation. Psettlements and housing. Food and clothing

The main occupation of the majority (92%) of the Khmers is agriculture, and especially the cultivation of rice, which is considered one of the most honorable and noble occupations, a kind of virtue.

Cambodian agriculture is low-intensive. Fertilizers are not applied, and the yield of rice is very low - no more than 1 ton per hectare. In land-provided farms, part of the land to maintain its fertility, it is left under the fallow.

The land is plowed under rice with a wooden plow harnessed by a pair of buffaloes, and leveled with a leveling harrow. The harrow does not differ significantly from the Vietnamese. As for the plow, it is more massive than the Viet, although it is light enough to be carried on the shoulder, and is arranged quite differently. A modern plow has a wooden blade, which allows not only loosening, but also partially turning over the layer. The blade is always directed to the right. The plows are made by the peasants themselves. The arcuate rule of the plow is made separately from the plowshare and inserted into its middle. The long drawbar is attached to the rule. Buy only iron coulter. In general, the peasants buy the iron parts of their tools (for example, sickles), and make the wooden ones themselves.

The Khmer plow plows shallowly, about 10 cm. However, deeper plowing is not needed, because at a depth of 20 cm lies subsoil saturated with solid concretions.

The names of the parts of the plow are Sanskrit, with the exception of the reversible mouldboard, which is a recent improvement. The same plow was used in the Angkorian era.

The irrigation system, as well as water-lifting devices, are basically the same as in Vietnam. The same wicker buckets, "long-handled scoops suspended from tripods, water-lifting elevator wheels of various designs are used to fill the fields.

The harvest is harvested with a sickle, which has a large hook directed in the opposite direction next to the blade for raking the ears into a bundle. The handle of the sickle is often carved in the shape of the head of the mythical Naga snake.

Two varieties of ordinary rice are cultivated - spring and autumn. The yield of the latter is 30% lower, and 90% of the crops fall on the share of spring rice. In the area of ​​​​Lake Tonle Sap, a special variety of rice is sown - floating, with a straw of many meters in length. They reap it from the boats. In Cambodia, one crop of rice is harvested per year. It is grown both from seedlings and by sowing directly into the ground. When planting seedlings, 1 hectare of nursery provides approximately 7 hectares of industrial crops.

The next most important crops are beans, soybeans and corn. White corn is cultivated on small plots for own consumption, red - as a commodity-export crop.

Important export crops are hevea, pepper and kapok. Kapok trees are grown in the backyard. They produce firm fruits filled with silky white fiber, which is used as an admixture for cotton and as a stuffing material, and technical oil is pressed from the kapok seeds. Hevea and pepper are commonly grown in large plantations.

Of the fruit trees, citrus fruits are the most cultivated. Areca and sugar palms grow along the dams of rice fields. Extraction of palm sugar is one of the important auxiliary peasant industries.

In some places, the Khmers are also engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture, which has an auxiliary character. Gathering does not have any serious significance in their economy, but forest trades are an essential part of it. Of these crafts, especially noteworthy is the cutting of trees for the production of varnish, resin and gum. The liquid oily gum of some dipterocarps is widely used as lighting oil (for impregnating torches), as a thinner for lacquers, for puttying boats, for waterproofing wickerwork, and for other purposes. Many forest fruits and roots are used as dyes and as medicines.

The presence of extensive natural meadows and pastures contributed to the development of animal husbandry in Cambodia. There are more than 1.5 million heads of cattle (a third of them are buffaloes), 0.5 million heads of pigs.

Animal husbandry of pigs and in general cattle for slaughter is bred by the Khmer on a smaller scale than is possible in Cambodia, and the reason for this is the religious disapproval of slaughter. The farmer usually buys a piglet from the owner of the sow, nurses it, and sells it to a Chinese butcher for slaughter. In some areas, sow owners distribute piglets to poor peasants to feed; profits from the sale of pigs are then divided in half. The Khmer breed chickens, and recently they have also started breeding ducks, which until then were bred mainly by the Chinese. Bulls and cows of the humpback zebu breed are used only as draft animals (cows are never milked).

