'Perceiving China-Jiangsu Culture Week' opens in Cambodia

"Perceiving China-Jiangsu Culture Week" kicked off on Monday, aiming at strengthening cultural exchanges and enhancing friendship between China and Cambodia.

Cambodian Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (Center, R) visits a booth exhibiting Chinese calligraphy during the "Perceiving China-Jiangsu Culture Week" in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Feb. 18, 2019. "Perceiving China-Jiangsu Culture Week" kicked off here on Monday, aiming at strengthening cultural exchanges and enhancing friendship between China and Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]

Cambodian Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian, and Ek Sam Ol, president of the Cambodia-China Friendship Association, attended the opening ceremony at the Diamond Island's Grand Theatre, which attracted about 600 visitors.

The event included cultural performance and exhibitions featuring Wuxi photography and intangible cultural heritage such as Huishan clay figurines, Liuqing bamboo carvings, calligraphy, paper-cuts, erhu, a Chinese two-stringed bowed instrument, and Wuxi fine embroidery.

Echoing the "Belt and Road Initiative" and the concept of "building a community of shared future for mankind", the event was designed to showcase the Chinese history and the charming Jiangsu culture to Cambodian visitors.

Speaking at the opening speech, Princess Buppha Devi expressed her warm welcome to the Chinese artists for bringing Jiangsu's wonderful arts performance to Cambodian audiences.

"The Cambodia-China friendship has deeply rooted in culture and hearts of the two countries' peoples," she said. "The frequent cultural exchanges have injected greater vitality into the traditional friendship between the peoples of our two countries."

The princess said the Jiangsu culture week would enable Cambodian people to further understand Jiangsu's beauty and wonder.

The Chinese ambassador said the Jiangsu culture week provided a channel for Cambodian visitors to explore Jiangsu's culture and history so as to further promote friendship and cultural exchanges.

He also introduced the economic and social development and historical and cultural characteristics of Jiangsu at the ceremony.

Visitor Bun Nita, 27, said the event contributed to building closer cultural ties and people-to-people relations between the two countries.

"Such an event in Cambodia allows us to better understand China's culture and civilization, especially those in Jiangsu province," he told Xinhua after watching the cultural performance.

"Both the exhibitions outside and the cultural performance have told us about lifestyles, culture, and development (in Jiangsu)," he said.

Another spectator Im Sreymom, 30, said "it lets us know about their culture. I've never seen it before, this is my first time, and it is very interesting."

The Jiangsu cultural week will also be held in the coastal province of Preah Sihanouk and the cultural province of Siem Reap on Feb. 20 and 21, respectively.

Organized by the Information Office and the Foreign Affairs Office of the government of China's Jiangsu Province, the event marked the coming of "Perceiving China-Jiangsu Culture Week" to two Southeast Asian countries, namely Cambodia and Thailand.