SIEM REAP: Cambodians from all over the country have folded origami hearts that are on display at Angkor Wat to provide decoration and break a world record today, 13 April 2023. The hearts have been staked into the ground to form a large heart on one side of the temple and the word “Khmer” written in the native script on the other side.

One million paper hearts, each heart worth 500 riel, represent the Cambodian heart that beats in unison and shows the world the spirit and size of the Cambodian people in their support for athletes with disabilities while the nation hosts the SEA and Para Games next month.

The world record-breaking event "Hearts in the World" will take place at Angkor Wat at 4pm on Tuesday after Guinness World Record officials complete their count and confirm the new record. The event is open and free to the public.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Angkor Sankranta New Year festivities at the temple. In addition to setting a new record for origami hearts, Cambodians are also preparing to dance the Madison to break their previous world record of 2,015 people dancing in unison set in 2015. At the same event that year, Cambodia also broke the Guinness World Record for largest sticky rice cake by producing a Num Ansorm weighing 4 tons.

Cambodia has a penchant for breaking world records-it’s most recent being “longest circus show,” awarding the more than 24-hour online performance put on by Battambang’s Phare Circus last March, which succeed in raising enough funds to keep the circus operational during the Covid pandemic. In 2017, the country produced the longest Chapei Dang Veng (Cambodian two-stringed guitar) at 7.7 meters. In 2018, Cambodia broke two world records: longest dragon boat at 87.3 meters and the longest hand-woven scarf: a krama measuring 1,449 meters long.

^{PHOTO: Beyond the Games}