The exterior of the animals is low, and they are unproductive, since the Khmers do not have the skills of animal husbandry, especially breeding. The largest and healthiest animals are most often castrated. Consequently, only smaller bulls remain per tribe, and the pedigree of livestock is degrading. Among the Khmer highlands, the best animals are sacrificed on holidays. Animals, as a rule, are kept on pasture all year round and are fed only during the period of field work. In the rainy season, when the country is flooded with water, bulls and cows cling to the dams and elevated areas, but for the buffalo there is complete expanse. In the dry season, on the contrary, the bulls become the owners of the savannah, and the buffaloes seek salvation from dryness and heat in the mud puddles left in some places.

Most of the Khmers living along the rivers, especially in the area of ​​Іonle Sap and the Mekongag, combine agriculture with fishing. Long palisades with a round pen at the end are built on Tonle Sap Lake and in the sea coastal shallow water in the water; the fish, bumping into an obstacle, goes along it and gets into the fence, from there it is caught with a small net and even simply scooped out with baskets; At a great distance from the shores on the lake and on the sea, ordinary net fishing is carried out.

During flooding, Tonle Sap Lake floods coastal forests, which serve as a favorite place for fattening lake fish; the use of this habit of hers gave rise to an original method of fishing - samras. It consists in the fact that since the beginning of the water recession, fishermen have been constructing artificial forests in marshy coastal areas from cut down young trees and poles, partitioned off with reed mats. In search of food and shade, fish enter these structures in masses, and at a further ebb, detained by mats, they end up on land and are picked up - scooped out of pits, removed from tree branches.

There are professional Khmer fishermen only in the western regions of the country. There are much more of them among the Vietnamese and Chams, especially in the east. - The richest fishing grounds - areas of flooded forest along the banks of lakes and large rivers - the state leases to wealthy entrepreneurial fishermen, mainly Vietnamese. The state strictly protects the country's fish resources. From July to October, fishing is prohibited, there are a number of protected areas.

Auxiliary fishing is carried out by peasants mainly on small rivers, in oxbow lakes and rice fields. Here they use fishing rods, nets, different tops, angrupp baskets - conical braids without a bottom. They are quickly covered with fish in shallow water and then pulled out through the top hole by hand. They also use chnang - a kind of top, or, rather, a hard trawl made of rods on handles, with which muddy swamps, shallow water, and flooded fields are combed. In the fields, fish are caught when the water is lowered. When the water becomes shallow, the fish are looking for a way out. Then a hole is made in the roller, the fish rushes there and falls into the top, net or just a hole.

A special place in the life of peasants is occupied by the preparation of prahok (fish paste). Small fish go to dust, which are caught with nets with a very small mesh in December, January and February, when just before the full moon of each month, these species of fish make massive migrations. The Vietnamese and the Chams fish. Catches are very large, and fishermen are eager to get rid of their prey as soon as possible. By this time, peasants from places poor in fish come to the fishing areas. They ride ox-drawn carts with entire families and villages to trade salt and fish for rice with fishermen or merchants.

Usually one basket of rice is exchanged for the same amount of salt or fish; however, the course varies depending on the abundance of the catch. The carts of the arriving peasants are loaded, in addition to rice, with hay for the bulls (on the roof of the cart) and girshkami for prahoka.

The purchased fish is processed on the spot - the children cut off the heads of the fish, the men trample the fish to squeeze out the insides, the women wash it, salt it and put it in pots, after which everyone sets off on the return journey.

In areas rich in fish, there are no such trips for prahok, where it is prepared from fish caught on the spot, and even from large fish chopped into small pieces.

Small sampan boats sewn from boards serve as boats for fishermen on the lake. On the rivers for transport and fishing, pirogues (tuk-komrol) are used - dugouts with a fixed bow and stern and an extended bulwark. However, as large trees suitable for dugouts become rare in a number of areas, they are increasingly being replaced by sampans.

The fishermen of the sea coast go out to sea on a kind of chalum scow of the original Khmer design (the same vessels are depicted on thousand-year-old bas-reliefs). The chalum resembles a large whaleboat. This is a narrow, pointed boat up to 12 m long at both ends. A large (up to 80 sq. M) almost rectangular sail is installed on a high mast, stretched between the boom and the hafelray. Chalum is controlled by a narrow heavy rudder, mounted on the stern not on the stem, but on one of the sides, which is the transition from the steering oar to the real rudder. In recent times, chalums sometimes have small motors.

