PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Tourism, Thong Khon, has said Cambodia intends to organize a joint martial arts performance of Bokator and Shaolin Kung Fu in Phnom Penh before the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Minister Thong Khon made these remarks during a bilateral meeting with the Deputy Governor of China’s Hainan Province, Shen Danyang, on Wednesday, 22 February 2023, at the Ministry of Tourism.

The Minister invited the Hainan delegation to attend the opening ceremony of the 32nd SEA Games this coming May.

He also asked the Chinese side to send Shaolin Kung Fu practitioners to come and train with Bokator martial artists, and shared that he wishes to organize four to five matches between Shaolin and Khmer martial artists.

In response, the Deputy Governor of Hainan Province said that the two sides would support each other and shared that the purpose of his visit to Cambodia was to promote exchange and cooperation between Cambodia and Hainan Province, particularly in the fields of economy, trade, tourism and culture.

He added that his delegation is interested in discussing and exchanging experiences in tourism development with Cambodia, and to also strengthen Hainan Province’s tourism economic cooperation with ASEAN countries.

Bokator was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list on 29 November 2022, while Shaolin Kung Fu is one of the oldest and most famous styles of Kung Fu in China.