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Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

author:Cambodian circles

There is a pocket province on the southern coast of Cambodia that is less large in size on a map and less populous than a small town in China. However, the government is very interested in it, and is committed to making it a "top leisure resort", targeting international retirees.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

It is Kep province, Cambodia's positioning can be seen that this small coastal town has beautiful scenery, comfortable life, green and fresh air, and huge tourism development potential hidden in a small land.

01 "Pocket" province, the population is less than a town in China

On 28 February 1993, Baima was divided from Kampot province into a municipality, and later the government classified it as a province, a small "pocket" province of only 336 square kilometers, according to official figures.

In the 2019 national census, it had only 41,798 people, accounting for 0.27% of the country's population, making it the least populous province in Cambodia and less than a small town in China.

Its small land area and lack of resources have made it economically lagging behind more than 20 other provinces and cities in Cambodia. In 2019, the service industry as the pillar of the Baima economy accounted for 54%, agriculture 29.75%, industry 16.3%, and the national GDP was at the bottom, so it was often ridiculed as "dragging down the national economy".

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

In fact, the White Horse emblem has outlined the structure of the local economy. Green for rice fragrance represents a relatively large proportion of Baima's development of agriculture, and characteristic crops include sugarcane, cucumber, pepper, durian and so on.

The sea, crabs, salt, sand, and sky represent that it is a green city and tourist resort. Tourism services are one of the important pillars of the economy.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

Speaking of which, the development history of white horse resort tourism has been nearly 100 years, it was once a holiday paradise for French high society, and the romantic and comfortable life tone is still preserved to this day.

02 was once a French high society holiday paradise

White horse got its name from the French colonial period, pronounced "Kep-sur-Mer" in French, meaning "saddle by the sea", Cambodians continue to call it "Kep", and the Chinese call it white horse because of the local tall white horse sculpture.

Since 1908, the French colonists and high society of Phnom Penh have built French-style holiday villas, and this coastal town has gradually developed into a popular holiday destination for the French high society.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

During the Cambodian Civil War, some villas were damaged, but after the situation stabilized, they were gradually restored, and new resorts and private villas continued to appear.

This unique historical backdrop gives Hakuba a retreat, and its picturesque nature continues to attract Europeans to this day.

These people run resorts or East-meets-West restaurants on the hills, foothills or on the coast of Hakuba National Park, and live a sophisticated, laid-back and slow life.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

Some people say that the tourism and resort culture of Baima is like a perfect combination of oriental pastoral life and European manor culture, simple and natural but noble temperament.

This beautiful and casual coastal city not only allows busy people to enjoy a quiet and comfortable life, but also satisfies all the fantasies of foodies about fatty seafood dinners.

03The small coastal town has a comfortable life scenery and satisfies the fantasy of foodies and seafood dinners

During holidays, it is indispensable on the list of local people's preferred tourist destinations.

Especially the itinerary of two or three days of short holidays seems to be tailor-made for it, and if conditions allow, staying there for a while is a special experience.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

To visit Hakuba on holidays, you must book at least a week in advance, otherwise the plan will unfortunately fall through.

In Whitehorse, where 6km of sandy beach is a favourite spot for tourists, holidays are the norm and the local government has had to research and plan to develop other beach attractions to meet the needs of tourists.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

Beaches, mangroves, ornamental mountain salt pans, fresh air, fishing...

Hakuba resort tourism, viewing natural landscapes and feeling the gifts of nature, slow pace of life is a major feature.

Visitors climb to the niche Hap National Park, where the coffee shops on the hill overlook the sea, Phu Quoc Island, Coconut Island, Crab Market, and Mount Phuko and the resorts at the foot of Kampot.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

Alternatively, you can take a fishing boat to explore the mysteries of the islands, with Hakuba having 12 islands and Rabbit Island being the most famous.

It takes about 20 minutes by local fishing boat, with towering coconut palms, crystal clear waters, and small islands interpreting Hakuba's different poetry and distance.

It is understood that some local wealthy businessmen plan to invest 130 million US dollars to develop Rabbit Island, including the construction of five-star hotels, holiday homes, residential areas, commercial streets, beach sports and amusement projects, etc., and Rabbit Island will usher in a new tourism boom in the future.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!
Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

In terms of food, Hakuba is best known for its seafood dinner, with the fatty blue crab as its calling card.

Tourists usually drive to the crab market to directly select crabs, fish, shrimp and other seafood freshly caught from the sea, and then let the women process them.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!
Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

Fatty seafood cooked under the flame of firewood tells the unique city life of gray hair.

Stir-fried crab with top pepper is a local dish and a must-order for tourists. Delicious shrimp, grilled fish with Cambodian sauce...

The smell of Hakuba's fireworks and seafood feasts will always leave visitors memorable.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!
Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

In short, Hakuba's rich history of tourist resorts, beautiful natural surroundings and fresh air have earned Hakuba a reputation as a famous tourist attraction.

Because the environment is conducive to the physical and mental health of retired seniors, the Hakuba provincial government plans to make it a "leisure area for the elderly".

04Top leisure tourism resort positioning

Cambodia's national government has also said it is committed to making Baima a top leisure resort with no industry and no casinos.

Encourage foreign retired tourists who invest in Kep province to develop a second home project, promote elderly tourism, and encourage foreigners to live in Cambodia for a long time.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

On the other hand, Baima is close to Vietnam, close to Phu Quoc Island, and close to coastal provinces such as Guogong and Xigang, which brings more possibilities for the development of tourism and economic corridors for the coastal city of Baima.

With the development of tourism, the Baima government has also continued to cut in from the aspects of infrastructure and opening up tourism resources to improve tourism quality and services, including cities, beaches, islands, markets, tourist ports, tourism service enterprises and other tourist attractions.

Cambodia's small province has a population less than a small Chinese town, but it was once a French high-class holiday paradise!

Although the land area and contribution to the country's economy are small, the huge economic potential of tourism and vacation cannot be underestimated.

However, as far as the current infrastructure of Baima is concerned, there is still a long way to go to realize the "top leisure resort", after all, the "migratory bird" pension not only requires a good living environment, but also urban service facilities, medical systems, entertainment and other infrastructure to keep up. #柬埔寨 #

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