The main means of public transport is transport, drawn by a pair of bulls, an arba on two huge and massive wheels. A characteristic detail of this arba is the drawbar, protruding far forward and upward, similar to a ship's bowsprit and often decorated with beautiful carvings. On the sides, outside of the wheels, along the sides of the cart, two slightly curved and bent beams, similar to outriggers, are attached. Such a similarity of the details of the cart with nautical equipment is not accidental. Where there is no ford, a lightly loaded cart drawn by oxen can be swum across. All dimensions of the cart are strictly standard, which ensures its passage through clearings and ruts. Depending on the strength of the harnessed animals, the carrying capacity of the cart ranges from 150 to 250 kg. Its design, judging by the architectural and archaeological monuments, has not changed significantly for fifteen centuries.

Cambodia has developed river and road transport. Maritime shipping is almost non-existent. The only railway line is also of little economic importance.

Cambodia is not yet an industrialized country. Only 2-3% of the population is employed in industry and handicrafts. The real ones

industrial workers, even fewer. There are few Khmers among industrial workers, and they are mainly employed in transport (chauffeurs, mechanics).

The most common industrial enterprises are rice mills, sawmills and other enterprises for the processing of agricultural products (rubber, vegetable oil, palm and cane sugar, fish fiber, etc.). Medium and small enterprises predominate.

There are many workshops where only the owner and members of his family work. This applies in particular to handicraft production. The Cambodian artisan usually combines handicraft with agriculture: in some villages, the inhabitants specialize in pottery, in others they are engaged in blacksmithing. Weaving, especially the manufacture of national clothes (sampots) is a traditional occupation of women. The best craftswomen create genuine works of art. Each province has its own set of favorite patterns. Jewelery in Cambodia is concentrated mainly in the hands of the Chinese, but the Khmers are engaged in the processing of silver. Products from tortoise shells are made by the Vietnamese, the extraction and processing of precious stones is an occupation of the Ypan, immigrants from Burma living in the Pailin area. Actually, the Khmer national art craft, which flourished as early as the 19th century, fell into complete decline during the years of the domination of the French colonialists. There are now organized attempts to revive the old craftsmanship of goldsmiths, woodcarvers and bone carvers; in a number of provinces there are still master carvers who create mainly Buddhist sculpture.

The industrial and economic development of Cambodia is hampered by the lack of free national capital. The comprador bourgeoisie is not interested in the industrialization of the country, and the economic policy of the capitalist powers also hinders its implementation, creating favorable conditions for the speculative machinations of the compradors. The economic assistance of the socialist countries helps to overcome difficulties.

Rice, rubber and corn are mainly exported, textiles, oil products, metals, cement, industrial products are imported. Trade is conducted mainly with France, England (through Singapore and Hong Kong), Japan and other countries.

The Cambodian government strives to strictly save public funds, mobilize national economic resources and create national technical personnel, the lack of which hinders all economic activities of the state.

Psettlements and housing

The bulk of the population of Cambodia (officially 88%) lives in the countryside. But in many cities, for example, in the centers of the provinces of Ratanakiri or Koh Kong, the population is no more than 5 thousand people. Essentially, these are rural-type settlements. The largest cities are Phnom Penh (more than 500 thousand / person), in which about 80% of the country's urban population is concentrated, Battambang, Banam, Kompong Cham (each with more than 30 thousand inhabitants). In the center of large cities, ancient temple buildings and buildings in the tropical modern style are usually located, while the outskirts are built up with houses close to the type of rural dwelling. Phnom Penh is located at the confluence of the Mekong with Tonle Sap. The port of Phnom Penh can receive ships sailing up the Mekong. The city is crossed from north to south by two main highways - Norodom and Monivong boulevards. Government offices are located there. In addition to the Khmers, many Vietnamese live in the city, occupying the Russeikeo area, Indians, whose shops are concentrated near the building of the Central Market, Chinese, etc.

The city of Sihanoukville is growing rapidly - a new seaport on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand.

