Fighting Corona khmer style
Ting mong, is a name given to propped up human sized dolls armed with a broom, some wearing a helmet guarding or standing in a fighting position with a water gun or a wooden sword. Traditionally there is a belief that such figures, if put in front of the gate or the entrance to a home, would ward off ghost or evil spirit and also against viruses and illnesses. The reason is to trick the spirit or the virus into attacking these dolls instead of the home dwellers. Some villagers would even put ting mongs to fight malaria and dengue fever. During this corona pandemic, a drive from Siem reap city to Phnom Pehn is like driving through a toy store, where practically every house we went past by would be adorned by ting mongs in their most artistic poses and creative antiques. I have even heard some villagers saying that the reason why Cambodia's corona cases are low is because they are protected by ting mongs. Maybe we should, for the fun, have a ting mong in front of our houses to ...
