SIEM REAP, Cambodia, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodia-China martial arts performance was held at the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park here in northwest Cambodia on Thursday, attracting crowds of domestic and foreign tourists.
Held at the northern area of iconic Bayon Temple, the free-admission event featured a remarkable joint performance showcasing Cambodia's traditional martial arts -- Bokator, Yuthakun Khom, and Kun Khmer boxing -- alongside Chinese martial arts, including Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi.
A total of 16 Chinese monks from the Shaolin Temple performed at the spectacular event.
Speaking at the event, Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak said the performance was part of the Cambodia-China Tourism Year campaign, aiming at promoting shared cultural heritage, cultural ties, and closer people-to-people contact.
The event attracted more than 1,000 domestic and international spectators, the minister said.
According to Huot Hak, China became the biggest source of international tourists to Cambodia in the first quarter of 2026, with more than 240,000 Chinese tourists traveling to the Southeast Asian country.
"Cambodia is eager to see more Chinese tourists and investors," he said. "The future of Cambodia's tourism is inseparable from the inflows of Chinese tourists and investors."
He is confident that Cambodia's pilot visa-free policy for Chinese nationals, which will be implemented from June 15 to Oct. 15 this year, will encourage more Chinese tourists to spend their holidays in the kingdom.
Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association Cambodia chapter, said the joint martial arts show was crucial to help promote Cambodia's tourist attractions to Chinese holidaymakers.
"It will help increase tourists' confidence, promoting Cambodia as a safe and vibrant tourist destination," he told Xinhua. "I believe that this event will further deepen cultural ties and the bonds of friendship between the peoples of the two countries."
Thong Mengdavid, deputy director at the China-ASEAN Studies Center of the Cambodia University of Technology and Science, said the event carried broader symbolic and diplomatic implications beyond cultural display.
"It reflects the continued deepening of Cambodia-China relations, where cultural diplomacy is increasingly used alongside economic and political cooperation to strengthen strategic trust," he told Xinhua.
"This event further reinforces the perception of a highly institutionalized partnership between Cambodia and China, where cultural cooperation complements infrastructure, investment, tourism, and shapes the younger generation's perception of bilateral friendship," Mengdavid added. ■