Khmer rural settlements are located mostly outside the flood zone, with the exception of fishing villages, in which the water rises almost to floor level during high water. Large villages stretch along the banks of the Mekong or along the ancient dunes. In flooded lowlands, closely crowded villages stand on hillocks and form islands in high water. In the more elevated areas of the Khmer settlements, scattered. These are small settlements of a cumulus plan, or farms - groups of houses belonging to close relatives. They are usually built near ponds that provide a supply of water. Farms are separated by fields, plantations, and patches of uncultivated, wooded and shrubby land.

In recent years, the government has begun a gradual regrouping of the rural population, as a result of which, in a number of places, settlements of a scattered type have been replaced by compact villages, mostly of a linear plan. Schools and hospitals are being built in the new villages. The transportability and fragility of the Khmer dwelling contribute to the fact that the villages often change their place and regroup. The administrative unit is the volost - khum, but it consists of a number of small and generally not permanent phum villages.

The houses are separated from one another by hedges or wickerwork. Fruit trees grow in the yard, sometimes there is a small garden. Domg rarely two (father-in-law and son-in-law), stands in the middle of the yard. A barn, a barn, a barn as separate buildings are rare; more often, a subfloor between piles is used for this purpose.

Most peasants have two- or one-chamber dwellings. In multi-chamber houses, several small rooms separated by wicker shields communicate with a large central one, which has an exit to the outside. The house is on stilts. Behind or to the side of it there is an extension for the kitchen, also on stilts. Loom, cart, animals are placed under the house. From the exit side, the floor and roof protrude much further than the walls, forming a veranda. A staircase leads to the veranda, the number of steps of which is always odd for reasons of magical order. Sometimes (in the south of Cambodia) the staircase does not lead to the veranda, but directly to the house, and it is located not in front of the house, but under it, so that the entrance has the form of a hatch in the floor.

The piles of the Khmer house are support pillars with grooves / in which the beams of both the floor and the ceiling abut. The height of the floor from the ground is usually greater than human height. It is especially high in flooded areas. Previously, piles were dug in, but recently they have been placed on stone bases. In cities, brick or concrete piles are used, on which the crown of the floor and wooden poles are placed to support the roof - thatched, shingled or tiled.

According to the shape of the roof, the Khmers distinguish three types of houses: ptah-kantaing with a gable roof (“ptah” means “house”), ptah-pet with a four-slope roof, and ptah-rondol with two full curly slopes and one or two additional undercut slopes that do not reach to the ridge (the so-called half-hip roof).

Rondole-type houses are built in villages remote from cities: they are oblong, with an entrance usually from the end side, inside they are divided by a partition into two equal, approximately square halves - a living room is placed in the front, a bedroom in the back. There are, of course, other options, layouts.

Ptah-pet is the most common type of house, especially in densely populated areas, near rivers and roads. Its layout is close in proportion to the square, the entrance is often not on the front side. The verandah and kitchen, flanked in symmetrical naves, have separate roofs parallel and similar to the higher roof of the middle residential nave.

The houses of the poorest peasants and temporary huts (ktom) built in the fields remote from the house belong to the kanting type. In such houses, there is no kitchen; they cook on an open ground hearth near the house. To the north of Tonle Sap, in the area of ​​Sisopon and Siem Reap, there are also very large houses of the kantaing type, which are identical in layout to the ptah-pet houses.

Originally Khmer and typical is the rondol style. This is how dwellings are built among most mountainous Khmer peoples, as well as temples. This type appears in most ancient testimonies. Ptah-pet is a product of modern urban civilization interacting from places nym national customs. The kantaing style in large buildings is associated by Khmer folk tradition with Chinese influence.

In Khmer houses, windows are most often located one at a time on both sides of the door. European-type frames are increasingly replacing the old structure, which was fastened with the upper side, opened up and strengthened with a support.

