Cambodia’s heritage lives through people: dancers training their hands, musicians carrying stories, weavers adapting a familiar cloth and communities deciding how traditions will enter another generation.
Royal Ballet of Cambodia
Also known as Khmer classical dance, the Royal Ballet is recognised for precise gestures, elaborate costume and a repertory connected with Khmer stories and court traditions. UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, following its earlier proclamation as a masterpiece in 2003.
Sbek Thom and Lkhon Khol
Sbek Thom uses large leather shadow puppets in performance, while Lkhon Khol is a masked theatre tradition. These forms bring together movement, music, narrative, craft and community knowledge; they are not interchangeable versions of a generic “traditional dance.”
Chapei Dang Veng
The chapei is a long-necked lute played with singing. Lyrics may carry stories, Buddhist themes, education, satire and social commentary. UNESCO placed Chapei Dang Veng on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2016.
Krama and textile knowledge
The krama is a widely used Cambodian woven textile with practical and cultural roles. The practices and expressions linked to it joined UNESCO’s Representative List in 2024. Look beyond a souvenir pattern: weaving knowledge, materials, regional production and daily use are part of its story.
Kun Lbokator
Kun Lbokator is a Cambodian martial art encompassing techniques, training traditions and cultural values. It was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List in 2022. Responsible visitor experiences should centre qualified Cambodian practitioners rather than staged claims detached from the tradition.
How visitors can support living culture
Choose credited performancesLook for organisations that name artists and explain the form being presented.
Pay for creative workBuy tickets and fairly priced craft directly where possible.
Ask before recordingA ticket does not always include permission to film or publish.
Learn the distinctionUse the artist’s or institution’s name for a form instead of labelling everything “traditional Khmer dance.”
Useful reading
UNESCO: Cambodia’s intangible cultural heritage elements · UNESCO: Royal Ballet of Cambodia · UNESCO: Chapei Dang Veng