A three-day cultural festival named “Angkor Remembrance” started yesterday in Siem Reap city and will end on Friday.

The festival is to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the inclusion of Angkor as a World Heritage Site.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said on his official Facebook page yesterday that the cultural event would be a spectacular with about 300 well-known artistes performing.

“The festival is also to commemorate the 12 Cambodian heritage sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, including Both the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the UNESCO World Memory of the World.

“The event will promote the cultural sector and contribute to the restoration of tourism in Angkor after Covid-19 crisis,” he added.

The Angkor site was inscribed on the World Heritage List at the 16th meeting of the World Heritage Committee on December 14, 1992, in Santa Fe, USA.

The Angkor site is commonly known as a gigantic architectural complex built to dedicate to Vishnu in Brahmanism. Sacred temples, style, inscriptions and sacred sculptures as evidence of life, lifestyle, traditions, customs, beliefs, religion, culture, business and economic currents of the Angkorian period.

Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts secretary of state Long Bonna Sirivath said performances such as traditional dance performances, shadow theater and puppet show, Lbokator and Chapei Dang Veng, among others will be staged in the eastern part of Angkor Wat.

“In addition, there will be a Gala Night Charity Dinner at Bayon Temple where Khmer culture will be showcased to raise funds to support Kantha Bopha Hospital.

He added that the ministry is organising Angkor Remembrance with the Apsara National Authority.

Apsara Authority spokesman Long Kosal said the work and achievement of Apsara in the last 30 years in preserving the Angkor temples, an important heritage for Cambodians, will be highlighted during the three-day festivities.

“We want people to know what is Cambodia’s national identity, the value of national identity, as well as the upliftment of the national soul, because when we talk about Angkor, we always look at the great past, the glory, the greatness of the people.

“Our Khmer nation and our people have a connection with our past and we should be proud of our past, our heritage,” he said.

All the programmes, he said, are open to the public.