Various materials are used for the construction of the dwelling. Piles are made from heavy, hard wood to keep termites out. Beams of crowns and ceilings are made of lighter rocks. The floor is made of bamboo sheets or boards, between which gaps are left for ventilation. The walls are built from the same materials; in ptah-pet houses, the boards are vertically butted, and in ptah-kanting houses, they overlap horizontally. Boards and boards are usually smeared with the juice of dipterocarp trees, which gives them the appearance of varnished. Very often the walls are shields woven from palm leaves. The roof is covered with tiles, semi-cylindrical or less often flat, the ribs are smeared with lime. However, much more often the roof is made of plant materials: straw, borassa palm leaves, emperor grass sheaves. There are no specialist carpenters in Cambodian villages, and the entire construction is carried out by the owner himself with the help of neighbors and relatives. On average, the construction of a dwelling takes from 50 to 100 man-days.

Only light objects can stand on the bamboo floor. Mats serve as a bed, seat, and tablecloth.

Oclothes

Traditional Khmer men's clothing is close to Siamese. It consists of a straight-front jacket with narrow sleeves and a sampot. Sampot is a wide black cloth wrapped around the hips and passed back between the legs. Sampot covers the legs to the knees, reminiscent of the contours of the breeches that have recently begun to be worn in the upper strata of society. At present, sampot is worn only on special occasions, but usually they wear a shirt-shirt with short sleeves and shorts that do not reach the knees. On holidays and at leisure, men wear a wide sarong - a piece of fabric sewn into a cylinder, often checkered, which is wrapped around the waist. Men also sleep in a sarong, fixing it under the armpits.

Women wear a tight-fitting blouse (in modern times made of synthetic fabrics) and a sarong or sampot. At leisure and during sleep, women wrap the sampot around the waist like a skirt, but when working, they wear it the same way as men.

The predominant color of clothing is black. A shirt jacket and especially a women's jacket are often white, a sarong is printed or in a black and white cage. Black dye is obtained from the fruit of the maklu tree.

An integral part of the Khmer costume is a wide towel-scarf (krama). It is worn either as a belt, or as a plaid, or as a turban. The turban-krama is the most common of the headdresses. Krama is usually woven in a bright check, more often white-blue-red. In western Cambodia, headdresses identical to Siamese are common, in eastern Cambodia - Vietnamese conical hats. Shoes are sandals with straps or (less often) boots. However, in rural areas most often go barefoot.

Khmer hair - both men and women - is usually cut short. The monks shave their heads.

Food

The basis of the Khmer diet is rice, which, as elsewhere in Indochina, is cooked without any additions, including without salt. The most common seasonings for rice are dried fish, prahok (spicy fish paste with a specific smell, prepared by fermenting salted small fish in earthenware jars), vegetables, and nuok mam. Nuoc mam sauce, borrowed from the Viet (see page 109), has become a staple among Cambodians, especially in the south of the country.

Khmers eat chicken and duck eggs, poultry, pork and beef, but these products are rarely included in the daily meals of the working strata of the people.

After eating, they drink cold water. Tea (most often green) is usually drunk between meals.

Before eating, the Khmers, especially after hard work, try to wash not only their hands, but the whole body.

Hands are also washed after eating. They dine sitting around a mat laid on the floor, on which stands a large flat copper or wooden dish; a large common bowl of rice, bowls of seasonings and a cup of water for rinsing fingers are placed on the dish, as they are eaten with their hands. However, rice is often laid out on separate plates. The bowl of prahok is often placed right in the middle of a large bowl of rice. In addition, prahok is added to fresh vegetable salads and is also eaten boiled.

As in Vietnam, the visitor, both in a private home and in an institution, as a sign of respect, is first offered to drink a cup of tea, which is not customary to refuse.

A variety of Khmer dishes serve primarily as additions to rice. Aromatic herbs, onions, garlic, peppers and sour herbs are widely used in their preparation, as well as fruits - lemons, tamarinds (ampil), crassang (Poligonum adoratum). Soups are very characteristic of Khmer cuisine. They are served with rice. These are primarily fish soups seasoned with krassang (samlor-machu soup) or lemon (samlor-krochmar soup). Pork and less often beef are eaten finely chopped. Chicken meat is prepared with lotus seeds or as a curry, less spicy than Indian, with more peanuts. In addition, they eat turtle meat, grasshoppers (egg-bearing females are eaten), frogs stuffed with minced meat with pumpkin and orange leaf seasoning.

