Before their contact with the Khmer rulers, oral tradition provides us with the following outline of the Pearic peoples’ life: in the past, Pearic peoples did not cultivate the land and lived a nomadic and collecting life in the forests; they subsisted on tubers, leaves, flowers, and fruits, as well as palm hearts provided by various palm trees.
[2] A comparison can be made with the information provided by the account of the Chinese traveler Zhou Daguan during his trip to Cambodia in 1296; regarding the Chouang (Chong), he writes: "... this species (of savages) does not dwell in houses; accompanied by their families, they wander in the mountains carrying a clay jar on their heads.
If they encounter a wild animal, they kill it with a bow or a spear, make fire from a stone, cook the beast, and eat it communally, then they continue on their way".
The Pear, at least those of the Kulen massif — because the author primarily described the Angkor region — would have initially practiced a nomadic lifestyle based on gathering and hunting.
Zhou Daguan adds: "In the nearest regions, there are also those who devote themselves to the cultivation of cardamom and cotton trees and who weave fabrics".
But in return, the state provided them with rice; a responsible person was then tasked with collecting the tribute and transmitting it to the provincial mandarin.
It was not possible to determine whether the groups formed for cardamom picking remained intact throughout the year or whether they broke up into smaller units to return to nomadism.
[2] It is impossible to pinpoint the beginnings of agriculture among the Pear, however, linking this phenomenon to political transformations in their living conditions seems easier.
Some old Samre claim that in the past, cardamom grew wild in rare places in the massif which, was once called "the land of the nine mountains".
As of 2014[update], the Chong in Koh Kong Province, Cambodia are seeking to prevent construction of the Cheay Areng Dam, which would displace local residents.