Cambodia’s national holiday on 9 November, commemorating independence from France in 1953, is called Independence Day.
Cambodia gained independence from French colonial rule on 9 November 1953, during the reign of King Norodom Sihanouk. Sihanouk had pursued what became known as the Royal Crusade for Independence, using diplomacy and international pressure to secure the end of French control. The achievement was confirmed at the Geneva Conference the following year.
The main national ceremony traditionally takes place at the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh. The monument, completed in 1958, is shaped like a lotus tower and is also associated with Cambodia’s war dead. Cambodia’s Independence Day is distinct from Constitution Day on 24 September and the multi-day Water Festival, which follows the lunar calendar.