Fish is eaten in different forms: fresh fish is boiled, fried, baked in caramel. It is added to minced meat for pies (faak) with fermented glutinous rice, with rice or corn flour, with fruits. Faak-pongtrey is cakes made from dried snakehead roe with salt and rice flour, faak-krapus is made from shrimp with fried crushed rice and papaya. Shrimps are also eaten boiled and fried with vegetables, lemon and pepper.

Cambodia is an interesting country located in Southeast Asia in the southern part of the Indochina peninsula. In the Middle Ages, a great civilization was born on its territory, which delighted the world with its temples - masterpieces of architectural creation. And in the 20th century, the whole world was shocked by the cruel terror of the Pol Potites against their own people. However, today only a couple of tourist attractions remind of this.

Krama (cotton scarves) is one of the most popular souvenirs in Cambodia. It is a multifunctional material similar to the sarong (Indonesian national dress) used for many different needs in Khmer life.

The art of making a multifunctional thing out of a simple piece of fabric has reached perfection in Asia. And Cambodia, with its visiting card - krama - occupies a special place in this series. If in any movie you see people whose heads are covered with a scarf in a small red and white checkered, be sure - the action takes place in Cambodia. Krama is what distinguishes the Khmers (Cambodians) from their Thai, Vietnamese and Lao neighbors.

There is no exact information about when the krama first became a national type of clothing and gained popularity. There are two versions of this. The Khmers say that this is their original element of clothing, which came from ancient times. But modern Cambodian Chams (a national minority living in Cambodia, Muslims by religion) claim that the krama is an element of their clothing adopted by the Khmers. It has a Malay origin, and owes its checkered pattern to the Arabic keffiyeh. However, neither in Indonesia nor in Malaysia you will not find krama. Vietnamese Chams, also Muslims, do not wear it, like the Vietnamese, but the Vietnamese and Thai Khmers wear it, and the keffiyeh ornament, by the way, is not a cage at all.

Krama is a piece of cotton fabric about 150 by 70 cm, hemmed along the edges, devoid of all kinds of decorations, lace or embroidery, only sometimes the edge of the krama is not hemmed, but decorated with fringe. Krama has a special pattern - it is always a colored small cell. The most common colors are white combined with red, carmine, purple, blue or green. However, modern kramas are made in almost any color. The fabric has a rather rare weave, thanks to which the krama absorbs water well and dries quickly.

Krama is very multifunctional. It occupies a certain intermediate position between a scarf, a scarf, a shawl and a sarong, combining all their properties.

• It is used as protection from the sun, heat, dust and, paradoxically, from the cold, within reasonable limits, of course.
• Bandage in case of a fracture.
• Shower towel. Due to the looseness of the fabric, krama is ideal for getting wet and wiping away sweat and moisture.
• Decoration - everyday and festive at the same time.
• Men often tie a krama in the manner of a belt or sash, under which it is convenient to put various necessary things.
• A headdress, both male and female, although women wear it on their heads more often.
• Like a sarong, i.e. wrapped around the waist with a wrap, then the top edge is twisted into a tube at the waist.
• Like a toy: Krama is often used to make a kind of fabric doll for children.
• And of course, as a means of carrying children.

Children in krama are worn in three ways: front, side and back. Newborns are worn in front in a horizontal position until about as long as they begin to hold their heads on their own. After that, they are transferred to a vertical position. Older children are worn on the hip and back.

Krama is also used to make a cradle for a child, or rather a hammock. Hanging it nearby, the mother can do household chores, periodically rocking the baby.

Everyone wears children in krama, but it is most common among the poor. The poor and the homeless are more often in sight, while the rest always have the opportunity to leave their children at home with relatives. And if in the villages the use of krama as a sling is even more or less noticeable, then in the cities (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kampong Saom) it is not noticeable at all. Men also sometimes carry children, but only in their arms.

