PHNOM PENH, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday celebrated the 22nd anniversary of King Norodom Sihamoni's coronation with religious ceremonies, official blessings, and a public fireworks display.
The Coronation Day is a public holiday across the Southeast Asian nation. To mark the auspicious occasion, portraits of the King were displayed outside all government ministries and state institutions.
Meanwhile, congratulatory messages from national leaders were broadcast on television and radio stations, published in newspapers, and shared across online news portals and social media platforms.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed his heartfelt congratulations and highest respects to the monarch.
According to the National Committee for Organizing National and International Festivals, a formal religious ceremony took place inside the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh to mark the occasion.
Later in the evening, a vibrant fireworks show lit up the sky over the Chaktomuk River confluence in front of the Royal Palace, drawing crowds of local residents and foreign tourists along the riverside promenade.
King Sihamoni, 73, ascended the throne on October 29, 2004, following the abdication of his late father, King Norodom Sihanouk, for health reasons. ■