Until two years ago, the lives of Paong Lat’s family revolved mostly around their small farm, daily fish catch, their sales at the local market, and some occasional day labor.
Separated from the more populous Kampong Cham Province by the Mekong River, life in Kdol Leu Village on the eastern riverbank in Tbong Khmum Province in central Cambodia was quiet and livelihoods depended on ferries and other boat transport.
This all changed when the area became the site for a $57-million, 1-kilometre-long bridge, which was part of a Chinese $2-billion loan package for roads and bridges agreed upon during President Xi Jinping’s 2016 visit to Cambodia.