Krama has become a popular gift among tourists, but buying the right krama is not easy. Here is how Oleg Shumakov, a professional zoologist, traveler, photographer, cameraman, who lived in the Kingdom of Cambodia for a long time, writes about this:

"You need to look where there are no tourists, and, which is typical, not in textile rows. Kram is usually sold by peddlers, moving from one place to another through the bazaar, and sometimes just around the city. Finding a merchant is half the battle. Most likely, in its range will include shawls made from both cotton and synthetics.The list of the most common colors given at the beginning of the article refers specifically to cotton shawls and is due to the color of cotton threads.Bright combinations and colors usually indicate the use of synthetics.In real cotton krama, at the time of sale there is another interesting property.It is rough and hard to the touch, and so much so that the fabric stands and keeps its shape.The hem made of artificial threads, on the contrary, is soft and pliable.This is due to the fact that before selling, a multi-meter piece of fabric folded into an accordion, the length of one fold is about one and a half meters, i.e. corresponds to the length of the krama.Then the accordion is impregnated with starch and dried. its flat pieces. New krama is always washed so that it becomes soft and does not shed.

Another sign of correctness: no one sells ready-made krama. You buy a piece of fabric in a standard size. It already has all the qualities from the pattern to the size, it remains only to process the edges. There are several ways. The simplest and most practical is right there in the bazaar, find the sewing rows (they are always there), and ask to hem the edges. Lazy and tight-fisted people do not process the edge at all, over time a thin fringe is formed on it, two or three centimeters long, which protects the fabric from further blooming. And finally, aesthetes themselves make a long fringe, disassemble it into strands and form tassels or pigtails out of them. In other words, it's a matter of taste."

Cambodia is a country of budget shopping. Fruits and coffee, clothes and fabrics entice tourists with their affordable prices. But is it really necessary to spend money on souvenirs and gifts from local markets? What to bring from Cambodia and where to buy it? Answers in the article.

Food

The favorable climate of Cambodia contributes to the cultivation of a unique and very tasty coffee. The most popular varieties that you should buy not only for yourself, but also bring as a gift to your relatives, are:

But the beautiful packaging with the name “Happy coffee” hides an unusual combination of Arabica and Robusta with coffee berry juice (although cherry is written on the pack). The drink turns out to be quite sweet, and the usual sensations are clogged with a cherry flavor. Don't buy "Happy coffee" if you usually drink coffee without sugar.

Kampotian pepper

In Cambodia, you can buy the most fragrant pepper in the world. It is sold in the markets or in souvenir shops by weight, as well as in stores in the form of sauce. The average cost is $15 per kilogram.

There are four varieties of Kampotian pepper:

• Red. It has an unusual fruity taste and aroma of honey. Designed for desserts;
• Green. Unripe berries are most often used as a main course (stewed, pickled), and not spices, since they do not have spiciness;
• White. Peeled, unpeeled peppers have a rich and spicy flavor. It is not very sharp, because after picking the berries are soaked in water for several days. Pairs well with fish, salads and seafood;
• Black is the hottest variety of pepper in Cambodia. It is harvested at the beginning of the ripening of the berries, and then dried in the sun. Used mainly in meat dishes.

Interesting to know! In 2009, Kampotian pepper was awarded the Geographical Indication status, which means that only a product grown in this province of Cambodia can be called this way (French champagne and cognac were awarded a similar title).

palm products

This tree is the main source of income for the country. Each piece of it is intended for the manufacture of a specific product, so the choice of palm products in Cambodia is very large.

Of the edible palm products, only sugar can be considered worthy of a trip to your homeland. It is quite bulky and heavy, but a 500-gram jar will not be superfluous in your suitcase, especially since it will cost you only 50 cents.

Important! When buying sugar, pay attention to the aroma - often honey or coffee is added to it, which significantly affects the taste (although not reflected in the price). Pure palm sugar has a sweetish, mild odor.

You can also buy palm oil here, but it is better to use it as a care product for dry and irritable skin, and not as a food product. As a gift from Cambodia, you can bring a bottle of palm whiskey - it has an unusual sweetish taste, which makes it especially attractive.

In the jungles of Cambodia live "giant bees", whose honey is considered unique throughout the world. Its main feature is its consistency, it is so liquid that the manufacturing process consists of only three stages: collecting, squeezing honeycombs with bare hands and filtering. It is thanks to minimal processing that all vitamins and nutrients are preserved in such honey.

It is worth noting that the value of this product is also understood in Cambodia itself - to bring home a kilogram of sweet nectar, you will have to pay 60 dollars. You can buy honey in the market or in souvenir shops; it is rarely supplied to ordinary stores.

