Cambodian Prime Minister commends Chinese director for helping to present Khmer culture to the world-China News

　　[ASEAN Line]Cambodian Prime Minister commends Chinese director for helping to present Khmer culture to the world

China News Service, Phnom Penh, November 18th: Title: Cambodian Prime Minister commends Chinese director for helping to present Khmer culture to the world

Author Yang Qiang Li Haiyue

On the evening of November 17, a celebration banquet was held at the Cambodia National Stadium to celebrate the success of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and the 12th ASEAN Paralympic Games. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manai and his wife attended the celebration banquet and issued certificates of honor and letters of thanks to those who made outstanding contributions to the Games. Chinese young director Chen Weidan was invited to attend the conference and received an award.

Chen Weidan is the chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. He has previously participated in the directing work of many international large-scale events in China. Invited to Cambodia to attend the celebration banquet, Chen Weidan recounted to China News Service reporters his journey of directing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

On the evening of November 17, a celebration banquet was held at the Cambodia National Stadium to celebrate the success of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and the 12th ASEAN Paralympic Games. The picture shows Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manai (middle) and his wife taking a photo with Chinese director Chen Weidan. (Screenshot of video from Cambodian National Television)

At the end of April 2023, actors were rehearsing for the opening ceremony of the Sports Games at the Cambodian National Stadium. The opening ceremony is the highlight of this regional international competition. It will express the theme of the conference and showcase the national culture, customs and organizational level of the host country. The opening ceremony of this Southeast Asian Games was completed by a team of directors from China and Cambodia.

“When I received the assignment, the first thing I had to do was to listen and understand what kind of Cambodia the host country would present at the opening ceremony. After that, it was time to experience and truly feel the unique atmosphere and charm of Khmer culture.” Chen Weidan was interviewed by a reporter from China News Service Shi said that the cultural differences between the two countries are a difficult problem that he must overcome.

As a result, Chen Weidan went to many towns in Cambodia and fully communicated with the locals. He felt the simplicity and kindness of the people in this country, as well as the same openness, tolerance and development as China.

What really shocked Chen Weidan was Cambodia’s profound historical and cultural heritage. “The moment I saw Angkor Wat, I was really amazed. The beauty of Angkor cannot be described in words and words. The ancestors of Cambodia were able to build such a dynasty and leave such cultural treasures to future generations. The ancestors of Cambodia were amazing. “

With the gradual deepening of understanding and the collision and running-in of the two teams, Chen Weidan slowly formed the design ideas for the opening ceremony in his mind. He said, “This is a very beautiful country, and it has many touching mythological stories, so we used its mythological stories to make a clever beginning.”

On the evening of May 5, 2023, the world’s attention focused on the Cambodian National Stadium built with China’s assistance. The elegance of the Kingdom of Cambodia made a wonderful appearance in the spotlight.

The opening ceremony kicked off with a beautiful mythical story. The ancestors of this land used their wisdom to create the glory of the Angkor Dynasty. This is the pride of Khmer culture and an important part of the world cultural heritage. At the opening ceremony, every actor welcomed friends from Southeast Asia and all over the world with enthusiasm and smiles.

When the sacred fire is lit and the fireworks bloom, the opening ceremony reaches its climax. “The audience was excited at the time. We succeeded.” Chen Weidan said.

This beautiful and splendid opening ceremony audio-visual feast left a deep impression on Feng Lifa, Vice Chairman of the National Sports Foundation of Cambodia and President of the Cambodian Chess Federation. He said, “This performance fully demonstrated the Cambodian people’s love for the country, love for sports, and love for peace.”

Chen Weidan said that the Chinese and Cambodian director teams have cooperated to break down the barriers of cultural differences and show the world Cambodia’s splendid history and culture and the vigorous development of the new era. “This will provide us with reference experience in the future to promote mutual understanding and mutual understanding between Chinese and foreign people and contribute cultural strength.” ( over)