Cambodian Culture and Fine Arts Secretary of State Khim Sarith addresses the inaugural ceremony of the China-Cambodia Film Tour in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Dec. 11, 2016. A 25-day China-Cambodia Film Tour kicked off here on Sunday, aiming at enhancing cultural ties and promoting people-to-people relations between the two countries, officials said. (Xinhua/Sovannara)
PHNOM PENH, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A 25-day China-Cambodia Film Tour kicked off here on Sunday, aiming at enhancing cultural ties and promoting people-to-people relations between the two countries, officials said.
Four famous Chinese films -- The Piano In A Factory, Wolf Totem, Go Away Mr. Tumor, and The Smile of Angkor -- along with three Cambodian movies had been selected for screening at the film tour, which started from Phnom Penh capital to seven provinces around the kingdom's Tonle Sap Lake.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony at the iconic Chak Tomuk Theater in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Culture and Fine Arts Secretary of State Khim Sarith said the ticket-free event would enable Cambodian people to better understand about the cultural values of the two countries.
"For decades, Chinese movies have been very popular among Cambodian audience," he told the ceremony with about 500 spectators. "A large number of Chinese films have been screened at cinemas and television channels across Cambodia."
He said the popularity of Chinese movies here was thanks to the excellent relations and the similarity in culture, tradition, custom, and belief between the two countries.
Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo said the China-Cambodia Film Tour aimed to exchange cultural ties and to promote people-to-people relations between China and Cambodia.
"The film tour opens a new chapter for promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries," he said. "I'm confident that this program will contribute to making closer relations between the peoples of our two countries."
The event was organized by the Cambodia-China Friendship Radio in cooperation with the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia and the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts as well as the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia.
