PHNOM PENH, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts on Saturday congratulated a local circus troupe on being recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for achieving the world's "longest circus show."
In a news release, the ministry said the Guinness World Records announced in a livestream on Thursday that the world's "longest circus show", 24 hours, 10 minutes and 30 seconds, was achieved by the Phare Ponleu Selpak, a local non-profit circus organization, during a performance in northwest Battambang province between March 7 and March 8, 2021.
"Congratulations on your hard work as well as professional genius. May you all continue your mission successfully," Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona said.
The Phare Ponleu Selpak said in a press release that the Guinness World Records officially granted the title to the organization after they completed their year-long assessment of 131 pages and 25 videos of evidence.
The Guinness World Records said on its website that the Phare Ponleu Selpak is an organization founded by Cambodian refugees to help children through war traumas and to restore the country's culture and education.
It said the organization has educated over 800 disadvantaged children and trained hundreds more in the visual, musical and performing arts to help lift hundreds of families out of poverty and to keep the Cambodian culture alive.
The organization has taken innovative steps in the last decade to avoid dependence on handouts by creating a popular animal-free circus and tourist attraction which has funded their life-saving programs, it added. ■
