Yunnan Hosts China-Cambodia Mid-Autumn Gala

China and Cambodia held a Mid-Autumn Festival cultural gala on September 28, 2025, in Phnom Penh, featuring performances by artists from both countries. The event, drawing on Chinese Communist Party frame of “friendship” (友谊), was titled “Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon: Deep Neighborly Affection.” It was organized by Cambodia’s Ministry of Information, Ministry of Tourism, China’s embassy in Cambodia, and Yunnan province’s propaganda office (中共雲南省委宣傳部), as part of the China-Cambodia Tourism Year. Chinese performers presented classical dance works a Yunnan Yi ethnic dance called “Stepping on Clouds,” while Cambodian artists performed traditional pieces such as the “Apsara Dance” and a selection from the historical drama “Zhou Daguan Meets Zhenla” (周达观遇见真腊) called titled “Moon Over Angkor.” Zhou Daguan was a Chinese official during the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty who visited the kingdom of Angkor in the 13th century and stayed for a time at the court of King Indrvarman III. Zhou is often cited in Chinese official accounts as an early example of “friendly” foreign relations with Cambodia and Southeast Asia more broadly. The involvement of the Yunnan provincial propaganda office in the event underscored the province’s continued role as a platform for China’s cultural and economic engagement in Southeast Asia.