Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong unveiled the nameplate of the Chinese Culture House in Phnom Penh. [Photo/Xinhua]

The unveiling ceremony of the first Chinese Culture House overseas was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Dec 31, 2014. Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong unveiled the nameplate of the institution. Officials from both sides and nearly 200 students and teachers from the Confucius School attended the event.

Sponsored by Yunnan Xinzhi Group, the Chinese Culture House in Phnom Penh stretches across an area of over 5,000 square meters, with multifunction halls, multi-media libraries, reading rooms, exhibition halls and classrooms.. Various resources from both home and abroad are accessible for the public and artists in Cambodia. Diversified cultural activities have been organized in the area, including the painting exhibition of Xu Peicheng’s Peking opera characters.

There are 20 Chinese Culture Centers in the world. A number of cultural activities with rich themes are organized each year, such as stage performances, exhibitions and lectures, which have been well received. To meet the increasing need oversees for tightening cultural ties with China, a “Chinese culture house” is built as a culture exchange institution that promotes and explores the development of Chinese culture abroad.

The Chinese Culture House in Phnom Penh is the first of its kind. Mainstream media from both countries covered the event.