Fancy alcohol

Since the situation with vineyards in Cambodia is not very good, locals find more original products for making spirits. For example, rice vodka, already familiar thanks to China and Thailand, is considered the main drink here and will be a great gift for your friends.

"Cobra and Scorpio"

Those who are fond of the exotic will like the snake and scorpion tincture brought from Cambodia ($25 for 0.5l). If you decide to drink this wonderful liquid (in a bottle with which the person from whom it was prepared often floats), then start the process of safely cleansing the digestive tract of harmful toxins, as souvenir sellers promise.

In fact, this drink really has a number of useful properties, since it contains medicinal plants. But do not believe the stories from the Internet and give the tincture to young children - do not forget that it is very strong (about 80 degrees).

This cheap (from a dollar per kilogram) pleasure will be a great gift for your friends. If you can't bring whole fruit, buy dried pineapple chunks, coconut chips, or durian candy.

Jewelry

In Cambodia, there are a lot of beautiful jewelry made of precious metals with precious stones, on which merchants are trying in every possible way to make money. We must pay tribute - jewelry in Cambodia really looks expensive and is of high quality, but it is important to remember that in 90% of cases, under the guise of a gold ring, you will be offered a fake.

Real jewelry costs upwards of $200 in stores, so don't pay attention to items in the $50 to $200 category, because for costume jewelry this is unreasonably high, and real gold will never be sold at that price.

Important! When buying jewelry, you are required to issue an international certificate. Firstly, it confirms the authenticity of the jewelry itself, and secondly, without this document, you will not be allowed to take jewelry out of the country.

Clothing and fabrics

If you are looking for what you can buy cheaply in Cambodia, go to malls with branded stores. It is from here that you can bring inexpensive clothes from Lacoste, Burberry, Adidas and other manufacturers, since there are many textile factories in Cambodia where they are produced.

Advice! Be careful when buying clothes from well-known companies in the markets and carefully check them for defects. It is in the hands of resourceful sellers that everything that was incorrectly manufactured at the factory and is not suitable for sale falls into the hands.

From quality clothing in the markets of Cambodia, you can buy T-shirts and cotton shirts, which the locals wear - they are wear-resistant, comfortable and beautiful.

Also, as a souvenir from Cambodia, you can bring the following fabric products:

1. Traditional cotton scarf "Kroma", which is used not only as an accessory, but also as a blanket, towel, headdress or belt;
2. Silk handkerchiefs ($2), bed linen ($15), blouses ($5), Aladdin pants ($4).

In addition, pay attention to crocodile leather products. They are quite expensive (purses and belts from $100), but very high quality.

Souvenirs

Handmade gifts

In Cambodia, they sell amazing clay dishes - they are beautiful and very durable. Also in the markets there are many commemorative figurines, pots, beads, bracelets, marble and ceramics, unique headdresses and various decorative items made of bamboo, lotus and rice straw.

A great gift for a relative or close friend would be an analogue of an expensive Swiss watch. The difference between the original and the Cambodian souvenir is only in the price ($25) and the metals from which they are made.

palm tree crafts

This tree is durable and resistant to external influences. It is so reliable that the population of the country builds their houses, boats and furniture from it. For sale to tourists, Cambodians make unusual cutlery, kitchen utensils, jewelry, photo frames and much more. The most pleasant feature of such souvenirs is a very low price, since wood itself is an affordable material in any corner of the country.

Copies of attractions

In any country there is a symbol that every tourist needs to buy, in Cambodia it is a Buddha figurine made of marble, ceramics or clay. They are sold in different sizes and cost from 50 cents apiece.

Approximately the same prices are set for the reduced towers of Angkor, baubles, key rings, postcards and other memorable souvenirs.

What not to buy in Cambodia

• Organic cosmetics. The only products that you definitely need to bring home are coconut oil (the cost of pure is from $ 10 for 500 ml, everything that is cheaper is a mixture with mineral) and organic soap for $ 5;
• Stuffed animals - export is prohibited by law.
• Works of art and antiques can be brought home only if there is an international certificate confirming the purchase.

This is where the list of what to bring from Cambodia ends. Happy holidays and shopping!

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