Cambodia’s Dragon Boats Make a Welcomed Return

A Cambodian man, left, prays as participants row their dragon boat during a rehearsal for the Cambodian Water Festival on the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh on Nov. 26, 2023.

Cambodians are celebrating the return of dragon boat races to this year’s water festival after a three-year absence, hoping the three-day event will bolster an economy still struggling in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.