PHNOM PENH, June 15 -- The "Family China" art troupe of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese on Saturday performed classic Peking Opera, traditional dances, music, and acrobatics here, attracting approximately 3,500 spectators.

Held at the Diamond Island's Grand Theater, the glittering cultural show was organized to further promote cultural ties and people-to-people contact, as 2024 is the Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange year.

Speaking in a speech at the opening ceremony, Lao Meng Khin, an advisor to Cambodia's Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, said the show would further deepen the bonds of friendship between the people of the two countries.

"It injects strong vitality into the friendly relations between Cambodia and China, thereby contributing further to promoting peace and development between the two countries," he said.

"I believe that the cultural show tonight will leave the audience with amazing unforgettable memories."

Meanwhile, Meng Khin, who is also the honorary president of the Federation of Khmer Chinese in Cambodia, also highlighted that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative has not only boosted infrastructure development, economy, trade, and investment, but also contributed to promoting cultural ties and people-to-people exchange between the two countries.

Zhao Haiyan, minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia, said China and Cambodia both have ancient civilizations with splendid culture and that the friendship between the two peoples has a long history and will become stronger in the future.

"Under the strategic guidance of both leaders, building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has entered a new era of high quality, high level, and high standard," he said.

"The strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation between the two countries have reached an unprecedented high level," he added.

Zhao said the cultural performance was held at the right time as the two countries are celebrating the 2024 people-to-people exchange year.

The colorful show lasting two hours presented diverse forms of Chinese traditional arts and each of the performances had drawn hearty rounds of applause from the audience.

Peng Bopha, a 28-year-old spectator, said the show had helped her to know more about China's diverse culture, civilization, tradition and custom.

"This is the first time that I've watched such a Chinese cultural performance, with my own eyes," she told Xinhua after watching the show. "They (the artists) have performed well and vividly."

Bopha, an employee at Canadia Bank, said as this year is the Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange year, the art performance would bring the people of the two countries closer together.

Ton Bopha, a 42-year-old viewer, said it was the second time she'd watched such a show, and that the show would contribute to strengthening cultural ties and promoting the bonds of friendship between the people of the two countries.

"It's a good show because the artists are very talented, performing vividly and fascinatingly," she told Xinhua. "It has created closeness in the relationship between the people of Cambodia and China."

  - Xinhua