The Koh Pich Theatre on January 21 hosted festivities to celebrate the arrival of the Chinese New Year. The evening saw a rendition of the Monkey King fable by a talented dance troupe from Gansu province to ring in the Year of the Rat. A spellbinding rendition of the Song of the Pear Blossoms and a virtuoso performance on the ehru – the Chinese two-stringed fiddle – also won the hearts of the audience. During his speech, Chinese Ambassador Wang Wentian emphasised the strength of Chinese-Cambodian friendship. He said a growing number of Chinese people were celebrating the Khmer New Year while Cambodians increasingly embraced the Chinese festival. photo heng chivoan