Cambodia is celebrating its 69th year of independence.

Every year on November 9, Cambodia celebrates its Independence Day. This holiday honors Cambodia’s independence from France on November 9, 1953. Cambodians celebrate this day in various parts of the country. 

The main location for the ceremony’s official celebrations is the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. Every year on this day, a high-ranking official lights a ceremonial flame inside the Independence Monument, and people leave flower tributes on the monument’s stairs.

France took control of Cambodia in 1863. After being colonized for around 80 years, King Norodom Sihanouk declared independence from France in 1949. In 1953, he was successful in gaining full independence, and France agreed to decolonize the entire country.

Due to this achievement, Cambodian citizens viewed him as “the father of independence,” implying that he was a national hero. He was instrumental in the country’s rapid development.