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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) — Vendor Srey Mao, who sells various souvenirs to tourists at the famous Angkor Wat temple in Angkor Archaeological Park, hopes that more Chinese tourists will visit the World Heritage site as 2025 is designated as the Cambodia-China Tourism Year.
A 35-year-old saleswoman who has been selling gifts to tourists at Angkor Wat for more than a decade said she was looking forward to a large influx of Chinese tourists to the ancient park, noting that they spend a lot on souvenirs.
“They like to buy Angkor Wat T-shirts and other souvenirs with Angkor Wat images, such as paintings and leather goods,” she told Xinhua on Saturday. “I really want more tourists to come; the more tourists there are, the better it is for our economy,” she said.
Srey Mao said that in the Angkor Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, tourists can see temples such as Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Phnom Bakheng and Bantay Srei, among others.
Mui Meun, a 41-year-old souvenir seller at Ta Prohm temple in the Angkor archaeological park, said the presence of Chinese tourists was vital to boosting tourism in Cambodia and improving the livelihoods of locals.
"As a seller, I want more tourists to come and visit the temples in Siem Reap province," she told Xinhua on Saturday. "I dream of seeing them in large numbers in Angkor Park, and my sales will be good."
Located in northwestern Siem Reap province, the 401-square-kilometre Angkor Archaeological Park, the kingdom's most popular tourist destination, is home to 91 ancient temples built between the 9th and 13th centuries.
In the first seven months of 2025, 53,291 Chinese tourists visited Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park, up 21 percent from 44,053 in the same period last year, according to a recent report by state-owned Angkor Enterprise.
China became the fourth largest source of international tourist arrivals to the ancient park after the United States, Britain and France between January and July this year, the report said.
Thong Mengdavid, a lecturer at the Institute of International Studies and Public Policy at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said that with 2025 declared the Cambodia-China Tourism Year, the kingdom expects a noticeable increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Angkor Archaeological Park this year.
“The growth is likely to be driven by increased bilateral cooperation, promotional campaigns and increased accessibility through direct flights and group tour packages,” he told Xinhua. “As one of the most iconic cultural and spiritual sites in Southeast Asia, Angkor is very attractive to Chinese tourists who value history, architecture and spiritual heritage.”
T. Mengdavid said the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, built with Chinese investors and opened for commercial flights in November 2023, has also made it easier for all foreign tourists, including Chinese, to travel to Angkor Park. –0–
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