By Hoem Seiha
About 359 kilometers from the capital city Phnom Penh of Cambodia lies Sisophon city also called Sereysophon. The city is located in the heart of Meanchey province, the north-west province of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
The city is a bustling center with around 90,279 of population, according to National Census 2008. Most of the population is conservative and friendly. Main activities of the city are trading, public administration and social services.
A visitor to the city may probably be introduced to one of the famous man-made resort, Rural Love Park, named in Khmer 'Suon Snei Chuonbot'.
At the front part of the park, a thatch-roofed gate with sign read in Khmer ''Suon Snei Chuonbot', greets and welcomes visitors from everywhere of the country. At the first glance, it seems simple and uninteresting. But if getting inside, then one will be surprised at how beautiful the park is. There are real small trees growing robustly over the green, beautiful grass, cemented animals, bridges across canals and lakes, fountains and so forth.
Local visitors frequently visit this park, while visitors from other different provinces occasionally visit the park on national holidays like Water Festival, Pchum Ben's Day or Khmer New Year. They know the place by means of their friends or relatives.
On April 16, 2010, a day of Khmer New Year, Economics Today met a visitor to 'Suon Snei Chuonbot'.
A 17 year girl named Davin came from Kampong Cham province. She was visiting the park along with her friend on that day. She told Economics Today that she was introduced to the place by her relatives, adding with her smile face, 'I am very pleased to see the park.' She described that she visited there for the first time. 'I wish to visit here again,' she said, 'and I'll tell my friend to visit here as well.'
Another visitor from Battambang province told Economics Today that he heard of the place, so he wanted to try a visit. 'I'm delighted to see the place,' he said, adding, 'there's good view: uniqueness with fountains, so beautiful.' He came there along with his other four friends.
Ouk Bunly, owner of the resort, told Economics Today that the park has been founded since 2007. He said, 'Every Saturday and Sunday evening, visitors come to visit the place.' He described that they [visitors] like visiting the park because it is designed on the basis for all levels of visitors. 'Both the poor and the rich can visit,' he said, 'it is their rights, spending or not spending money in the place. They may just look around or eat in the restaurant of the park or have a relaxation in the cottages.'
The park has several cottages for visitors to relax and order food to eat, sometimes with their friend and relatives. Frequently there are being-married couples to visit and take photos in the park because it is full of beautiful things and the decoration is good.
Asked why the park was founded, he told Economics Today that seeing good scenery from the mountain nearby and lack of resort in the city, he decided to found the park for local people to visit and relax.
