Mekong River

Mekong is one of the world’s major rivers. It is the 12th-longest river in the world and the 7th-longest river in Asia.

The Mekong River is the home of 1,200 species of fish and is famous for the Mekong giant carp. The carp is the biggest species of fish in the world and is one of the biggest freshwater fish in the world. It has beautiful scales that change colors depending on the lighting.

The Mekong River crosses Cambodia from North to South about 600 km and has its source in Tibet, China. The Mekong River is a lifeline for Cambodia due to the movement of freshwater fish to the Tonlé Sap Lake.

In Phnom Penh, it bursts into 4 branches:

-          The Upper Mekong River, or “Tonlé Thom”

-          The Lower Mekong River, or “Tonlé Toch”

-          The Tonlé Bassac “the River Bassac”

-          The Tonlé Sap “the River Sap”

This four-way division is called “Chatomuk” because the river has four faces. In the rainy season, the water flows from the Mekong River into the Tonlé Sap Lake. In the dry season, the water flows down from the Tonlé Sap Lake into the Mekong River and then down into the sea. During this period, the Cambodian people celebrate the water festival in Phnom Penh Capital. Nowadays, international interest in river trips appears to be growing.

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